KENYA: How Persons with Disabilities Farm their Way to a More Inclusive Future

As the world prepares to celebrate this years’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd December 2024, members of the Chakol and Amase Persons with Disability (PWD) groups in Alupe Teso South, Busia County Kenya will be sharing in the celebrations.

Earlier in the year, Farm Africa, an international non-governmental organization presented an opportunity to these two groups to join one of its development initiatives in Kenya called the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture (YISA). YISA is a five-yea aquaculture development programme that is being implemented by Farm Africa in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The programme aims to create 150,000 sustainable, dignified and fulfilling jobs for young women and men including persons with disabilities and the internally displaced persons by promoting innovative practices intended to transform the aquaculture industry in Kenya.

According to the United Nations (UN) statistics, of the one billion population of persons with disabilities, 80% of them live in developing countries . Like many other persons with disabilities, before working with Farm Africa, most members of the Chakol and Amase PWD groups had not been able to engage in gainful employment.

The group members have now received comprehensive training from Farm Africa in the production and marketing of soybeans. High in protein and lipids, soybeans are vital for the production of high-quality fish feeds that will be needed in large supply as fish farming businesses supported by the programme expand.

For group members, many of whom are young people who have been unable to secure employment due to their disabilities, the opportunity stands to be life-changing.

“We expect to earn between six hundred thousand to one million Kenyan Shillings [approximately UK £6,000]”, says Amase group chairperson Everlyne Namu. “This will allow us to command respect from those who currently despise us, the community will witness our children going to school, and our young members who wish to further their education will also be able to do so.”

The groups have high expectations. In addition to the 25 acres of soybeans they are cultivating, both groups have submitted their applications for the Program’s Challenge Fund. The program provides grants or matching funds to small and medium-sized enterprises that have innovative ideas and the potential to create work opportunities for young women and men, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons in Kenya. ] The grant will enable each group to acquire mechanized equipment that will ease their operations.

The inclusive approach of the Youth in Sustainable Aquaculture program has been a welcome surprise to the PWD group members. “I truly appreciate the inclusive nature of this programme, as it has brought persons with disabilities on board, something that most projects usually overlook,” stated Agnes Auma, the chairperson for the Chakol PWDs group.

Farm Africa Program Manager, Teddy Nyanapah explained the far-reaching value of the group’s contribution to the members and stakeholders “This initiative will not only create gainful employment opportunities for persons with disabilities who are growing soybeans, but it will also strengthen the entire aquaculture value chain by ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality fish feed to the fish producers. YISA program initiatives are aimed at increasing the quality, production and productivity of fish which will result in expanded work opportunities for young women and men in the aquaculture sector.

…ENDS.