From balancing books to farming, Cecilia Wachira is using her green thumb to achieve her dreams

Surrounded by modest bomas with low wooden gates, sheep covered in thick wool and acres blossoming with fresh produce, Cecilia Wachira grew up well-acquainted to the farm life in the cold Kinangop area overlooking the Aberdare Mountain range.

Her father owned 10 acres of land, most of which was extensively used by the family both for sustenance and commercial purposes. Every year however, there was a little less grassland and more woodlots and farmland dabbled in growing potatoes – a leading cash crop.

Familiar with the hard life that came with toiling all day at the farm, Cecilia’s mother wanted different for her children and pushed her daughter to study and graduate with a Bachelors in Accounting degree at the University of Nairobi in 2015.

After a short employment stint at the accounting world, Cecilia resigned. “Accounting bores me to death and I only did it to please my mom.” Rummaging through the bins of employment shortly after, saw her open Nimo’s Fresh Farm in 2016. She turned to small-scale poultry and vegetable farming to keep herself occupied. Earnings from her business were only enough for day-to-day sustenance.

Over time, her business grew through referrals, and she decided to venture into greenhouse farming. It is during that time that she learnt that the KCB Foundation (KCBF) had a 2jiajiri programme running, offering a hydroponics agriculture project that would also encapsulate greenhouse management.

In 2020, she undertook the upskilling program as a 2Jiajiri beneficiary courtesy of the KCB Foundation. The Foundation had set an ambitious yet attainable goal: to empower five million young Kenyans with dignified and fulfilling work by the year 2030. This initiative aligned with Kenya’s Vision 2030 agenda, which emphasizes the importance of employment amongst young women and men and overall economic development.

As fate would have it, COVID-19 hit and the laid down restrictions halted the program. This setback saw her have a few online classes but experienced difficulties that made it difficult for her to graduate.

Nimo’s Fresh Farm currently has 3 permanent employees and 1 casual laborer and sells its produce in wholesale to individuals and grocery stalls in Nairobi on order basis. She now rakes in an average of KES. 20,000 in profit every month.

Through the various exhibitions that the KCBF has been organizing, Cecilia has been able to network with new clients as well as sell and market her products and services.

Financial challenges have stopped Cecilia from actualizing her dream as she is yet to build a greenhouse. She is however hopeful that the Foundation will provide her with incentives and proper equipment to fulfill her dream.

42-year-old Cecilia is also hopeful that her business will scale to greater heights as she believes that 2Jiajiri equipped her with the necessary skillset she needs to thrive. “2Jiajiri holds your hand and provides you with a platform to succeed. The association with KCBF has brought me pride and I am grateful for it.”

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