Throughout their illustrious history, the semi-nomadic Maasai people have relied solely on herding for survival, viewing their livestock as both a sign and source of wealth. In recent times, increasingly frequent and severe drought across Maasailand has meant devastating losses to cattle, the nucleus of their economy. In response, the government and local non-profit organizations, as the Shepherd’s Village, have initiated programs to introduce the Maasai to a new survival strategy – crop production.
Fruits are one of Kenya’s top three exports. However, a combination of poor planting and increasing plant diseases and pests, means Kenyan farmers are not earning as much as they could from the fruit. The Shepherd’s Village introduced initiatives that seek to maximize the potential of farmland.
- Establishing links with fruit-processing companies.
- Introducing new disease-resistant varieties that cope better with drought.
- Training farmers in the area how to look after the new variety.
- Establishing seed nurseries to distribute better seedlings and training other farmers how to use them.
- Forming a farmers’ association that seek to establish strong and profitable market links.