Stories From The Field: Kenya
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Growing Up Resilient

September 8, 2015

Zakayo Mikwanga is recognized as one of DIG’s most successful home gardeners. He proudly harvests kale, carrots, and other vegetables every day of the year without interruption. “I am a busy person,” he laughs. “Unlike before, my family is learning new techniques as we enjoy the benefits of having a garden with many different vegetables.”   Growing up, Zakayo had a father who, though poor, valued a good education – a rare privilege in 1960s Kenya. Zakayo would take his

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The Wechaya HIV Support Group

September 8, 2015

It’s an early, cool Wednesday morning; the sun is still low in the sky, but the chorus of cicadas and crickets reminds us of the heat that’s coming. The Wechaya HIV Support Group is meeting in their community garden. Quiet talking and laughing can be heard as women dressed in vibrantly patterned skirts make their way down the narrow cow paths and gather in the shade of a broad mango tree.   Organized through DIG’s Mobile Farmer Field School program,

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I DIG Kenya 2014

October 8, 2014

We set off on an adventure…….   “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” ― Mary Anne Radmacher

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What it Takes to End Hunger

June 11, 2014

By Maggie Black   Vida Aooko Bitta, 30 years old and mother of four, is one of a DIG (Development in Gardening) team of community facilitators in Rongo District, Western Kenya. What she and the team are trying to do is transform the diet, improve the well-being and fill the pocket-books of local farming families. Many of these are among the 240 million Africans who regularly go hungry. Vida’s home is just a mile away from the Lwala community hospital

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Farewell Tobias!

January 29, 2014

It is with very mixed emotions that DIG says farewell to our Local Facilitator, Tobias Owour.  Tobias has been with the DIG since the very beginning of our Lwala Hospital Project. He was our first hire in Lwala and we could not have made a better choice. Tobias came to us with high recommendations from his grandmother who said, “I decided long before he was grown that he had a gift for working with the ground.”   Tobias’ passion for

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Home is Where the Heart Is

December 9, 2013

Lucille Otieno is what we call a true matriarch. She is a mother, grand mother, and great grandmother several times over and has been the primary provider for her large family for several years. Due to several unfortunate circumstances, Lucille supports two of her granddaughters, Selena and Florence, as well as all of their children, each of whom have found refuge in her small home.   Lucille is a small scale farmer by tradition. She got involved with DIG because of a

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Local Facilitator: Sarah Obonyo

September 19, 2013

Meet one of DIG’s stars and amazing Local Facilitators, Sarah Obonyo.    Sarah is the mother of 4 beautiful children and wife to a loving and supportive husband. She lives in Rongo in Western Kenya and has a passion for learning. While Sarah never finished secondary school she is incredibly intelligent and has proven to be a more than capable teacher and an irreplaceable member of the DIG team in Kenya.    Sarah started working for DIG last year after she proved herself to be

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Hellen Odira Omingo: DIG Farmer and Entrepreneur

September 18, 2013

I spent this morning with Hellen Odira Omingo, a DIG farmer participating in our Producer Group Program in North Kamagambo, Kenya. Hellen is a widow blessed with 4 children and a beautiful spirit.  She was trained by DIG last year in our Farmer Field School program and selected to join the Todnal Producer Group. DIG launched the Producer Group Program several months ago as a pilot program to help small-holder farmers shift their perspective from subsitence farming alone to farming as

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DIG’s Inspiring Youth

October 29, 2012

A report on the Kuna DIG School Garden from the students who manage it.  DIG’s Kuna School Garden lies west of Nairobi in the Nyanza Province. With over 800 students and only 12 teachers, this government run school struggles to meet the needs of its population.    Through a partnership with the Lwala Community Alliance, the Segal Family Foundation, Starbucks, the International Youth Foundation, and Rotary International, DIG was brought in to help the school develop a garden education program

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Nyla’s Experience on the “I DIG Kenya” 2012

July 10, 2012

My recent visit to DIG in Kenya in May 2012 was a wonderful adventure thanks to the outstanding leadership of Sarah Koch, the executive director and her DIG co-workers!  Our itinerary was well organized and offered a “hands-on” experience to help us understand the mission and work of the Garden Program.   We visited many DIG sites and participated in their gardening endeavors. It was special to have the opportunity to meet the Kenyan people in their schools, homes &

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Emily Achieng’s Ode to DIG

July 3, 2012

Rarely is DIG a muse for poetry but apparently something about our project sparked Emily’s creative juices! We also want to thank Mr. Tobias for capturing her poem and emailing it to us so that we can share it with all of you! After you read this poem, if you want to read more about Emily’s story click here.   DIG by Emily AchiengDIG! DIG! DIG!Who will help me DIG?In reality, everything is in DIG. Open your eyes and see!the richesproper

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Story from the Field: Wilfreda Anyang

May 8, 2012

Wilfreda Anyango is a mother of 8 children from Oboch Village of Kameji in North Kamagambo, Kenya. Wilfreda has to work extra hard to supplement the little income her husband is getting as a casual laborer in a nearby school since she has such a large family. Wilfreda joined DIG’s sustainable agriculture training because she is a member of the Umama Salama Group (Lwala Community Alliance Women’s group who work as community health workers to encourage women to give birth

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