Some 388 beneficiaries of the KCB Foundation’s 2jiajiri programme have graduated after a three-month training on hydroponic farming held at the Miramar International College (MIC) in Kikuyu, on the outskirts of Nairobi.
Hydroponic is a soil-less farming method where plants are grown using only a mineral nutrient solution, enabling crops to mature within a short time.
KCB Foundation and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) have been supporting youth employment and food security through such initiatives.
“The graduates have been equipped with hydroponic techniques of producing vegetables, strawberries and livestock fodder among other food crops,” said KCB Foundation executive director Jane Mwangi during the graduation ceremony.
According to the 2017 Human Development Index, 39.1 per cent of working age Kenyans are unemployed.
“We in the private sector cannot just sit and watch, well are aware that the government can only do so much. We must step in and step up the quest for creating more employment,” said Ms Mwangi.
GIZ Kenya country director Stefan Opitz said they would continue working with KCB to increase employability and income generation for 4,000 youth in the informal sector — 2,000 in construction and 2,000 in agriculture.
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