As a teenager back in 1985, I took myself to see the movie Out of Africa multiple times. It wasn’t the colonial era Streep/Redford romance that enraptured me, but rather the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and stunning cinematography of the Maasai Mara. I had never been outside the UK and vowed one day to see it for myself. Thirty years later, it was a surprise and a joy to be asked to represent Alongside Hope on a Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) Learning Tour to Kenya. I immediately downloaded the soundtrack.
On our learning tour were 12 people from across Canada. There were four CFGB staff members, plus farmers, clergy, a Caritas worker and an oil executive. We were Anglican, United, Catholic and Mennonites, and we didn’t have a moment of friction between us. It was quite heavenly.
The objective was to visit CFGB projects across Kenya and witness the incredible work that is being achieved with the local partners. CFGB, founded by Canadian farmers in the late 70s to provide excess grain to developing countries, later expanded to support local initiatives to achieve long-term solutions to hunger and food insecurity. It works with 15 church denominations and agencies, and its Anglican partner is Alongside Hope.
Kenya is large and diverse in its peoples and its geography. The tour likewise was intensive and wide-ranging. We began and ended in Nairobi with the wonderful staff of Church World Service Africa. In between, we covered much of the country, travelling nine hours north to the drought-ridden deserts of Marsabit county, much of it off-roading, and back down to Embu and Makueni counties, which were some of the lushest and most verdant land I have ever seen. In each place we met small-scale farmers, almost all women, who had been given the opportunity to start home-based projects to generate income, support their families and send their children to school. We witnessed the local partners work together to provide the kind of valuable training and education that lifts people from surviving to thriving.
In Embu county, we met Pauline Kagendo, a dynamic young poultry farmer. Pauline had started out with a loan to buy 10 chickens and a desire to raise her family out of poverty. After three years of determined work, her business has expanded to selling 300 chickens per month to local restaurants and markets, and now she is planning a joint venture in the chicken feed industry. Pauline was the first to describe chickens to us as ATM machines, and it was clear that she had taken the training she was offered and fully invested herself into the care and growth of her poultry business. There was no end to Pauline’s plan for her family’s future. She was a force of nature and an impressive role model for her community. As we drove away, some of the local staff discussed whether they might start keeping chickens themselves.
Village Saving and Loans Associations (VSLAs) are the lifeblood of grassroots development for small-scale farmers. Pauline was one of thousands who have benefitted from start-up loans and ongoing financial opportunities afforded by VSLA membership. They operate just like a small credit union. In each village, we visited the local VSLA meetings, witnessing the solidarity of local women supporting and encouraging each other in their business ventures. The rules are simple: loans are to be repaid within three months, shares can be purchased at each meeting, and dividends are paid out annually. VSLA members decide together who to invite to participate in the group, since they expect commitment, hard work and honesty. As a result, many of the projects are producing impressive results.
In Nthugoni village in Makueni county, we visited the homestead of Jacinda and Francis Mutuku. The Mutukus have been learning skills from the local partner, Utooni Development Organization (UDO), which has been building shallow wells with support from Alongside Hope, since 2019. Shallow wells are an effective way of accessing water where piped water is unavailable. UDO also provides 10,000-litre water tanks so that small farmers can water their nurseries during the dry seasons.
Francis Mutuku is legally blind, but it has not stopped him from having a vision for his family. Jacinda showed us the family’s vision maps for 2025 and 2026. What began as a small garden vegetable plot and a few chickens has turned into big dreams for a homestead with larger livestock, expanded chicken production and greater vegetable and tree plantations. Their two children now attend a good school, and Francis is able to participate in much of the work despite his disability. He is also vice president of the local VSLA. Jacinda’s devoted and watchful eye over the many feathery obstacles in Francis’s path, and his sharing of how his family’s love grows in the garden where they work, sing and chat together, was a beautiful thing to behold. Theirs was one of many success stories we had the privilege to encounter.
If there was a difficult part of the tour, it was saying farewell to the Samburu and Rendille villagers in Marsabit county, where Alongside Hope has been working with Church World Service (CWS) on improving food security. In the past, Marsabit would experience a significant drought once in 10 years; since 2015, it has been every two to three years and is projected to become more severe with global warming. When we arrived, much later than expected, the women greeted us so joyfully with their singing and dancing; we were deeply moved. We were transfixed by the beauty of their decorative beadwork that they wore with great pride. But despite the smiles and gracious welcome, their daily reality is drought. They have the training and the knowledge to grow vegetables, but without water it is simply not possible. We did view their beekeeping, beadwork and poultry projects, but the lack of water looms over the community, affecting every facet of daily life. It is a disaster for a pastoralist society. We left determined to pray for the community and to support it going forward. At the time of writing, I am glad to have learnt that Alongside Hope and CFGB have provided funds to rehabilitate two boreholes to attempt to ease the water shortage.
After many visits to farmers across Kenya, our tour ended with a wonderful safari day in Nairobi National Park, then a visit to the Canadian High Commission to advocate for Canada’s commitment to international development, particularly having seen the devastation that the withdrawal of USAID has caused.
Kenya is simply incredible. No movie can adequately capture the warmth of its people, their vibrant Christian faith, the dramatic vistas or the majesty of its animal kingdom. I was, finally, fortunate to make my way to Maasai Mara before flying home, too. The whole experience of participating in a Canadian Foodgrains Bank Learning Tour was inspiring. I saw first-hand the great work that Alongside Hope achieves together with its Kenyan partners and CFGB. I had a really hard time unlearning “PWRDF,” but now I’ve seen that they really do journey alongside hope, and that is Christ’s work.
How much should I give?