From Gold to Golden Harvest: CNFA Offers New, Sustainable Opportunities in Kenya
In the years leading to Kenya’s independence, Migori District was a hive of gold mining activity with the region’s employment dominated by the Macalder Mining Company.
When Macalder closed its operations in 1966 at the dawn of Kenya’s independence, most workers stayed behind, purchasing and settling in the land that belonged to the company. Many inhabitants of Osiri Village in Migori have remained perennial gold diggers, their livelihoods mostly dependant on venturing into the abandoned, rocky and depleted mines.
Although the prospects of getting gold are not guaranteed and gold sulfide deposits have shrunk over time, children still drop out of school to become miners while agricultural activities remain nearly non-existant.
But thanks to CNFA and its Kenya affiliate Agricultural Market Development Trust (AGMARK), which launched activities in 2007, all this is beginning to change.
Meet James Adiang, Gold Miner Turned Successful Farmer
CNFA beneficiaries like James Adiang, a former Osiri miner who now has become a successful smallholder farmer, are steadily shifting the attitudes toward mining and agriculture and highlighting new, sustainable opportunities for the region.
Like many of his fellow villagers, James returned to Osiri to become a gold miner after receiving his education.
“I became a gold miner on a full-time basis for over 10 years, and frankly speaking, it was like chasing after the wind because there was nothing I could show off,” James said. “Occasionally I used to get some unrefined gold particles which I sold to gold agents or brokers at a price of between Ksh. 150 to 500. The hope of some day digging big pieces of gold and instantaneously become rich is what kept me coming back and digging for all those years.
“During this time I used to practice subsistence farming, mostly planting maize on the one acre out of three which I inherited from my father. And as it was traditionally done, we used to plant farmer-saved seeds. Using fertilizer was considered a foreign concept.”
CNFA Field Days and Demos Offer a New Beginning
James’ life changed after he began attending several CNFA-facilitated demand creation activities, specifically farm input exhibitions, field days and demonstration plots, which opened his eyes to new, effective farming techniques and tools.
“These helped to change my perception of agriculture, and I realized that the reason we disregarded farming was because we were still caught up in the web of traditional agriculture which didn’t advocate for the use of improved agricultural inputs and modern production practices,” James said.
Armed with knowledge and information from CNFA’s demand creation activities, James used improved maize seed and fertilizer during the main planting season of 2007, harvesting 11 bags of maize from one acre. During previous seasons, he had harvested only two bags.
CNFA/AGMARK connected him with input suppliers and the Ministry of Agriculture, who advised him to plant tomatoes, watermelon, kale, butternuts, beans, soya beans, green grains, banana and potatoes.
Giving Back to the Community
More than two years down the line, James is now changing his community’s perception of and dependence on gold mining. The community is embracing farming as a business.
Since 2007, James has expanded his farm, buying more land and livestock and taking up bee keeping. He has also hosted several CNFA-facilitated field days and demonstrations on his farm.
“My objective at the moment is to try and help my community through education and demonstration to embrace agriculture as a better and sustainable alternative [to gold mining to improve] livelihood, food security and household income,” said James, who now plans to become an agrodealer to further serve his community by supplying essential farm inputs and information.
Trained in 2008 by CNFA’s Business Management course, James is well on his way to reaching that goal.
