Elgeyo Marakwet: Each year thousands of youth graduate from universities having acquired skills and knowledge which they can apply to earn a living. While the education system is geared towards white-collar jobs, the unemployment crisis is forcing the youth to rethink and start their own income-generating activities. This is not different with Naphtali Rono, a 32-year-old farmer from the Elgeyo Marakwet border. He graduated in 2016 as an agronomist from the University of Eldoret.
According to Kenya News Agency, Rono was initially optimistic about securing employment after completing a government internship program but remained jobless for two years despite numerous applications. Growing up in a farming family, he decided to leverage his agronomy knowledge and available land to embark on self-employment in farming.
Rono’s journey into horticultural farming includes growing vegetables, passion fruits, and bananas. To support agricultural sustainability, he has also started an indigenous tree nursery. He emphasizes the importance of patience in agriculture, noting that while vegetables can yield income within three months, crops like passion fruits take over a year to become profitable.
Earning approximately Sh40,000 monthly, Rono is adapting to market and weather dynamics. He’s transitioning from conventional farming to regenerative agriculture, a holistic approach aimed at improving soil health and minimizing environmental impact through natural methods. This shift is expected to enhance productivity, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
Rono encourages youth to consider self-employment in agriculture to contribute to food security. He highlights the potential for educated youth to revolutionize the sector using digital tools for research and marketing. Despite initially aspiring for a white-collar job, Rono now values the autonomy and self-directed goals that farming provides.
He advocates for government intervention to streamline agriculture by providing high-value seeds and securing markets for produce. Rono believes that agriculture, once perceived as a fallback for the uneducated, now demands knowledge and innovation akin to any other profession.
