Elgon Kenya, an agro input company, has entered a partnership with the Ministries of Agriculture and Education to reward the participation of teachers and students in a food production scheme focusing on motivating school going chldren into farming
During the National Farmers’ Awards ceremony held in Nairobi, an app was launched, which allowed teachers and students to apply for awards online through rebranded school agriculture clubs, dubbed 4K Clubs, that are open to people of all categories including women and the differently abled.
The awards scheme has been running since 2013 and has managed to demystify agribusiness as a career of choice, through the numerous winners who have emerged over the years. A report by Africa Science News mentioned the managing director at Elgon Kenya, Bimal Kantaria highlighting the importance of youth participation in bringing about a farming revolution.
“The message we are telling the children at the 4k clubs is that agriculture is not just about tilling land and cultivation, but about the entire value chain, from farm to folk and the world of opportunities that exist within that chain. We need the young people to get into agriculture and stay in it,” Kantaria said in the report.
The Ministry of Agriculture is currently targeting more than 700 schools, while simultaneously rolling out training programmes across the country. So far, more than 10 million school going children have expressed interest in joining the 4K Club movement. According to the Ministry of Education, this level of participation is expected to provide a major boost to the food and nutrition security resolve.
