Food insecurity and lack of access to diverse and nutritious food sources is a significant challenge in rural Kenyan communities. With difficult environmental conditions, farmers often suffer from crop failure and low yields, leaving families vulnerable to malnutrition.  

 

Oleleshwa Farm was established in 2013 to further enable the agriculture and food security pillar of WE Charity in the region. Oleleshwa is a model farm designed to share knowledge with learners and farmers on modern agricultural techniques. Training programs build capacity and confidence with improved crop and farming practices which are then brought back to local community farms and implemented at the household level to help feed their own children.    

 

The farm has 24 greenhouses, a training space, large open fields and a section dedicated to pollinators, which additionally enable the farm to provide a diverse range of healthy food to WE partner communities. Since its inception, millions of nutritious meals have been distributed.

 

At the farm, new crops are also regularly planted in greenhouses and in open fields, allowing more drought and environmental resistant varieties to be identified and grown to support local food security. Produce is then used to supplement school nutrition programs. By providing students with nutritious meals, their overall health increases and improves both attendance and academic performance. Finally, a portion of produce is commercially sold to help generate revenue for the sustainability of other large-scale WE Charity foundation projects in the region.