UK Registered Charity Number 1165906
Working in partnership with Green Olive Foundation Kenya to fund education for young people in poverty in rural Kenya
The greenhouse project
Farming in Kakamega has been devastated by years of flooding and drought caused by global warming. Through this Green Olive Trust project, local young farmers have been learning an innovative method to farm using greenhouse technology.
The project was made possible thanks to a generous grant over three years from Quaker Peace and Social Witness - QPSW. The project has provided training for 15 young farmers to learn about this innovative and sustainable farming technique, gaining a new life skill, and a way out of poverty.
How the greenhouse project developed
Building the first of three new greenhouses
Building the first of three new greenhouses
Building the first of three new greenhouses
Pictured here is the first of three new greenhouses being built.
Early days
Building the first of three new greenhouses
Building the first of three new greenhouses
Inspecting the early tomato crops, and one of the first attempts to irrigate the greenhouses.
First crops
A bountiful crop of tomatoes!
A bountiful crop of tomatoes!
There was a great deal of hope that this new farming method would succeed where traditional farming was failing due to periods of flooding and drought. This photo shows the first tomato crops growing!
A bountiful crop of tomatoes!
A bountiful crop of tomatoes!
A bountiful crop of tomatoes!
The farmer trainees were delighted with their first crop of tomatoes from the greenhouse. They were able to sell some tomatoes at market as a cash crop and keep some to help to feed their families. The greenhouses are now self-financing, and the hope is that they will continue to flourish and provide training for more young farmers in the future, independent of Green Olive Trust UK.
Drilling for water
The challenge of getting water to the greenhouses before the borehole
The challenge of getting water to the greenhouses before the borehole
The challenge of getting water to the greenhouses before the borehole
At the start of the project, the only water source for the greenhouses was a small stream some distance away. The farmers had to transport their water from the stream in containers. This was very difficult and time consuming.
Drilling for water gets underway
The challenge of getting water to the greenhouses before the borehole
The challenge of getting water to the greenhouses before the borehole
The project's aim was to set up a water bore hole, and this photo shows the farmers with the specialists as they tried to construct it. There were several attempts to find water near to the greenhouses. The task was made more difficult due to the rocky terrain.
This site showed more promise
Watch the video as the drilling successfully finds water for the borehole - witnessed by our trustee
Watch the video as the drilling successfully finds water for the borehole - witnessed by our trustee
The drilling at this site was more promising as water was detected!