Government has underscored the role of collaboration across all sectors in ensuring success of the Mama Kitchen Garden Initiative emphasizing that policy support and financing alone will not be sufficient.
Speaking at the First Lady Rachel Ruto’s National Mama Kitchen Garden Partners Breakfast Meeting, Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh noted that the government must ensure that farmers have access to the necessary agricultural inputs, such as high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and water management systems.
“The success of Mama Kitchen Garden initiative will depend not only on policy support & financing but also on the involvement of local communities, the private sector, and the other sector departments.” PS Ronoh emphasized.
The PS highlighted the significance of creating market linkages for smallholder farmers so that they can sell surplus produce and generate additional income.
The Mama Kitchen Garden Initiative is an initiative by the first lady of Kenya, supported by the state department of agriculture and mama doing good as key implementers offering a sustainable, impactful solution to food security.
According to PS Ronoh, by empowering women, particularly mothers, to establish small-scale kitchen gardens, the initiative ensures that families have access to fresh, nutritious food since the gardens not only provide food security at the household level but also improve dietary diversity.
On her part, the Mama Doing Good, CEO Elizabeth Koskei, reiterated the foundation’s commitment to empowering women and strengthening communities through sustainable agriculture.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), security remains one of the greatest global challenges with over 735 million people worldwide having faced hunger in 2023.
Kenya has made commendable progress in tackling food insecurity, yet significant challenges remain with approximately 30pc of Kenyan households experiencing food insecurity, with arid and semi-arid regions being the most affected.
Koskei, noted that alarmingly, 26pc of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition, leading to long-term developmental issues.
She stressed that these statistics represent the daily struggles of millions of families, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable solutions.
A scalable and sustainable approach
Describing Mama Kitchen Gardening as a practical, scalable, and sustainable approach to augment food production, she noted that the initiative empowers households and schools to grow their own nutritious produce, fostering a culture of self-reliance and better nutrition.
“As MaMa Doing Good, we believe in the power of grassroots solutions, and the Mama Kitchen Gardening offers a practical, scalable, and sustainable approach to augmenting food production.” She said.
This is done through climate-smart agriculture and community-driven approaches, the initiative aims to further increase income for one million women and youth through sustainable farming and market access.
The initiative also aims to reach one million households with kitchen garden solutions, train two million youth and women in climate-smart agriculture, support one million table banking groups, enhancing financial inclusion as well as establish two million kitchen gardens in homes and schools.
Mama Kitchen Gardening is not just about growing food; it is a movement towards economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, and improved nutrition. By equipping women and youth with the tools and knowledge to grow their own food.
Koskei mentioned that the Mama Kitchen Gardening initiative is set to conduct training and resource provision for women groups and youth-led agricultural initiatives as well as leveraging technology to improve knowledge-sharing on sustainable farming methods.
The initiative further will focus on advocacy and policy engagement to support climate-smart agriculture and local food production.
Koskei urged all stakeholders to champion the initiative in their communities: “Let us seize this opportunity to make a tangible difference. Together, we can cultivate a healthier, nourished Kenya where every child has the opportunity to thrive.”
