Bring Hope to 750 Children and Families in Kenya

For 45-year-old Evaline, farming has always been an important part of life.

After losing her husband, she has raised six children and one grandchild while growing vegetables and selling them at local markets. But like many small-scale farmers, her harvest and income were affected by the weather. Preparing school fees and meeting her family's daily needs was not always easy.

Then Evaline joined the BLOOM Program in Kenya.

BLOOM is a family support program implemented by PLAS together with its local partner, VIAGENCO. The program combines agricultural training, household financial management, and group counseling to help parents and children build a more positive future.

For Evaline, the program became an opportunity not only to learn new skills, but also to think differently about her family's future.

Turning knowledge into everyday action

In March 2026, participants in the first year of BLOOM began putting what they had learned into practice.

Agricultural specialists visited the fields of four existing community-based organizations (CBOs) to check their progress. Before the heavy rains, participants received advice suited to the conditions of their individual fields, including pest control, soil preparation, planting, and harvesting.

During agricultural training sessions, participants also reviewed what they had learned. Rather than simply listening to trainers, they demonstrated how to prevent pests and diseases and how to harvest crops appropriately.

This was an important change: knowledge was becoming something participants could use, practice, and share with others.

The program also focused on nutrition. Through household visits, participants reviewed how they were using locally available foods. The focus was not simply on eating enough, but on thinking about a more balanced diet. Families began discussing their health together and looking at their everyday meals in new ways.

Evaline experienced these changes in her own life.

She completed seven counseling sessions and learned about agricultural techniques and household financial management. By gradually applying what she learned, she began to see changes not only in the way she farmed, but also in how she managed her income and thought about the future.

Today, she is able to prepare for her children's school fees and essential household needs more steadily than before. She has also developed greater confidence in moving forward.

Her story shows that change does not come from agricultural skills alone.

When agricultural training, financial management, and counseling come together, people can gain the knowledge and confidence to make decisions and take action for their own lives.

Growing change together with the community

BLOOM is not designed as a one-time intervention. PLAS and VIAGENCO are working with communities to create an environment where people can build their futures through their own efforts.

In March, preparations also began to expand the program to new community groups and schools in its second year.

This means that the learning and changes taking place in the first year can continue to reach more families and children.

A stronger harvest. A better understanding of household finances. A family talking about nutrition. A parent gaining confidence about the future.

Each may seem like a small step. Together, these steps can create lasting change for families and communities.

At PLAS, we believe that every person has the potential to shape their own future. We work alongside local partners and communities so that children can grow up in an environment where they can look ahead with hope and take their own steps forward.

March was an important milestone for BLOOM—a time to see how learning from the first year was becoming part of everyday life, while preparing for the next step.

Thank you for taking the time to read about the BLOOM Program and the people who are making these changes possible.

We hope you will continue to follow Evaline, the families in the program, and the communities as they take their next steps toward a brighter future.

Together, small steps can grow into a positive change.