Bring Hope to 750 Children and Families in Kenya

For small-scale farmers, knowing how to manage their land well can make a big difference to their livelihoods. But when access to new agricultural technologies and information is limited, farmers may have to make important decisions based mainly on experience and guesswork.

The BLOOM program aims to help parents strengthen their livelihoods and create a more hopeful future for their children through agricultural support combined with group counseling.

In April, BLOOM introduced a new opportunity to CBO(Community-Based Organizations): training on a portable soil testing kit.

“Now we can make decisions based on facts.”

Around 30 members of a small-scale farming group in Nyatemba Village had been facing declining crop yields for some time. Until then, they had been applying fertilizer without knowing enough about the condition of their soil. As a result, fertilizer costs increased, reducing the profits they could earn from farming.

During the training, an agricultural expert explained how to use the portable soil testing kit and demonstrated it directly in the field.

The kit makes it possible to test soil on-site and quickly check its pH and key nutrients at a relatively low cost. By understanding the condition of their soil, farmers can make more appropriate decisions about fertilizer use instead of relying only on assumptions.

One group representative reflected on the change:

“Before, we were just relying on guesswork. Now we can make decisions based on facts. We are grateful to the agricultural expert who opened our eyes.”

The training also helped participants deepen their understanding of how soil testing can inform fertilizer management. This gave them a more positive outlook on their future farming activities.

Being able to understand and manage their own farmland can also help participants build confidence and take greater ownership of their livelihoods.

Learning from both progress and challenges

The training also highlighted some challenges that BLOOM needs to address.

Although the participants who attended showed strong interest in agriculture and a willingness to put what they learned into practice, participation was lower than expected. Limited time and difficulties maintaining concentration during the training were also identified as challenges.

These lessons will help BLOOM improve future support. The program is considering working more closely with community leaders to encourage participation earlier, making training content simpler and easier to understand, and holding agricultural training and counseling sessions separately.

Through these improvements, BLOOM will continue working to make its support more effective and relevant to the needs of the community.

For the participants, this training was one step toward moving from decisions based on guesswork to decisions informed by what they can learn about their own soil.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the BLOOM program and the changes taking place in the community. Your interest and support help us continue working toward a future where children can receive an education and children and caregivers can look ahead with greater confidence.

We hope you will continue to follow the journey of BLOOM.