Bring Hope to 750 Children and Families in Kenya

“I feel empowered. These seeds have given me hope for the future and made me want to grow even more.”

For Elizabeth, a member and chairperson of a community group in Kisamba, in the eastern Gembe area of Kenya, these words express what joining the BLOOM program has meant to her.

For years, Elizabeth has worked hard to cover her siblings’ living expenses. She farms a small plot of land, growing food for her family. Yet the limited space has made it difficult to produce enough to meet their needs.

Through BLOOM, Elizabeth received seeds alongside agricultural training from agricultural specialists and field officers. She now looks toward her small garden with hope: it could help provide more food for her family and, in time, become a source of income.

PLAS implements BLOOM, a program supporting children and their parents, together with a local partner VIAGENCO in Kenya. Through counseling and agricultural training, the program works with families and schools to help create opportunities for positive change.

At a primary school in the western Gembe area, that change begins with small moments of achievement.

All sixth-grade students took part in group counseling that included MIA HESEBU, a math game using a 100-square calculation grid. PLAS created the name from Swahili words meaning “hundred” and “calculation.”

Through the game, children explore how their own efforts can make a difference. Time to reflect afterward is also an important part of the session, helping them organize their thoughts and deepen their learning.

When the counselor reviewed the previous session, some students clearly remembered the strategies they had learned for completing the grid within the time limit. This showed that they had retained lessons they could use again.

The counselor encouraged the children to keep practicing at home. Each small success offers another opportunity to feel a sense of achievement and build confidence. The aim is for children to recognize what they can do and experience how continued effort can help them move forward.

For Elizabeth, the opportunity to build on her own efforts is taking shape through farming.

The seeds she received included kale, cowpeas, and spider plant. These crops can grow in small spaces, including home gardens, and are suited to local growing conditions. Their relatively quick growth and potential for repeated harvests can help families maintain a more regular supply of food throughout the year.

Alongside the seeds, Elizabeth received training in basic agricultural skills, including soil management and water use. The purpose of providing seeds is to help participants develop the knowledge and ability to continue growing food independently.

Elizabeth hopes that, within three weeks, her family will be able to eat vegetables almost every day. She also believes her small garden could eventually provide an income. These are hopes for the coming weeks and beyond; the harvest and income outcomes are still ahead.

For now, her words describe an important change: she feels empowered and wants to keep growing.

From remembering a strategy in a classroom to planning the next steps in a garden, BLOOM brings together opportunities to learn, practice, and build confidence. We look forward to sharing how these steps develop as children and families continue their journey.

Thank you for your interest in BLOOM and for supporting PLAS. We are grateful to walk alongside you, our local partner, and participating communities as we work toward a future in which children and families can move forward with confidence and hope.