Wangari Kuria: I make Sh. 200,000 monthly from farming

Coping with the aftermath of a job loss can be traumatizing, and many people find themselves battling depression.

This was no different for Wangari Kuria, who lost her project managerial job in 2017 after the company she was working for collapsed.

Without financial aid and left with a pile of bank loans, Wangari had no choice but to start urban farming to take care of her bills, thanks to her agricultural expertise borrowed from her mother.

“I moved in the middle of nowhere and started a kitchen garden to cut food and other daily expenses… I began farming sukuma wiki (collards) and spinach with an income of Sh 3,000, which would help me cater to basic needs and save at least Sh 2,000 a month upon maturity.

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The venture was encouraging as loads of Kenyans used to buy vegetables ranging between Sh 80 and Sh 100 per day,’’ the strategic and business management graduate told Tuko.

Wangari grows green vegetables, mushrooms, strawberries, and rabbit meat. According to her, farming can be a well-paying career if done well, with knowledge, devotion, and adoption of new technology.

She credits technology and social media to the success of her business.  The introduction of the M-Pesa till Number by Safaricom has aided her in separating her agricultural revenue from her accounts.

The CEO of Farmer on Fire doubles up as a trainer, using her Kitengela farm as a demo to train farmers on farming practices and empower them to launch their own farming businesses.

Through her organization, Wangari also links established agribusinesses like AGRA, John Deere, Heifer International, and the Ministry of Agriculture to over 50,000 Smallholder farmers that follow the brand through digital channels.

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“As I learned new farming techniques, market linkages, and value addition processes, I felt the information would be more useful if shared with more farmers, both continuing and upcoming ones, and so I began packaging content for the training of farmers who would come to benchmark in my Kitengela piece of land,’’ she said.

Through the business, she revealed she makes an income of at least Sh. 200,000 monthly and has employed four individuals.

Through her venture, Wangari has won multiple awards, including the  Forbes Forty Under 40 Africa Awards and the 2023 New York Global Citizen Prize Award, for her contribution to the fight against food insecurity.