Harvesting Hope . . . P4P’s Farming Programs Transform Power of Milk Families!

Millicent’s Story 

Meet Millicent Anyango, a mother of three, including twins, Irine Akoth and Jeff Opiyo, who are enrolled in the P4P Power of Milk (POM) and farming programs.

Since joining the POM program, Millicent’s babies, once malnourished and sickly, are now thriving. Then, Millicent and her family enrolled in the P4P farming program. The P4P Kenyan staff recognizing the need for comprehensive support, also helped Millicent adopt kitchen gardening and hygiene practices to enhance her family’s health and wellbeing.

Millicent’s words reflect a sense of hope and determination. She says, “As a young mother, I am torn between working in the neighborhood or continuing with farming, as the cost of farm inputs has skyrocketed, making farming a challenge. The harvest we get is not sufficient for my family for the season, leading us to buy food, which has become quite expensive. My husband and I believe we can achieve more in farming; we’ve leased additional land to utilize all the inputs provided by P4P this season, and we are hopeful for a bountiful harvest.” This
determination is inspiring and calls for support.

P4P Agriculture Manager Joshua Odhiambo talks with Millicent in her beautiful field of maize. P4P’s farmer program provides training, inputs like seed and fertilizer, and ongoing advice. Better crops mean more food for families. Extra crops are sold, providing critical family income.

Nancy’s Story

Nancy Atieno, a young mother of three, struggles as a subsistence farmer, unable to grow enough food for her family. The mountainous terrain presents challenges with rocky soil and low moisture, compounded by monkeys raiding the crops. Typically, her harvest is consumed within two months. “My farm isn’t sustainable; I only manage to harvest a 1050kg bag of maize or less from half a hectare each season. The idea of buying inputs has become unrealistic; the costs are high, and the yields are low,” she explains.

Nancy and her husband had nearly given up on farming, resorting to day labor on others’ farms or making charcoal. However, joining the P4P POM program has been transformative for her son Boniface and the whole family. With weekly nutrition education, Nancy has started a kitchen garden with various nutritious vegetables. This season, with farm inputs from P4P, her farm’s condition has improved. “I’ve changed my perspective on farming. I regret spending so much energy working on other people’s farms, only to fall ill,” she reflects.

The family is thankful for P4P’s support. Nancy is eager to learn more about Farming God’s Way (FGW) after being inspired by a visit to the P4P demo farm. “The FGW technique is effective as it makes the crops look beautiful and healthy. I hope my farm can look like the P4P Demo Farm someday,” she shares.

P4P Program Coordinator Nereah Obura talks with Nancy about her farm.