End food insecurity
Empowering Kenyan communities with practical skills training in sustainable agriculture
Helping Hands Farm Initiative trains farmers, families and schools to grow their own food, sell what they grow and teach their neighbors to do the same.
Increased productivity
Enhanced livelihoods
Climate resilience
Improved business skills
What we do
HHFI is a provider of agricultural skills training services
01
Agricultural skills training
We offer agricultural extension services to group members and smallholder farmers. We provide training in sustainable organic gardening methods through partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs), schools and public institutions.
02
Flying gardens
We advocate for the community-wide adoption of sack and container gardening. Here, HHFI CEO Osborn Juma helps the assistant chief of Masogo village build her flying garden.
03
Demonstration gardens
Vegetables grown in HHFI demonstration gardens are used in school feeding programs. Pictured: the shade garden at the Kenya Water Institute.
Who we serve
Our participants
HHFI serves vulnerable populations in urban and peri-urban areas in Central and Western Kenya.
Our beneficiaries have limited resources and rudimentary farming skills.
We combine classroom and practical skills training in resource management, building sacks and container gardens, cultivating vegetable gardens, and farm management.
Outcomes include an improved understanding of sustainable farming methods, financial management and entrepreneurship.
sus·tain·a·ble (adj.)
Able to be continued, or to last over time, without depleting available resources.
Why Kenya
Rift Valley
About Kenya
Culture
Kenya is endowed with a rich historical, cultural and natural heritage. It is popularly known as the Cradle of Mankind.
It is one of the most cosmopolitan countries in Africa. The country's population is more diverse than that of many other African countries.
Kenya is a country of determination. Entrepreneurship is a driving force which is evident in the bustling towns and villages. Everywhere, men and women of all ages are striving to earn a living for their families. Even on the roadsides, mama mbogas (vegetable ladies) are present, selling handfuls of vegetables.
Languages
Kenya is linguistically diverse, and the majority of the population speaks at least three languages.
MUTUAL SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Pulling together
Kenyans are united in the spirit of collective effort, self-help, community, and solidarity.
Mama mbogas
Enterprise everywhere
Even along the roadsides, mama mbogas (vegetable ladies) sell handfuls of vegetables. Hard work and perseverance are everywhere you look.
Languages
Three languages or more
Kenya is linguistically diverse. Our coordinators teach in English, Swahili and the local languages of the communities we serve.
From the field
A chicken for best performance
HHFI trained a group of fourteen participants at a field day hosted by the Mulwanda Green-Gold Youth group. Stakeholders included the Ministry of Agriculture, Thrive for Good, and Green Zone Kenya, among others. HHFI coordinator Benson covered drip-to-drip irrigation and water conservation, conical and flying gardens, making raised beds and diagonal-offset planting systems, agroforestry and fruit trees, Integrated Pest Management, composting, agribusiness and seed banking.
The event organizers awarded HHFI a chicken for its contribution to the success of the event.
In their own words
HHFI is changing lives through agriculture
“We started with very little. We had no seeds or seedlings, only passion, determination, and a handwritten list of what we hoped to grow. When Helping Hands stepped in, everything changed. HHFI saw potential in us before we saw it in ourselves. They not only gave us seeds; they gave us belief.”
Edith
Chairwoman of a community-based organization in Kisumu, Western Kenya. Started a vegetable farming business.
Teacher Otieno
Managed HHFI's first school program at Ndururuno Primary in Huruma, Nairobi, and went on to become headmaster of a nearby primary school.
Teacher Peter
Founded a 4K club at Nyalenya School, Siaya County, named Best in County by the Ministry of Agriculture after three years.
Engineer Maitai
Lecturer at the Kenya Water Institute, Kisumu Campus, home to an HHFI demonstration garden.
Who we are
Small team, direct link to Kenya
Founded in 2021, HHFI is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our leadership is volunteer, and our trained Kenyan coordinators deliver every program on the ground.
Osborn Juma Owiti
CEO
Co-founder of HHFI. Former partnership and sales officer at KickStart International. Attended the Kenya Institute of Social Work and Community Development.
RG
Photo coming
Robin Goldberg
President
Co-founder of HHFI. Robin attended Columbia University's School of International Affairs and Drexel University in Philadelphia.