How Kwale Widows Are Growing Their Way to Financial Independence Through Climate-Smart Farming
By Caroline Katana
Laughter, shared experiences and a sense of achievement fill the gathering as widows in Kwale County reflect on a year that has transformed how they grow food, earn income and support their households.
From harvesting vegetables in a shared greenhouse to establishing kitchen gardens, building savings and helping one another through financial emergencies, the women have cultivated benefits that reach far beyond the farm.
As their one-year project comes to an end, they are celebrating not just what they have harvested, but what they have gained to carry forward.
A group of 75 women drawn from 15 women's groups in Tswaka village, Lunga Lunga, the women participated in a climate-smart agriculture initiative implemented by Tuwajali Wajane Kwale and funded by WeWorld under the project Sikiliza Sauti Yetu, Dunia Inaita (Listen to Our Voices, the World Is Calling).
At the heart of the initiative was a simple but powerful idea , equip women with practical agricultural skills, bring them together to produce vegetables and create opportunities for them to earn and save from their collective efforts.
The journey began with practical training conducted by agricultural officers, who introduced the women to nursery preparation, transplanting, crop management and climate-smart farming techniques.
The training soon moved from the classroom into the greenhouse, where the participants planted tomatoes, sukuma wiki, sweet pepper (pilipili boga ) and mchicha.
Working collectively, they prepared the land, tended the crops, monitored their growth and eventually began harvesting around July 2026.
The produce was marketed locally, with every participating woman receiving a share of the proceeds.
For some, the earnings went into their respective group savings, while women registered with Tuwajali Wajane Kwale SACCO deposited their shares through the cooperative.
This connection between farming and financial inclusion gave the initiative an additional dimension.
The women were not simply producing vegetables , they were learning how to turn agricultural activity into income and build savings from their work.
For Mwaka Lubambo, a member of Tushirikiane Barabarani group, the experience also opened up a new way of looking at her ability to provide for her family.
After losing her husband to COVID-19, she was left raising five children.
The financial pressure became so overwhelming that she considered returning to her parents.
But through the farming initiative, she discovered another skill that could help her work towards economic independence.
“I realised I had another ability I could use to become independent and earn my daily bread,” she said.
Beyond the income from vegetable sales, Lubambo said the women's groups have become important support systems where members can turn to one another during household emergencies.
Through their collective arrangements, members can borrow small amounts and repay them within agreed periods.
“If my child needs KSh1,000 urgently, I can approach members, borrow and repay by the agreed date. Small emergencies are no longer such a big problem,” she said.
The arrangement demonstrates how collective action can extend beyond agricultural production to create informal financial support systems among women.
Another important achievement has been transferring the farming knowledge from the shared greenhouse into individual households.
The women were encouraged to establish kitchen gardens where they could grow vegetables for their families and sell any surplus.
Mwananjiwe Mohamed of Tushirikiane Barabarani group said the training introduced her to different methods of kitchen gardening, including sack gardens, wooden structures and raised beds.
Mwanajiwe Mohamed at her garden
She opted for sack gardens and raised beds because they were affordable and easier to water.
" I planted Okra , mchicha , brinjals and the harvest was good , I sold and at the same time use for food with my family," Said Mohamed.
She also learnt how to manage pests using locally available materials such as neem, chilli, tobacco and liquid soap.
Although pest attacks, particularly on sukuma wiki, posed challenges, the training equipped her with alternative ways of protecting her crops.
Water access remained another concern, with some women having to fetch water from wells.
Balancing garden maintenance with household responsibilities also required additional effort.
Nevertheless, Mohamed believes the agricultural knowledge she acquired will remain valuable beyond the project's lifespan.
“I gained knowledge that will help me improve my life through vegetable farming,” she said.
For Mwahandazi Kombo Mugai of Zamzam group, the lessons have already translated into a productive home garden.
She grows sweet pepper, sukuma wiki, mchicha and okra, selling part of her produce to supplement her household income.
The money may not be substantial, but it helps her meet everyday needs, including buying school supplies for her children.
“If my child is sent home for a pen, I can use my earnings to buy one. But if a bigger problem comes up and my money is not enough, I can approach my fellow members,” she said.
Mugai also said the initiative encouraged women to reflect on how household responsibilities are shared, particularly the burden of unpaid domestic work.
She believes men should also participate in activities traditionally assigned to women, including fetching water, cooking and farming.
“Work that is considered for women, such as fetching water, cooking and farming, can also be done by men,” she said.
Sharing these responsibilities, she argues, would give women more time to engage in productive activities and improve their economic circumstances.
Biasha Ali Twahir, a member of Tubarikiwe group, has equally embraced home gardening after participating in the initiative.
She now grows tomatoes and leafy vegetables, selling some of the produce to earn additional income.
A bunch of leafy greens fetches KSh30, while five tomatoes sell for KSh20.
“The income is small, but it helps me continue with life,” she said.
Apart from the money earned, the vegetables also contribute to household food needs, allowing her to benefit from both consumption and sales.
For Mbodze Kombo, joining the group came after losing her husband in Mamba. She later moved with her children to her parents , where a Tuwajali Wajane Kwale volunteer connected her with other bereaved women.
Before the climate-smart agriculture initiative, some women had received small amounts of financial support to establish microbusinesses, including selling clothes.
The farming project expanded these livelihood opportunities by introducing collective vegetable production and skills that participants could apply individually at home.
Kombo said the group's solidarity has made it easier for members to contribute towards one another's household needs, even when the amounts involved are small.
“If a child is sent home from school, even KSh50 can help us contribute towards what is needed,” she said.
Mwanasha Rehema Bakari, a Tuwajali Wajane Kwale volunteer, said the initiative equipped participants with skills in agricultural production, crop management, kitchen gardening and gender equality.
She identifies group cooperation, pests and crop diseases among the challenges encountered during implementation.
Training in organic pest management helped the women acquire practical approaches to managing some of these challenges using locally available materials.
With the one-year initiative now concluded, the focus has shifted to sustaining the achievements without direct project support.
For the women, the shared greenhouse remains an important asset they are determined to keep productive.
Mugai said the group intends to continue farming in accordance with its constitution and collective decisions.
“What we gained is enough for us to continue with vegetable farming. We cannot leave this greenhouse empty. We are capable of sustaining it even after the project ends,” she said.
The individual kitchen gardens provide another opportunity for continuity, allowing women to keep producing vegetables for household consumption and income without relying entirely on the shared farming arrangement.
Their experiences demonstrate how agricultural training can create benefits that extend beyond the implementation period when participants have opportunities to practise their skills, earn from their produce and strengthen their collective structures.
However, maintaining these gains will require continued cooperation, reliable access to water, effective pest management and resources to keep production going.
For the 75 women, the end of the project marks a transition from learning and collective production to putting their acquired skills to sustained use.
Their harvest is no longer measured only in baskets of tomatoes, sukuma wiki and mchicha, but also in the knowledge they have gained, the savings they have built, the gardens they have established and the support networks they have strengthened.
The greenhouse brought them together, but what they have learnt is now finding a place in their homes, their savings groups and their everyday lives.
And as they look beyond the one-year initiative, the women are determined to keep those gains growing.
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