Oleleshwa Farm

Early today, after an hour-long drive down the dusty roads that lead from Bogani, we visited an organic farm that serves both Me To We groups and the local community. The farm itself was stunning: neatly manicured rows of vegetables jutted out in all directions, greenhouses overflowed with fresh produce, a manmade pond rippled with ducks and tilapia—all set against the backdrop of the plains and hills in Massai Mara.

To see a farm like this in a community where traditionally ancient techniques and traditions abound was very uplifting. Indeed, modern practices were embraced throughout, and sustainability was a driving force behind much of what was being done and planned. As the farm manager, Timothy explained how new processes enabled him to plant crops that were new to the area—things like tomatoes and carrots, his two favorite vegetables. Most importantly, the farm was flourishing—and, thanks to the application of modern methods, it was drought-resistant.

This farm was the living embodiment of a process we take for granted. Timothy studied agriculture as a young student then continued his studies at university. When he was finished with his schooling, he returned to his community and quickly applied all that he learned—modern farming techniques, organic methods, sustainable thinking—to his work and spread his knowledge to those around him. In no time, real change was affected, and the cycle of education and improvement continued. In one seminal moment, Timothy explained how he was able to develop his own organic pesticide—a red pepper and water solution—which he soon shared with his father, a farmer who had been using outdated and unhealthy techniques to solve the same problem. Thanks to his learning, Timothy was able to advance his family’s production to more modern and efficient standards.

The lesson here is simple and therefore often taken for granted: learning really does open the doors to a better future—in an office, in a classroom, even on a farm.