Our Penultimate Exchange Trip to Kenya in November 2025

Our Penultimate Exchange Trip to Kenya in November 2025

Claudia Erndl, District Chairwoman of Women Farmers of Lower Bavaria, Barbara Göpfert, County Chairwoman of Women Farmers of Schweinfurt, Brigitte Landstorfer, member of the county executive board of Straubing-Bogen, and project manager Angelika Eberl set off on their journey to meet many committed women farmers of WoFaAK, participate in trainings and regional assemblies, and visit agricultural enterprises.

The focus was not only on professional exchange, but above all on personal interaction: listening, learning from one another, and encouraging each other. The aim of the trip was to further deepen knowledge transfer, make the impact of the joint work visible, and continue to strengthen the partnership between WoFaAK and BBV-LIZ that has grown over many years.

Capacity-Building Training in Agribusiness for Young WoFaAK Members in Embu

41 young women farmers took the opportunity to actively participate, share their experiences, and jointly develop new perspectives for their future in agriculture.

The trainer, Mr. Chris Mwaniki, excelled at linking technical knowledge with everyday examples. With great creativity—such as comparing group members to different animal characters—he made topics like group dynamics and cooperation tangible and engaging. The participants listened attentively, laughed, discussed, and reflected together.

Particularly impressive was the strong desire of the young women to take responsibility, apply modern agricultural methods, and view agribusiness as a real pathway to a self-determined future. At the same time, the significant need for continuous support became clear—many expressed a wish for further trainings in leadership, project planning, value chains, and governance.
Our participation and contributions were perceived as a sign of genuine appreciation, and many interesting conversations took place during the breaks.

Visit to Ruth’s Farm

Another highlight of the trip was a visit to Ruth’s farm, which had been selected for an episode of the 15th season of the TV show Shamba Shape Up. This year, BBV-LIZ financed and organized five episodes focusing on WoFaAK. The purpose of our visit was to see how Ruth’s poultry business had developed since the TV broadcast.

From farmer to farmer, various agricultural practices as well as shared challenges within the agricultural sector were discussed. It became evident that Ruth’s farm—supported by the Shamba Shape Up team and increased media visibility—had made remarkable progress through diversification, the use of improved technologies, and expanded market access.

The visit clearly demonstrated how effective targeted support and strong partnerships with media formats such as Shamba Shape Up can be. Such collaborations sustainably strengthen women in their roles as entrepreneurs in agriculture.

Women Farmers’ Day in Laikipia

We traveled deep into the county to Sipili for the Women Farmers’ Day, held under the theme “Protect the future of agriculture by engaging women.” The event brought together around 86 women’s groups from Laikipia County. County Chairwoman Ann Mercy impressively emphasized the central role of women farmers in food security, sustainability, and community development.

A joint procession onto the event grounds symbolized the strong solidarity among the women. Among the distinguished guests was H.E. Hon. Joshua Irungu, Governor of Laikipia County. In his speech, Governor Irungu explicitly acknowledged the work of WoFaAK and highlighted the close partnership between the county government and women’s groups through the Ministry of Agriculture. His words reflected great appreciation and genuine empathy for the realities of women farmers’ lives.

A particularly touching moment was the symbolic passing of responsibility (a lit candle to the young and a flower to the elders) from the older to the younger generation. It illustrated the importance of handing over responsibility, creating space for young people, and consciously letting go of leadership roles.

Regional Assemblies in Central and Western Kenya

At the Western regional meeting in Kakamega, all six WoFaAK county executive boards reported on implemented activities, existing challenges, and planned next steps. Topics included leadership and governance trainings, agribusiness capacity-building for young members, Women Farmers’ Days in Vihiga and Busia, and the Training of Trainers (ToT) on conflict management in Nairobi.

A key agenda item was revisiting the WoFaAK constitution, with a particular focus on the roles and responsibilities of leadership bodies. Janet Omollo confidently explained the constitutional provisions using numerous examples. Participants openly acknowledged that the constitution had not always been consistently implemented and emphasized the importance of discussion and joint reflection to get “back on track.”

We also prepared a surprise for District Chairwoman Claudia Erndl: a delicious birthday cake and, above all, wonderful multi-voiced singing:
https://youtu.be/bhEdLFPUsyM

In Nyeri (Central Kenya), Lilian Olunga, Regional Officer for Social Services, spoke about leadership and conflict management. She highlighted the importance of teamwork, transparency, clear communication, and active listening. She also addressed common causes of conflict such as lack of accountability, unclear role distribution, poor communication, and power struggles. Another focus was on group budgeting and the responsible use of funding—especially financial literacy, delegation, and flexibility.

Project manager Angelika Eberl provided an overview of all BBV-LIZ trainings and activities planned through March 2026 and thanked all volunteers who professionally organized the Women Farmers’ Days in Laikipia and Nyeri. These two events were then jointly evaluated to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Visit to the Farm of Zinath Deen (Vihiga County)

At the end of the trip, we visited the farm of Zinath Deen, Deputy Secretary of WoFaAK in Vihiga County. She runs the farm together with one of her daughters. We were deeply impressed by the diversity of income sources, including fish farming, dairy cattle, sheep farming, vegetable cultivation, and fruit production.

The farm is managed extremely professionally and serves as a model example of sustainable, diversified agriculture. It vividly demonstrates the potential of women as successful actors and entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector.

Conclusion

The exchange trip to Kenya in November 2025 once again demonstrated how effective long-term partnerships, targeted trainings, and mutual learning can be. The collaboration between WoFaAK and BBV-LIZ sustainably strengthens women in agriculture and makes an important contribution to economic independence, food security, and social development.