What we do

The special initiative of the Federal Ministry for Development and Economic Cooperation (BMZ) „ONE WORLD WITHOUT HUNGER – Green Innovation Centres of the Agricultural and Food Industry“ aims to sustainably improve the income of small farmers, the employment situation and the regional supply of food through innovations in the agricultural and food industry in selected rural regions in Africa and India.

The farmer women department (Landfrauen) within the Bavarian Farmer Association (BBV) is one of the largest women’s associations in Bavaria, with around 5,120 women farmers locally engaged in voluntary work. It was founded in 1948 as a result of the farmers‘ wives‘ educational work in schools. Over the past 74 years, the women’s group has developed into a strong organisation and gained a wealth of proven knowledge in the work of the association. Under the motto: „Same profession – two worlds“, the bavarian Landfrauen want to pass on these wide-ranging civil society experiences to farmerwomen in developing and emerging countries.

Since May 2017, they are therefore involved in the special initiative „ONE WORLD WITHOUT HUNGER – Green Innovation Centres of the Agricultural and Food Industry“ in Western Kenya. Kenyan women play an important role in small farms and along the agricultural value chains. The aim of the special initiative is to support the women according to their specific needs.

BBV-LIZ was able to complete the first project „Strengthening of women farmers and rural women and their interest groups in Siaya, Bungoma and Kakamega“ at the end of March 2020: In the first phase of the project, Bavarian rural women in the three counties could successfully introduce the Women Farmer Association of Kenya (WoFaAK), which was founded and officially registered in September 2017. So far, about 80 local women’s groups have joined the WoFaAK as an umbrella organization.

Building on the implementation results of the first project, the second phase of the Project (from April 2020 to March 2023) is now intended to create a solid foundation for a strong rural women’s association capable of acting.

The project goal is:
„The Women Farmers Association of Kenya (WoFaAK) is strengthened in Siaya, Kakamega and Bungoma. The WoFaAK represents its interests in relevant committees and is sustainably committed to improving the living conditions of Kenyan rural women“.

With this goal, the Bavarian Landfrauen contribute to the global sustainability goal „Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls to self-determination“ (SDG5) by strengthening the role of rural women and promoting independent action and the self-determined representation of their interests.

Since February 2022, we have expanded our project area to include four additional counties in Central and Eastern Kenya, which are Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi and Murang´a.

Fields of action here are

• Establishment and expansion of an independent lobbying group that addresses the various economic, social, cultural and legal bottlenecks faced by women’s groups, forms joint lobbies and presents and demands their concerns.
• Support for income generation by developing production and marketing strategies for agricultural products.
• Home economics and family, practical and resource-saving approaches.
• Promotion of cross-national exchange.

All activities are developed and implemented in close cooperation with the GIZ Green Innovation Centre on site and local partners.