Farming Systems Kenya, a Stand With Africa project and Lutheran World Relief partner for 15 years, is stepping boldly in a new direction, restructuring their organization to meet the needs of the community and create sustainability. Farming Systems Kenya, also known as FSK, has played the role of trainer, teaching agricultural and livestock skills to people living in Nakuru, Kenya. Now FSK is forming marketing federations that will help farmers sell their products anywhere from the local village market to large food industries. The groups that have been trained in agricultural skills will continue to teach the rest of the community what they've learned.

Farming Systems Kenya staff is made up of a group of African professionals who've received agricultural degrees (including Master's degrees and Ph.Ds.) from major universities in Africa and around the world. Many of the staff members have grown up in poverty-ridden areas and have experienced the same frustration many people in the Nakuru district have experienced.

The organization is located in the Nakuru District of Kenya, which is the main agricultural district in the country, and hence called the grain basket. Many rivers and streams that help grow plants are located in the area. Put that together with the volcanic soil that helps keep plants fertile and you have the ingredients for successful farming. Until recently, the challenge in Nakuru has been that few farmers have had adequate training in growing crops and maintaining livestock.

FSK has had an effective approach to training small land farmers. Rather than training individuals, they train already existing groups. These groups could be church groups, self-help groups, women's groups, mixed groups, and/or co-operatives. First, a group leader receives management and leadership skills training. Second, the group receives group dynamic training. After that, the group decides what type of project they would like to work on together. Projects can vary. Groups can build wells, grow maize, or raise poultry. When the group decides what type of project they'll work on, then they receive specific training for that skill.

Once the project is under way, the group can receive small loans. Usually the loans are about $100 and are paid back within a year. Many of the farmers can also receive small inputs such as seeds and fertilizers to get their projects started.

There are many success stories that come out of Farming Systems Kenya. You can become acquainted with one of these stories by watching the Stand With Africa: Banish Hunger video. On this video we meet John Kihaki, his family and other community members who have benefited from Farming Systems Kenya. John received a heifer and training that taught him to use his cow efficiently (milk for family and for sale, manure for fertilizer). He increased his crop yields and branched into other activities that brought in more income. Most importantly, John gave back to the community to help others prosper as well. Go here to learn more about this video.

Many people that received training from Farming Systems Kenya projects said, "Now we have enough food to eat and can afford to send our children to school." When groups were asked what challenges they still face, many replied, "We now are able to grow enough crops to eat and sell, but we aren't successful at selling our products in the market."

With this challenge, FSK will consolidate and strengthen the concept of the Farmers Marketing Federation. Groups that have completed their training in farming skills now will learn marketing skills. Leaders of the groups will go through training seminars where they learn skills such as proposal writing that will influence policy making. Once the marketing training is completed, the groups will be ready to be independent, weaned from FSK. The Farmers Marketing Federation will enable small-scale farmers to have greater bargaining power, greater economies of scale, easier access to marketing information, recognition and better prices. Mamadou Kante, Director of the Africa Program Department at Lutheran World Relief, states, "LWR values empowerment. It considers that a partner, like FSK, has achieved success when it is able to give independence to grassroots organizations."