"I am the one who has not been to school"
Munyis Kinyaga wasn’t always a farmer. The youngest of his Maasai family, he spent most of his childhood as a herdsman, protecting the family livestock from cattle raiders and wild predators whilst his brothers went to school.
“My brothers have studied, they have put in that effort to the point where they are able to earn their living using papers (certificates, diplomas and degrees)... One of my brothers in fact works in London.”
But his brother’s successes came at a personal cost – “Among my siblings, I am the one who has not been to school.”
As the youngest brother, Munyis’s education was sacrificed so his siblings could have a bright future. This is the sort of impossible decision that poverty throws at families all over the world.
Recognising his sacrifice for the family, Munyis' father left the small family farm entirely to him as a way of earning a living.
This was a big opportunity – but with no skills in farming, initially he had little success. His chance at a brighter future for his wife and four children was under serious threat.
Munyis is as driven and ambitious as his brothers – he’d just never had a chance to learn. So when he heard about the chance to join Traidcraft Exchange’s project, he was determined to grasp opportunities he’d never had before.
He volunteered a portion of his land for the project demonstration farm, joined a farmers group, and learned new skills in negotiation, information about yields and links to trusted suppliers of equipment and seeds.
“That was when I had my very first proper harvest of onions here,” Munyis says.
“I grossed Ksh. 800,000 (GBP 5,274). And this was all because the project trained us on Kilimo Biashara (Farming as a Business).”
Today, Munyis’s farm is as successful a business as his brothers’ formal jobs. He advises many others in the community about how to build their farming business and replicate his success.
And this hard work adds up to one hugely significant thing - all four of his children now go to school.
“I have to educate them... If I didn’t make it to school, then let them.”
You can give more people like Munyis the opportunity to run a successful business and propel their families to a better future.