KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK TRAIN 92 YOUTH IN SMART FARMING

KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK TRAIN 92 YOUTH IN SMART FARMING

By Wangeci Kariuki

The giant Bank in East African Region Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Foundation has graduated 92 beneficiaries who completed the first phase of training in hydroponics farming at Miramar International College.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a nutrient solution without soil.

The training is part of the 2jiajiri programme.

KCB Foundation Managing Director Jane Mwangi said the programme has been a success, and past graduates have teamed up to start commercial farms.

“We chose to focus on hydroponic farming because it’s a smart farming method cognizant of the challenges faced by 21st century farmers.

This method is attractive to young people especially because it’s not capital intensive, consumes little space and is not reliant on weather patterns,” she said in a speech read on her behalf by John Waimiri, Senior Manager, Partnerships.

KCB Foundation will then take through the 92 beneficiaries through business development training where they will learn how to run a business.

They will also be taught how to develop business plans that they can then use to take loans from the bank.

KCB Foundation has secured additional Ksh10 billion funding from MasterCard to scale up the 2jiajiri programme.