InspireME: From Fruit Trees to Sustainable Solutions — A Farmer’s Journey to Empower Smallholder Communities

Here’s Evans Kioko with his story about the impact of Sustainable Solutions. As Africa rises to a leadership position, its youth are ushering in modern technology to keep pace with the growing demand.

Growing up in Makueni, Kenya, my passion for agriculture was always evident. I spent most of my childhood playing in fruit trees and grazing livestock. It was there that I realized the potential impact agriculture could have on smallholder farmers and their communities. In 2014 during my final year on campus, I developed cassava chips solar dryers for smallholder farmers in Kilifi, Kenya with support from CAST and the European Union.

The process was simple, yet effective. We would peel the cassava, cut it into chips, and then dry it using the solar dryer. This process allowed the farmers to store their cassava for a longer period, reduce wastage and increase their income through value addition.

Since then, I have been involved in various projects aimed at capacity building and bringing interventions to smallholder farmers. I have worked with farmers across the region and have seen first-hand the transformative impact agriculture can have on individuals and their communities. When I recently moved to Dubai, I was…