This is Jude’s Story

From having raised himself on the streets of Nairobi, 21-year-old Jude is using his agricultural skills to help others who are struggling to feed their families.

Jude’s mother died when he was young and he didn’t know his father, rendering him a vulnerable child fending for himself on the streets. As a teenager Jude first attended an art workshop at Alfajiri, BTO’s partner in Kenya, in 2015. His painting was simple and sweet; of a boy walking up a path towards a home with a mango tree.

In 2019 Jude received a BTO scholarship to study farming and livestock, and raise his own chickens and rabbits. This year Alfajiri has been running a sustainable urban farming project, where Jude has also learnt how to grow a variety of crops. He is now utilising his skills and experience to help with Alfajiri’s projects at the centre, working long hours to care for the crops and livestock. His knowledge and enthusiasm have been instrumental in inspiring other young people to take up farming, instead of just focusing on white collar jobs.

Last month Jude helped teach a group of very receptive local women urban farming. Under the guidance of Jude and another mentor, Alfajiri is planning to extend this project to people living in the slums to give them a sustainable food source.

Jude may not have had the simple and sweet childhood that he’d dreamed of, but as a young man he is now helping other vulnerable families ensure that they can give their children a better start in life.