How Holbert's agribusiness dream was realised through KCB's 2jiajiri

Doing Community work and venturing into agribusiness was always a dream that Holbert Ngugi always harboured.

To fulfil his first quest, Holbert enrolled at Nairobi Institute of Business Studies where he graduated with a Diploma in Community Development and Social Work – however, his agribusiness dream was still burning deep in his soul; it was yet to be accomplished.

They say all dreams are valid, and a chance meeting with a friend in Holbert’s Kiambu neighbourhood set the path into the world of agribusiness.

The friend, a fellow social worker, explained to Holbert about the KCB 2Jiajiri programme and that is how his agribusiness gates were opened.

It is instructive to note that 2Jiajiri is a corporate social investment program from the KCB Foundation that aims to help young people in Eastern Africa become self-employed business owners. The program offers vocational training, financial services, and business development support.

To begin with, in 2019, KCB 2jiajiri helped Holbert enrol at St Dominic’s TATI, where he began his studies in hydroponics. His studies were successful and he went on a paid attachment to Shelter Children's Home, Kibiko, Ngong Hills.

“My attachment period was an eye-opener. I learned a lot. The attachment was courtesy of networks I developed through KCB 2Jiajiri,” said Holbert in an interview with The Standard.

However, Covid-19 struck and the world, including Kenya, went on a lockdown. Holbert’s agribusiness journey seemed to have stopped.

But again through KCB 2jiajiri, Holbert was able to train again in agribusiness, this time getting valuable insights on how to market farm produce, financial aspects such as book-keeping and revenue management as well as farm production techniques.

“KCB 2Jiajiri also helped me procure some farm tools. Now I run a demo farm in Gatundu, Kiambu County, where I also offer training to other farmers,” he said.

“Objectives of the demo farm: capacity building and training farmers in Organic Agriculture and Agri-business having observed the following challenges:  poverty, unemployment, poor agricultural practices, degradation of ecosystems and use of harmful chemicals in the farms. The demo farm is the ultimate solution to empower the farmers. We are also doing field extension services at the farms. All this is courtesy of the 2jiajiri program.”

Having realized his agribusiness dream, Holbert is full of praise for the 2jiajiri program and he is confident that many other farmers will benefit from the program, especially after mingling with beneficiaries of the program.

“The program not only gave me practical skills in agriculture, but it also helped me network with other entrepreneurs in agribusiness from other diverse counties such as Kajiado where my eyes were opened to a new world where anything is possible in agribusiness. Now I am self-employed and financially secure through this program,” he concludes.