Location
Kitale, KENYA
Grantee
Wamalwa Murefu Juma
Project
Saboti Ward Plant-Based Nutrition Project
Wamalwa Murefu Juma
Wamalwa Murefu Juma is the Executive of Bountiful Gardeners for Africa (BGA), a grassroots organization grounded in the belief that communities hold the knowledge and capacity to feed themselves well. For years, he has watched families in Trans-Nzoia County move away from traditional, plant-rich diets toward costlier and less nutritious animal-based foods. In Saboti Ward, Juma identified two barriers standing between residents and better nutrition: the widespread belief that healthy eating is expensive, and a lack of practical, accessible information about plant-based diets. Through BGA, he built a training model that starts from what communities already know, traditional crops, local knowledge, and peer relationships, and helps households grow and cook their own nutritious food. BGA now plans to sustain this work through ongoing nutrition education, follow-up visits, and collaboration with local schools and health workers.
What the seed grant made possible
1280
people reached through a peer-to-peer cascade model
160
households trained in plant-based nutrition and food growing
1080
volunteer hours contributed by community members
250
animals estimated spared as households shifted toward plant-based eating
The project
- With a $500 seed grant, BGA purchased vegetable and legume seeds, including cowpeas, African kale, sukuma wiki, spider flower, jute, and nightshade, along with farm tools, training materials, and trainer transport.
- Over five consecutive days, 160 households took part in nutrition workshops, cooking demonstrations, and peer-learning sessions, followed by follow-up visits.
- Each trained participant shared what they learned with an average of eight family members, extending the training to an estimated 1,280 people.
- Households established kitchen gardens, added more vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains to daily meals, reduced excess oil and salt, and reported better energy and wellbeing.
Wamalwa Murefu Juma and Bountiful Gardeners for Africa are helping families in Saboti Ward, Trans-Nzoia County, return to the plant-rich diets that once sustained their community. With TPP support, BGA trained 160 households in plant-based nutrition and food growing, reaching an estimated 1,280 people through a peer-to-peer model and mobilizing 1,080 volunteer hours. By growing traditional crops in their own kitchen gardens, families challenged the belief that healthy eating has to cost more, while an estimated 250 animals were spared as households shifted toward plant-based meals, reflecting the project’s combined focus on community nutrition and animal advocacy.