From a patch of sunbaked land in Magarini, Kilifi County, Loice Kaingu has cultivated more than food; she has grown confidence, income and a renewed sense of purpose.
Each morning in Mjanaheri village, the mother of three sorts through buckets of ripe tomatoes and bunches of amaranth, spinach and sugarcane. Nearby, a small flock of chickens clucks noisily in the heat, a sign of a livelihood slowly taking root.
“Farming pays,” Kaingu says with a smile. “We’ve been taught to look for markets, near and far. I didn’t know I could plan like this before.”
Kaingu is among about 2,000 farmers in Kilifi County benefiting from Tushauriane Schools—community-led “schools without walls,” where farmers meet weekly to share ideas, test improved farming methods and jointly solve common challenges.
The initiative operates under the Tushauriane, Tuimarishe Kilimo Biashara mantra (“Let’s Discuss to Strengthen Agribusiness”). The project is supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through its Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC) Sub-Programme.
It is implemented in partnership with the Centre for Behaviour Change and Communication (CBCC) Africa, Pwani University, and Amplio Ghana. The project blends Women’s Empowerment–Farmer Business Schools (WE-FBS) with Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) approaches, supported by Amplio Talking Books—audio learning devices that deliver farming and social messages directly to households.
Across Kilifi North, Kilifi South, Magarini and Ganze sub-counties, 80 farmer field schools are actively engaged, each bringing together between 25 and 30 smallholder farmers, the majority of them women. Participants learn by doing—experimenting, analyzing results and making collective decisions.
Before joining the Tushauriane School, Kaingu planted crops haphazardly and sold whatever survived. Today, she and her husband plan their farm carefully, dividing it into sections for vegetables, legumes and poultry feed, while keeping detailed records of sales and expenses.
“When I come home from the sessions, I explain what we’ve discussed,” she says. “Now my husband supports me. We plan together, and he even helps take produce to the market.”
Facilitators guide farmers through 24 structured sessions covering farm planning, market mapping, financial literacy and gender equality. These lessons are reinforced through more than 400 Amplio Talking Books in circulation, allowing families to continue discussions at home long after the weekly meetings end.
In a region where water scarcity often limits agricultural productivity, particularly for women, Kaingu remains determined. “Our biggest challenge is lack of water,” she says, pointing to a dry borehole near her home. “But I still irrigate using water we buy or fetch from the stream. My children help after school,” he explains.
Her determination is yielding results. Kaingu now sells vegetables to local traders and neighbours, using part of her earnings to pay school fees and meet household needs.
“This project helps farmers reframe their challenges,” says Husna Mbarak, Land Governance Programme Manager and Governance and Social Inclusion Team Lead at FAO Kenya. “By combining skills training with reflection, it changes how people think about farming, family roles and fairness,” he adds.
At the heart of the Tushauriane schools is dialogue. Weekly sessions encourage women and men to openly discuss roles, workloads and decision-making—subjects that were once considered taboo. “We’re seeing women manage budgets, keep records and plan group businesses,” says Hellen Collete, Project Coordinator at CBCC Africa. “They’re not just learning to farm better; they’re learning to lead.”
Dr. Mounde, a senior lecturer at Pwani University, notes that the approach is gradually shifting long-held social norms.
“When men, women and youth share responsibilities, productivity improves and communities benefit as a whole,” he says.
From a global perspective, FAO officials say the Kilifi pilot offers valuable lessons. “The project strengthens agribusiness skills, particularly for women, while improving market linkages,” says Huda Alsahi, FAO Social Policy Officer based in Rome.
“Even within a short period, we’ve seen that when partners work together and communities take ownership, transformation happens,” she said.
Although the one-year initiative is nearing conclusion, the knowledge and confidence it has planted are expected to endure.
“I used to grow just enough to feed my family,” Kaingu says, brushing dust from her hands. “Now I farm to earn an income as well. That’s what learning has done for me.”
As the sun dips behind the coconut trees, her children return from school and help water the rows of green vegetables, living proof that in Kilifi’s schools without walls, learning extends far beyond the classroom.
By William Inganga
