The Joyful Women Organization (JOYWO) has transformed the livelihoods of more than 250,000 women across 44 counties through agricultural and financial empowerment initiatives, earning national recognition during the 2025 National Farmers End-Year Celebrations and Awards held at Kiprugut Chumo Stadium in Kericho County.
The women-led organization received the Best Women Organization Supporting Farmers award in recognition of its contribution to food security, household income growth, and women’s empowerment through programmes such as the Mama Kitchen Garden initiative, table banking groups, and agricultural value chain support.
According to the judges, JOYWO’s interventions have enabled women to access finance, improve farm productivity, and build sustainable livelihoods at the grassroots. Nationally, the organization has organized approximately 17,000 table banking groups that collectively revolve close to Sh4 billion, providing affordable credit for farming, poultry rearing, kitchen gardens, and small enterprises.
In Kericho County alone, more than 5,000 women actively participate in JOYWO programmes through nearly 400 table banking groups. The women have established kitchen gardens, poultry units, and crop enterprises that generate steady daily income and improve household nutrition.
The Mama Kitchen Garden programme, implemented in partnership with the State Department of Agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Office of the First Lady, has enabled rural women to establish small-scale vegetable gardens producing sukuma wiki, spinach, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Through the initiative, women earn daily incomes ranging between Sh1,000 and Sh2,000 while supplementing household food supplies for thousands of families.
Speaking to Kenya News Agency, JOYWO Director in charge of Environment and Livelihoods, Mr. Arnold Kipchumba, said the award underscores the impact of women-led grassroots initiatives in driving national development and strengthening household resilience.
He explained that the organization focuses on building leadership skills among women, promoting financial literacy, strengthening community networks, and creating platforms that enable women to influence local decision-making processes. The programmes also promote intergenerational knowledge transfer, with experienced women mentoring younger farmers within their communities.
“Joyful Women Organization was founded in 2009 by Her Excellency Mama Rachel Ruto to organize rural women into table banking groups, provide access to affordable credit, and empower them to engage in sustainable livelihoods,” said Kipchumba. “Today, we are impacting women in counties including Baringo, Samburu, Narok, Kisii, Machakos, and Kericho.”
He noted that table banking allows women to pool resources and access low-interest loans for agricultural activities such as crop farming, poultry production, and kitchen gardens, as well as to invest in micro-businesses ranging from kiosks to small-scale enterprises.
Through the approach, women have gained financial independence, reduced reliance on informal or predatory lenders, and developed a strong culture of savings and entrepreneurship that enhances community economic resilience and household stability.
In addition, JOYWO has linked women farmers to agricultural value chains involving crop farming, poultry, small livestock, and market aggregation. These linkages ensure fair prices, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase incomes while contributing to national food security objectives.
Kipchumba said JOYWO’s county chapters work closely with trained facilitators who provide capacity building in financial literacy, modern farming techniques, agribusiness management, and cooperative development. This ensures members are equipped with practical skills to implement kitchen gardens, improve productivity, and grow sustainable livelihoods.
One of the value chains strongly promoted by JOYWO is poultry farming, which Kipchumba said allows women to directly control income, unlike large livestock that is traditionally owned by men. The initiative has created numerous success stories across rural communities, enabling women to meet household needs and reinvest in income-generating activities.
National data shows that JOYWO programmes have created sustainable livelihoods for women in 44 counties, with each participant earning an average of Sh60,000 per month from combined kitchen garden produce and poultry sales. At the same time, households have improved nutrition by consuming fresh vegetables daily and reducing expenditure on food.
Through the initiatives, women have gained skills in farm management, business planning, and cooperative governance, enhancing their confidence and participation in community development.
Kipchumba said the award has motivated JOYWO to expand its interventions to remaining counties such as Turkana, Mandera, and Wajir, while deepening market linkages in counties including Kericho, Baringo, Samburu, and Narok to reach more women farmers and strengthen local economies through sustainable, women-led agriculture.
By Kibe Mburu
