A time like this in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was a smallholder famer in our rural home in Kitui. This decision came about as a way to make the most of my free time.
The journey of nurturing seeds into thriving vegetables was not only deeply fulfilling but also a profound learning experience. As I woke up every morning to tend and watch the plants grow, I marvelled at the beauty of the natural world and the processes of life.
During this time, the vegetables served a dual purpose. Some were consumed at home, providing us with fresh and healthy produce, while the surplus was sold to the teachers in the nearby primary school that I attended and to our neighbours. The income I earned allowed me to purchase simple luxuries, like airtime for communication.
Farming, I discovered, is a truly rewarding venture. It embodies the essence of production and carries with it values of care, resilience, patience, wellbeing, and happiness. Life as a farmer felt naturally refreshing and enriching.
Looking back, I regretted not starting this small farm earlier that year when the lockdown began. But I am grateful that my family has continued to maintain it. Furthermore, the small well I dug by the river to fetch water has since been fully constructed into an all-season source of water, further enhancing our farming capabilities.
This experience has ignited a deep and abiding passion for farming within me, one that I am wholeheartedly committed to pursuing in the future.
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