Kenya

The Farmer Field Schools (FFS) initiative is a participatory approach to education that promotes hands-on learning through active engagement. Its non-formal nature involves experiential learning techniques and participatory trainings in the fields, encompassing the full cycle of growing and cropping. The main objective of the introduction of FFS as an alternative to the conventional extension approaches was to sharpen farmers’ knowledge and skills through season-long FFS training in farmers’ demand-driven technology (Bunyatta and Mureithi, n.d; FAO, 2001). The initiative was introduced in Kenya in 1996, with four FFSs opening in Kakamega District, Western Province. Since then, hundreds more have been opened, mainly in Western Province (Kakamega, Busia and Bungoma), Coast Province (Kilifi and Kwale) and Central Province (Kiambu). Initially, the programme focused on maize; however, it has developed to include other crops and livestock production.

Kenya Vision 2030 is a development programme implemented between 2008 and 2030. Its objective is to transform Kenya into a ‘newly industrializing, middle-income country providing a high quality of life to all its citizens by 2030 in a clean and secure environment’ (Kenya Vision 2030, 2021).