Kenya: Strategic Planning, Food Systems, and Culture
Kenya holds a special place in my international consulting journey. Through USAID Farmer-to-Farmer and ACDI/VOCA assignments, I worked with dairy, poultry, horticulture, and farmer organizations to strengthen strategic planning, marketing, leadership, financial management, and organizational development.
Kenya at a Glance
Focus Areas
Strategic planning, farmer organizations, agribusiness, food systems, marketing, leadership, and gender dynamics.
Regions
Central Kenya, Eastern Kenya, Meru, Kitui, Nyeri, Kiambu, Nyandarua, and Lake Naivasha.
Partners
USAID Farmer-to-Farmer, ACDI/VOCA, dairy cooperatives, poultry groups, and community-based organizations.
Community Lens
Working with smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, cooperative leaders, and rural communities.
My Consulting Work in Kenya
My work in Kenya centered on helping farmer organizations understand where they were, where they wanted to go, and how to build the systems needed to get there. That meant more than creating written plans. It meant helping cooperative leaders think through governance, financial management, recordkeeping, marketing, value chains, leadership roles, and implementation.
Across multiple assignments, I facilitated participatory workshops with cooperative leaders and members. The goal was to help each organization develop a clearer vision, identify realistic goals, understand their resources, and create strategies that could be used beyond the training room.
What stood out to me most was the determination of the farmers. Many groups faced serious challenges, including drought, limited capital, weak records, unclear leadership structures, low bargaining power, and gaps in market knowledge. Still, they showed up ready to learn, debate, plan, and strengthen their organizations.
Featured Kenya Projects
Central Kenya Strategic Planning
I worked with dairy, poultry, and horticulture cooperatives on strategic planning, organizational management, monitoring and evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, recordkeeping, and financial management.
Eastern Kenya Strategic Planning
I supported cooperative leaders in developing strategic plans that helped them clarify their mission, understand member needs, assess resources, and identify priorities for growth.
Jenga Kenya Marketing Training
I provided marketing skills training and market plan development for Jenga Kenya, a community-based organization serving more than 1,400 clients, including 840 women.
Farmer-to-Farmer Capacity Building
Through USAID Farmer-to-Farmer and ACDI/VOCA, I supported smallholder farmers and cooperative leaders with practical tools for stronger business and organizational decision-making.
Organizations and Groups Supported
My Kenya assignments included work with a wide range of farmer groups, dairy cooperatives, poultry projects, horticulture groups, and community-based organizations.
Gatundu South Dairy Cooperative
A dairy cooperative in Kiambu County working to rebuild and strengthen its operations after earlier management challenges.
Gaikundo Poultry Project
A poultry-focused self-help cooperative in Nyeri County seeking stronger planning as members moved into broiler production.
Ol Kalou Kwarahuka Cooperative
A dairy cooperative in Nyandarua County working to improve milk marketing, records, leadership, and member confidence.
Kamugi Umoja Cooperative
A youth-focused horticulture and table banking group seeking stronger planning and investment strategies.
Masimba Farmers’ Belt Cooperative
A farmer cooperative with significant women’s participation, growing crops such as onions, green grams, tomatoes, and peppers.
Changwithya Dairy Cooperative
A dairy cooperative in Kitui working on milk production, value addition, storage, animal feed, and clean milk production.
Abogeta Dairy Cooperative
A revived dairy cooperative in Meru working to rebuild membership, improve operations, and strengthen planning systems.
Igoki Dairy Cooperative
A dairy cooperative working through leadership, trust, membership, and cooperative management challenges.
Jenga Kenya
A community-based microfinance organization serving small-scale farmers and women clients in Meru County.
What I Helped Farmers and Leaders Build
Strategic Plans
Clearer visions, practical priorities, measurable goals, and implementation steps for farmer organizations.
Marketing Plans
Market analysis, customer research, pricing discussions, product positioning, and local sales strategies.
Financial Awareness
Costing, pricing, income targets, expense tracking, reinvestment planning, and basic financial management.
Leadership Capacity
Governance, delegation, group roles, accountability, and member participation.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Ways to track progress, review goals, collect data, and adjust plans based on real information.
Gender Awareness
Observing and addressing gender dynamics that limited women’s voices in farmer groups and leadership spaces.
Kenya Project Gallery
These images document my Kenya consulting work and my time experiencing the country’s food, landscapes, and culture.
Strategic Planning Workshop
Working with smallholder farmers and agricultural leaders during a participatory planning session.
Agricultural Training
Facilitating classroom-based training with farmer organization members and agricultural professionals.
Farmer Organization Group
Celebrating the completion of a training and organizational development workshop.
USAID Farmer-to-Farmer
Fieldwork through the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer program with ACDI/VOCA.
Lake Naivasha
Experiencing Kenya’s natural beauty beyond the workshop room.
Nyama Choma and Tusker
Enjoying Kenya’s food culture through roasted goat and a local Tusker beer.
Lessons From Kenya
Kenya taught me that strategy only matters when people can use it. Many farmer organizations had powerful ideas, strong community ties, and deep knowledge of their land and products. However, they often lacked the systems needed to turn that knowledge into stronger income, better leadership, and long-term organizational growth.
That is why my work focused on practical tools. We discussed pricing, production, recordkeeping, leadership roles, customer demand, market relationships, and the importance of collecting real data before making decisions.
I also saw how gender shapes participation. In some groups, women were deeply involved in the day-to-day work but less visible in formal leadership and public decision-making. That observation continues to shape how I approach women’s leadership, gender inclusion, and food systems consulting today.
Food, Culture, and Travel in Kenya
For me, international work is never just about reports and training sessions. It is also about people, meals, landscapes, music, markets, and the quiet moments that help you understand a place more deeply.
In Kenya, I remember sharing meals, seeing the beauty of Lake Naivasha, traveling between communities, and enjoying Nyama Choma with Tusker beer. Those experiences remind me that food systems are not abstract. They are lived every day through culture, work, land, community, and survival.
Related Services
Strategic Planning
Support for cooperatives, nonprofits, agribusinesses, and mission-driven organizations ready to clarify their direction.
Program Design
Logic models, theories of change, KPIs, implementation plans, and donor-ready program frameworks.
Food Systems Consulting
Support for agricultural organizations, food producers, farmer groups, and women-led enterprises.
Explore More Country Hubs
Ghana
Women’s leadership, agribusiness, food systems, and cooperative development.
Tanzania
Women entrepreneurs, financial management, agriculture, and business capacity building.
Zambia
Business planning, financial management, farmer organizations, and strategic advisory work.
Mali
Women’s cooperatives, business skills, leadership training, and market development.
Let’s Work Together
If your organization needs help with strategic planning, food systems, farmer organization development, gender inclusion, monitoring and evaluation, or program design, I would love to support your next step.