Gardening is Gospel

Jackson with son, Meshack

Jackson is a farmer, businessman, and entrepreneur from rural western Kenya. He is also a faithful Christian and a committed Mennonite church member.

Last week we left Migori, drove about 10 miles west where we left the paved road, took a gravel road to the right, a bit later took the right fork, then we turned right onto a lane so narrow that both mirrors on the car were rubbing the bushes on either side. About one mile in, we stopped at the home of Jackson Okanya, a 33 year old Mennonite who lives with his wife and young son on the same compound as his parents, 2 sisters and a younger brother. It is a beautiful area, with rolling hills, fertile soil, and plenty of rain.

Pineapples among the banana trees

In 2010, Jackson graduated from Daystar University in Nairobi with a degree in community development. At the same time he was developing his interest in agriculture. He was not new to gardening, having grown up in a rural area where his family gardened for their own livelihood. But Jackson was interested in learning more effective and efficient farming methods, so he began visiting successful farms and attending seminars about various aspects of agriculture.

Mature banana grove

In early 2013, after working in Nairobi, including a few months as office assistant for the Kenya office of Eastern Mennonite Missions, Jackson returned to his home area to begin developing his dream. First he tried to work through the local church, inviting church members to make a small investment of time and money to start garden plots using better methods. But because of Jackson’s education and outside contacts, some began to say that outside funds would be available. The members stopped paying their fees because they expected help from outside and the project failed. The outside funds had not been promised and none were received.

Jackson in front of a new planting of bananas

Jackson and his brother Samwel with the brick press

When the project with the church failed, he asked his father for several acres on his father’s farm to begin on his own. Using his limited personal savings in the equivalent of US$20, he bought seeds and fertilizer, and, using his own energy, cleared a small plot of weeds, and began his project. When he harvested the produce, he reinvested the profits to expand the garden, introduce new crops, and begin new projects. Today, about 3 years later, he has about 3 acres where he grows cooking bananas, ripe bananas, papaya, passion fruit, pineapples, mangos, onions, and greens for market, in addition to corn and cassava for their family’s use. A flock of chickens gives eggs and meat. He bought a brick-making machine to construct his own buildings and to sell to the community.

Jackson’s vision is to expand to include better mangos, as well as raising goats, pigs, dairy cows, and catfish. He wants to build facilities to process his produce, such as packaging fruit, butchering and packaging chicken and fish, and processing milk. He is exploring making flour from bananas as an alternative nutrition supplement in hospitals.  His 5 year plan is to train his younger brother to manage the farm and Jackson will focus on developing the distribution and marketing through his contacts in Nairobi and other cities.

Jackson, Joe, and father John Okanya

Why is he doing it? Primarily because he sees it as a way to serve the church and the local community. Not only does it provide food, it will also provide employment and income for him and others. It will help the church, as members will gain the ability to support the church financially. Jackson also sees it as an opportunity to demonstrate that economic development is possible without depending on outside resources to get started. It requires vision, hard work, patience, and good management of resources. Jackson considers his project to be practicing the gospel. Finally, Jackson knows he has been blessed by God, and he wants to share his blessings with others, whether it is produce or an example of what is possible with vision and hard work.