In Bomoseri village in Magenche area, Bomachoge Borabu, Kisii County, Jeremiah Mbaka defied conventional career paths, leaving behind a sales representative job at Sameer Africa in Nairobi to become an accomplished avocado farmer and chicken rearer in his Bomoseri village in Kisii County, Kenya.
Here is his story as told by WOK
After obtaining a diploma in automotive engineering from Rongo University in 2007, Mbaka ventured into the unknown, spending two years in South Sudan, taking on various jobs.
In 2010, he returned to Kenya and embarked on a five-year stint as a sales representative with Sameer Africa in Nairobi.
It was during this time that he noticed the vast quantities of avocados being exported from Kenya, particularly through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
This observation sparked an idea that would eventually change his life and the landscape of his village.
In 2016, fueled by his fascination with the avocado trade, Mbaka made a bold decision – he resigned from his job and returned to his roots in Bomoseri to venture into Hass avocado farming.
Starting with 300 avocado trees, he patiently nurtured his orchard, and within two years, his efforts bore fruit, both literally and figuratively. His avocados began generating an annual income of about Sh500,000.
Undeterred by initial skepticism from neighbors who deemed his decision to uproot tea trees for avocados eccentric, Mbaka persevered.
Buoyed by his success, he expanded his avocado farm by planting an additional 200 trees in a parcel of land he purchased with the proceeds from his thriving avocado venture.
However, Jeremiah Mbaka’s ingenuity didn’t stop there.
Realizing the importance of sustainable farming practices, he ventured into poultry farming.
He invested Sh400,000 to acquire 500 chicks, which have now matured into healthy chickens over seven months.
What sets his approach apart is his holistic vision – the organic manure from his chicken project will be utilized to enrich the soil for his avocado trees and other crops.
“The vegetables I have planted in the farm serve as food to the chickens I am rearing which in return will provide manure to be used in the farm since I was informed that most of our customers in Europe prefer crops planted with organic manure,” said Mbaka.
