Everyone has a childhood delicacy they relished. For Jephline Ojwang who was born and bred in Homa Bay – one of Kenya’s groundnut-growing belts, groundnut stew known as magira in Dholuo was the highlight of her childhood. As a little girl, Jephline spent countless hours in the kitchen. She would lend a hand in the lengthy preparation of magira, secretly sneaking a taste when nobody was looking. This stew, made using milled groundnuts, fermented milk, and lemon juice, was a regular treat for her. This was especially because the groundnuts used in its preparation were sourced from her family’s farm. After mastering the art of preparing magira from scratch, Jephline’s fondness for the stew evolved into a desire to learn how to cultivate its star ingredient. 

As Jephline developed her green thumb, she also gained a deeper appreciation for the work that went into groundnut farming. Her zeal did not go unnoticed. In fact, her family gifted her a small portion of land to till when she was only 13 years old. It goes without saying that after getting her own little shamba, groundnuts were never amiss on it and magira became an even bigger staple at home! 

A Growing Farmer

Jephline’s interest in farming carried through to her adulthood but became relegated to a hobby when she became an ECDE (Early Childhood Development Education) teacher. But passion finds a way of shining through.  

In 2017, Jephline began considering the possibility of becoming a full-time farmer. Through her table banking group, she was introduced to a non-profit called C-MAD (Community Mobilization Against Desertification). In its drive to spur communities towards sustainable development, C-MAD introduced members of this group to resilient food agriculture, as a way of empowering them to do more than just table banking. 

C-MAD’s entry into Jephline’s life completely altered her professional course as it reignited her childhood spark for farming. But it was C-MAD’s advice to the group to focus on groundnut farming due to the versatility of the final product that completely sealed the deal for Jephline,   she was getting the rare opportunity to earn an income growing her favourite crop. 

All these factors combined propelled Jephline’s atypical shift from her teaching job to embracing full-time farming in 2017. 

 Embracing Change 

Jephline’s re-entry into the groundnut farming scene was not devoid of changes, with the most outstanding difference being intercropping. Growing up, Jephline’s family-focused solely on growing groundnuts. But land size limitations did not allow her to use similar cultivation practices. The silver lining of this situation was the resource efficiency that intercropping offered, as groundnuts thrived while growing alongside other crops such as maize and beans. Despite this, groundnuts remained her dominant cash crop. 

Thanks to the training received, Jephline had been instilled with the concept of a complete crop value chain by producing, processing, and packaging her products to improve returns. 

Among the products Jephline sells is the timeless magira,  This peanut soup which Jephline enjoyed during her childhood has weathered the tides of change and is now one of her bestselling peanut products, a close second to peanut butter that tops the list.  

Influencing Change 

Jephline and her empowered team have taken it upon themselves to enlighten other farmers on complete crop value addition. They have also impressed the need to look at farming as more than just a subsistence activity; as an economic venture that can transform their lives. 

In the 2022 harvesting season, Jephline’s farm –three-quarters of an acre in size –  yielded over 60kg of groundnuts.  

Have you ever sampled any of Kendu Bay’s tasty nutty goodness? Share your experience with us in the comments. 

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