From domestic work to model urban farming: Jane Changawa’s inspiring journey in Nairobi

When Covid‑19 struck in 2020, Jane Changawa lost her Sh7,000 monthly pay from domestic work, leaving her without financial stability. “I could not just sit without a source of income,” she says. “I had to find another way.”

She turned to urban farming, and it has since transformed her life, livelihood and community presence. Jane now cultivates roughly 40 square metres in Dagoretti North, Nairobi, using vertical farming techniques that maximise limited space.

Her farming journey was made possible when a resident who owns land in the area donated space to her. She uses grow bags, buckets, and sacks to organically produce cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, spinach, sukuma wiki, onions, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and cassava.

She also grows herbs such as rosemary, mint, and lemongrass. “Some of my customers have visited the farm and seen the quality of my vegetables, such that whatever I harvest is often taken immediately,” she says.

She explains that the demand for her vegetables is so high that she cannot meet all requests. This, she says, is a challenge that motivates her to save more diligently so she can eventually purchase larger agricultural land for expansion.