The invisible backbone: Feeding the nation without land or financial power

In Kamenya village, Homa Bay County, the rhythm of Kenya’s food system beats to women’s hands. At dawn, Josephine Auma Abuor is already balancing household chores with the demands of her rice paddies.

By 7am she is in the fields, catapult in hand, hurling clay pellets to chase away quelea birds. For weeks before harvest, she spends entire days guarding the crop, sustained by sweet potatoes and rice carried from home.

“My day begins at 6am when I wake up and do household chores. I ensure that I get to the rice farm by 7am before the birds arrive,” she says.

Read: Land, power and tradition: Why women are still shut out

Rice takes three to four months to mature. But in the final four weeks, the sun rises and sets with Josephine still in the field. Why? Because she must guard her rice against the relentless birds that threaten to destroy her crop. Even as she works tirelessly to feed the nation, her own nutrition is compromised.