A group of women in colorful attire stands in a field under a blue sky with clouds, listening to a speaker.

"Resilience through regenerative agriculture"

Itanya Africa Group
Project duration: January 2026 - December 2026

In Swahili, Itanya means hope — a fitting name for Itanya Africa Group (IAG), founded in 2023 and based in Nairobi, Kenya. Working with women farmers in the drought‑affected region of Wamunyu in Machakos County, the organization supports communities facing increasing water scarcity and land degradation. Through its three focus areas – regenerative agriculture, improved water access, and gender‑inclusive training – IAG strengthens livelihoods, restores ecosystems, and empowers women to build lasting climate resilience.

In 2023, IAG was selected as one of the winners of the RAIN Challenge, a joint initiative of Munich Re Foundation, Global Resilience Partnership and Shockwave Foundation. The award highlighted IAG’s innovative contribution to strengthening resilience and inclusion in agriculture. Building on this momentum, we continue our support for IAG with additional funding from the Schmitz Stiftung, enabling the organization to expand its activities and deepen its impact through capacity building, climate-smart practices and gender equality.

A group of people in colorful clothing gathers in a field with crops and trees under a blue sky.

Capacity building for smallholder women farmers

Strengthening the skills and confidence of smallholder women farmers is at the heart of IAG’s work in Machakos County. The project supports farmers to adopt sustainable farming methods that improve soil health, raise productivity, and increase resilience to climate pressure.

To build up these skills, IAG combines workshop-based learning with hands-on field instructions. Farmers are introduced to regenerative methods such as syntropic agroforestry systems, organic composting, soil building practices that improve yields without chemical inputs, and seed saving to protect local crop diversity. Together, these approaches offer effective, nature-positive solutions to challenges like land degradation, climate stress, and food insecurity.

A group of people placing sticky notes on a whiteboard with handwritten text in a colorful indoor setting. — Women farmers at IAG's community workshop on agricultural practices

Much of the learning takes place at IAG’s demonstration farm, which functions as a living classroom. There, farmers observe regenerative systems in action and directly apply the techniques they have learned. The farm features a diverse mix of fruit trees, flowering species, herbs, and food crops, arranged in syntropic agroforestry systems that show how biodiversity and productivity reinforce each other. The site also provides space for activities, such as the constructing of water pans – essential for managing scarce water resources in this semi-arid region.

Aerial view of a farm with rows of crops, trees, small buildings, and a pond in a rural landscape. — IAG's demonstration farm in Wamunyu

Working together on the demonstration farm allows women farmers to test new ideas, share experiences, and build the confidence to apply regenerative farming techniques on their own land. This combination of observation, field application, and peer-to-peer learning ensures that new knowledge translates into real, lasting improvements.

A man hands a certificate to a woman in a tent, with others seated in the background and banners displayed. — Certification ceremony for women farmers after attending capacity building workshops

Building resilience through water pans and vertical gardens

Alongside agricultural training, IAG promotes solutions that help farmers adopt to increasing climate variability. In Machakos County, irregular rainfall and recurring droughts pose major challenges for smallholder farmers. To address these, IAG focuses on enhancing water security and supporting climate-adapted food production at the household level.

One key intervention is the construction of water pans – small reservoirs that collect and store rainwater for agricultural use. This water provides a reliable source for irrigation during dry periods and helps stabilize food production throughout the year. Their construction also creates local employment opportunities for young men, who receive training and hands-on experience in building these structures, strengthening both technical skills and community ownership.

Three individuals are digging near a black plastic-covered trench in a green landscape under a cloudy sky. — Men in construction of a water pan

Complementing this work, IAG supports the establishment of vertical gardens as a climate-smart farming solution. Designed to maximize food production in limited spaces while using minimal water, these gardens enable households to grow nutrient-rich crops such as kale, spinach, and traditional vegetables like managu. They improve access to fresh vegetables and demonstrate simple, scalable approaches to sustainable food production.

A garden with tiered black planters filled with green plants, surrounded by grass and trees under a blue sky. — Vertical garden in Wamunyu community

Gender equality and social inclusion

Alongside these technical and environmental initiatives, IAG also works to remove the social barriers that limit women farmers’ ability to fully benefit from agricultural opportunities.

Across all its initiatives, IAG actively addresses the structural challenges faced by many women farmers – including limited access to knowledge, resources, and decision-making opportunities. These barriers often prevent women from strengthening and expanding their agricultural livelihoods.

To counter these obstacles, Gender Equality an Social Inclusion (GESI) principles are integrated throughout the project. By acknowledging the specific constraints women face and applying behavioral insights to support the adoption of new methods, IAG ensures its interventions are gender-responsive, inclusive, and designed to create lasting change.

Four individuals in white shirts stand outdoors near a building, with laundry hanging in the background. — Team of Itanya Africa Group: Caroline Ndaama, Samuel Vaita, Ashley Mutiso, Felix Odongo (from left to right)

"Seeing the resilience and grit of the women we work with in Wamunyu, those who walk miles for water and watch their harvests get battered by a changing climate yet still find the strength to till the soil and hold onto hope, makes it clear that our work goes beyond projects and numbers. It's about standing beside them, dignifying their livelihoods and clearing a path to the future they deserve. For us at Itanya, it's long overdue that these women have the tools to thrive, not just survive".

Looking Ahead

Beyond the immediate benefits for participating farmers, the project contributes to broader goals of environmental sustainability and community resilience. Improved water harvesting systems and regenerative soil practices help communities use scarce resources more efficiently and cope better with climate stress. As women farmers adopt these methods, agricultural productivity stabilizes, post-harvest losses decrease, and market access improves – creating pathways to fairer pricing and more predictable incomes. These gains, in turn, strengthen household financial security and support access to services such as healthcare and education, improving overall community well-being.

By placing women farmers at the center of its approach, IAG ensures that progress is grounded in local realities and reaches those most affected by climate and economic pressure. Over time, healthier ecosystems, stronger livelihoods, and improved social and economic conditions reinforce one another – demonstrating how regenerative agriculture and gender-inclusive strategies can drive meaningful, lasting change.