The Harvest That Changed a Family Tree

Kenya's Bungoma County is known for its rich cultural heritage and fertile farmland. It is a place where generations have depended on agriculture to provide for their families.

This is where Andrew Musamia and his wife, Eunice Nelima, have farmed for more than 20 years.

Walking through their farm today, it's easy to see the signs of years of steady progress. Rows of healthy maize stretch across the land, while tall trees sway gently in the calming morning breeze. Chickens peck the earth beneath them as laughter comes from the permanent brick home overlooking the farm.

Nearly two decades ago, the picture was very different.

Every harvest disappeared almost as quickly as it came, paying school fees, buying food, and helping the family survive another season. There was little room to dream beyond the next harvest. Today, those dreams stand all around them.

One of their children is a teacher. Another is studying at the Kenya Medical Training College. Another has dedicated her life to serving others as a nun. Their younger children are still in school, while the family now lives in a more durably built house, surrounded by the maize fields and trees that helped make it possible.

More than a better harvest

Like millions of smallholder farmers across Africa, Andrew and Eunice experienced limited access to quality farm supplies and practical farming knowledge, and that often prevented their efforts from translating into better harvests.

On half an acre, the family harvested only nine bags of maize in a good season. At one point, Andrew made the painful decision to sell half of his land to pay school fees, an impossible choice many farming families face when there are few alternatives.

In 2008, Andrew joined One Acre Fund as part of a farming group.

Andrew harvested 15 bags of maize from the same half-acre that had once produced only nine, earning him second place in a local farming competition.

"That large harvest allowed us to start building the permanent house we live in today."

Planting for the next generation

Andrew and Eunice's farm became more productive, they also began to diversify their sources of income. Alongside higher maize yields, they grew vegetables and planted trees through One Acre Fund's tree program, creating multiple streams of income that made their household more resilient and less dependent on a single crop. This helped them gain something they had once struggled to afford: improving their livelihood and investing in the next generation, their children.

"The farming profits and vegetable sales paid for our children's education, allowing one to graduate from college and become a school teacher," Eunice says.

The trees they planted nearly two decades ago have also become a valuable long-term asset. In addition to protecting the soil and strengthening the farm's resilience to a changing climate, they now provide income.

The family's success extends far beyond their farm gate. 

"My sister-in-law is also a farmer, and she is doing well. Currently, she has harvested over 30 bags of maize. She sells the surplus to educate her children, too," Eunice says.

A legacy that keeps growing

Twenty years ago, One Acre Fund began with a simple yet powerful mission to support farmers like Andrew and Eunice. We are reminded that often, agricultural prosperity isn't limited to a single harvest. It begins with access to quality seed, practical training, and affordable financing; then farmers grow enough to reliably feed their families. From there, many generate a surplus that they can invest in their children's education, better homes, and new opportunities. Each successful season builds on the last, creating greater stability, resilience, and opportunity, year after year.

And what begins on a single farm grows into lasting prosperity that reaches families, communities, and future generations.