In the heart of Kitui County's Mwingi West Sub-County east of Nairobi, we find Pauline Kongo on her farm. A proud mother of four children and a grandmother to seven grandchildren, Pauline's resilience shines through as she diligently feeds her chickens with maize seeds, despite being differently abled.

Pauline's dedication extends beyond farming. She chairs the Tikwenda Kwitu (Not by Will) self-help group—a group formed by 12 women, including youth and persons with disabilities. This unique group recognizes the power of collective efforts in farming and other activities. Pauline points out that unlike other self-help groups in Kitui County, Tikwenda Kwitu embraces the inclusion of people with disabilities, believing in their ability to bring positive change through agriculture. Tikwenda Kwitu’s activities include sharing best practices in poultry and goat rearing, as well as cultivating nutritious crops like green grams, fruits, and millet. These efforts yield significant benefits, improving their family's diet and generating income through sales.

"When we started farming, we faced a lot of challenges because we lacked knowledge of nutrition and farming techniques suitable for this arid and semi-arid area,” Pauline said.

“Due to the drought conditions in Kitui, it was even harder acquiring drought-resistant seeds,” she recalls. Fortunately, Caritas, a civil society organization (CSO) under the Catholic Diocese of Kitui, intervened, providing valuable training on the nutritional benefits of local foods for children, kitchen gardening, efficient water usage for vegetable and fruit tree farming, and proper livestock care. This support substantially enhanced the group's understanding of the advantages of nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices.