WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.430 --> 00:00:03.970 This is Julian from Limuru. 2 00:00:04.910 --> 00:00:09.410 And this is George Cairo, a qualified accountant and turned farmer. 3 00:00:11.560 --> 00:00:15.040 Although he grew up here in rural Limuro, the switch 4 00:00:15.040 --> 00:00:17.220 was challenging initially. 5 00:00:17.270 --> 00:00:20.510 Actually, his two dairy cows didn't produce much milk. 6 00:00:21.550 --> 00:00:23.890 But then he appeared on television. 7 00:00:25.840 --> 00:00:27.580 Welcome to Shamba. 8 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:30.740 This week we are in Limuru. 9 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:35.520 His participation in the Kenyan TV show Shamba Shape Up changed 10 00:00:35.530 --> 00:00:37.900 everything, getting help from his sister. 11 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:43.479 Before the Shamba Shape Up came in my farm, I had less than 12 00:00:43.680 --> 00:00:46.680 actually I was doing 15 to 10 litres per day. 13 00:00:47.390 --> 00:00:52.229 But when the shambleship up came, I've been able even to make 14 00:00:52.350 --> 00:00:54.170 up to 100 liters a day. 15 00:00:56.110 --> 00:00:59.150 Thanks to advice from a dairy farm expert to change 16 00:00:59.150 --> 00:01:03.270 the animal feed, he was able to boost the productivity of his cows. 17 00:01:03.990 --> 00:01:07.150 George Kairu also cultivates maize and grows tea. 18 00:01:07.520 --> 00:01:11.550 Both are highly water intensive and that's a considerable expense. 19 00:01:12.110 --> 00:01:14.850 The TV show supports the farmers here too. 20 00:01:14.910 --> 00:01:18.110 It's partnered with various companies which provide the farmers with 21 00:01:18.110 --> 00:01:21.950 materials and supplies such as animal feed, fertilizer and 22 00:01:21.950 --> 00:01:26.030 even equipment in return for product placement in the TV show. 23 00:01:26.230 --> 00:01:30.150 They helped me by installing a water pump and a solar panel. 24 00:01:30.790 --> 00:01:36.110 It has really helped me to lower the operation cost for the farm and 25 00:01:36.350 --> 00:01:37.970 I'm so grateful for that. 26 00:01:40.458 --> 00:01:41.687 So many shambas to shape 27 00:01:41.893 --> 00:01:43.310 Welcome to Shamba. 28 00:01:43.319 --> 00:01:44.110 Shape up. 29 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:47.400 We have travelled all over East Africa to find 30 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:49.070 hardworking farmers. 31 00:01:49.080 --> 00:01:52.030 We want to celebrate them while giving them the knowledge 32 00:01:52.040 --> 00:01:55.880 they need so they can adapt and make their farms more productive, 33 00:01:55.880 --> 00:01:58.060 even while the climate changes. 34 00:01:59.270 --> 00:02:02.390 Shamba is the Swahili word for garden or farm. 35 00:02:02.790 --> 00:02:05.500 The point of the show is edutainment. 36 00:02:05.510 --> 00:02:08.380 Farmers get advice on practices and methods. 37 00:02:08.389 --> 00:02:11.990 It's been running on TV and Kenya since 2012. 38 00:02:11.990 --> 00:02:15.010 One of the hosts is actor Tony Juguna. 39 00:02:15.150 --> 00:02:17.610 He's been on board since the very beginning. 40 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:21.550 And we don't go alone. 41 00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:22.950 We go with our experts. 42 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:26.040 For instance, if you're planting maize, we go with an expert 43 00:02:26.090 --> 00:02:27.490 who deals with maize. 44 00:02:27.710 --> 00:02:32.590 We explained to the farm about importance of good seed, how to plant 45 00:02:32.590 --> 00:02:37.190 it on the ground, how to take care of it all the way up to 46 00:02:37.190 --> 00:02:42.830 the harvesting and sometimes even marketing welcome. 47 00:02:43.430 --> 00:02:46.990 The show is financed by various NGOs and international 48 00:02:46.990 --> 00:02:49.170 scientific institutes in Kenya. 49 00:02:49.310 --> 00:02:51.620 The 30 minute show is a weekly format. 50 00:02:51.630 --> 00:02:54.380 It's always filmed on a different farm and focuses 51 00:02:54.389 --> 00:02:57.250 on a specific set of problems and solutions. 52 00:02:57.870 --> 00:03:01.990 One important aspect is showing farmers how they can better protect 53 00:03:01.990 --> 00:03:03.460 against climate change. 54 00:03:03.470 --> 00:03:06.630 When you tell farmers to plant trees, you know, 55 00:03:07.310 --> 00:03:10.790 we tell farmers to minimal tillage where they don't harm 56 00:03:11.030 --> 00:03:16.790 the environment, and that, that and good use of water. 57 00:03:17.910 --> 00:03:21.130 Today, the team is in Kusumo, in western Kenya. 58 00:03:21.389 --> 00:03:25.160 They're visiting Eric Ogio, who's been a farmer all his life. 59 00:03:26.110 --> 00:03:29.190 The first thing that I noticed that they work with 60 00:03:29.230 --> 00:03:33.030 professionals like me have done this project for a long time, 61 00:03:33.150 --> 00:03:34.770 but I've learned a lot. 62 00:03:35.550 --> 00:03:38.710 He needs some advice about these chicks, which aren't growing 63 00:03:38.710 --> 00:03:40.010 as well as they could. 64 00:03:40.310 --> 00:03:43.060 An employee with an animal feed company explains 65 00:03:43.070 --> 00:03:46.290 that Eric needs to add enzymes to his chicken feed. 66 00:03:47.310 --> 00:03:50.450 The show wants to reach as many farmers as possible. 67 00:03:50.470 --> 00:03:54.830 Around 70% of Kenya's population live in rural areas and 68 00:03:54.830 --> 00:03:56.370 work in agriculture. 69 00:03:56.750 --> 00:03:59.490 But rural exodus is a serious problem. 70 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:04.480 The program aims to show that farming is financially attractive 71 00:04:04.480 --> 00:04:05.980 and meaningful work. 72 00:04:06.320 --> 00:04:10.400 Studies have shown that after two years of airing, several 100,000 73 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:13.840 households were regularly tuning into the show and altering 74 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:15.030 their farming practices. 75 00:04:15.040 --> 00:04:20.080 As a result, the team checks up on George Cairo too, a year after 76 00:04:20.080 --> 00:04:21.340 their first visit. 77 00:04:22.960 --> 00:04:23.160 Hello. 78 00:04:23.170 --> 00:04:23.430 Hello. 79 00:04:23.440 --> 00:04:25.160 Hey, what's happening here? 80 00:04:25.170 --> 00:04:26.380 I'm feeding the cows. 81 00:04:28.200 --> 00:04:29.660 Are these the same same cows? 82 00:04:29.670 --> 00:04:30.790 Yeah, they are the ones. 83 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:31.380 Are you sure? 84 00:04:31.390 --> 00:04:32.050 Sure. 85 00:04:32.630 --> 00:04:35.830 Viewers can see how helpful the expert advice has been. 86 00:04:36.310 --> 00:04:39.070 One more reason why the show is so popular.