After Ezekiel Kiptoo completed his secondary education in 2009, he found himself navigating the harsh reality of youth unemployment.

A year later, Kiptoo dived into the business world as a “mali mali” trader at Kiptagich in Nakuru County, determined to forge his path. “I was selling products like handkerchiefs and petroleum jelly, among other items,” he told Safaricom Newsroom. Mali mali is usually a hodgepodge of household items, sometimes sold by traders at a shop and often by walking around estates offering trade-ins.

With time, Kiptoo graduated from being a “mali mali” trader to owning a small shop. He started as an M-PESA agent and now stocks everything from phone chargers to earphones, and stationery.

The father of one is also a farmer and practices mixed farming on his five-acre parcel of land. Three acres are occupied by tea, while the remaining portion is occupied by livestock, napier grass, and food crops.

Through these ventures, Kiptoo has witnessed significant improvement in his life. He is now earning a decent income that sustains his young family.

A similar success story is shared by Scholastica Chepkirui, a graduate of Kisii University, who turned to farming after unsuccessful attempts to secure a white-collar job.

The two are beneficiaries of Safaricom’s DigiFarm, a mobile platform that offers farmers convenient, one-stop access to a suite of information and financial services.

They demonstrate that despite widespread unemployment, young people can earn a decent living by farming and entrepreneurship.

Watch the video to learn more.