Phanice

Meet Phanice from Mumias

Phanice is a lifelong farmer and mother of seven, with children ranging from 7 to 25 years old. Her two oldest children now live in Nairobi: one works as a delivery rider, and the other is training to become a nurse. Phanice lives in a small village in Mumias in western Kenya, where she grows sugarcane and maize to sell in the local the market. She also grows a mix of crops to feed her family, including peanuts, arrow root, matoke, sukuma, and Bambara nuts.

 Bambara is more than just a crop to Phanice, it’s part of her family’s story. Her grandmother taught her how to plant it when she was a little girl, and she remembers helping her mother plant it in between rows of maize. They’d cook it into rich, hearty stews, a dish Phanice still makes for her children today. To her, the rise of Bambara means recognition of the deep knowledge and traditions that women like her have carried for generations.

 With the extra income from selling Bambara, Phanice plans to build a small fish pond behind her house. Fish is expensive at the market, and raising her own would be a big step toward feeding her family. Want to show your appreciation? Leave Phanice a tip and help her make her fish pond dream a reality.