More than a hobby: Mary Kimonge at her after-work farm
The spinach is ripe. Basil, oregano, and rosemary, too. After eight hours of work, Mary Kimonge catches the very last sun rays to look after her second job – her private garden of Eden The chief surveyor of Fumba Town discovered her love for gardening during a permaculture course related to her job: “It brought out the passion for green farming in me”, she remembers. “Learning about composting, soil and planting, it became not just a hobby but a fulfilling endeavor that connected me deeply with the land and nature.”
Since then, Mary Kimonge has never stopped. The farmland bought a year ago “just to keep cows for milk and chickens for eggs”, has prospered into a paradise supplying a growing number of households in Fumba with fresh veggies - and inspiration.
In chat groups, thankful customers praise her green thumb: “Everything always tastes absolutely fresh.” Kimonge also looks after trainees within the STEM program for female science graduates in Fumba. Is the workload never too much? “My garden has become my happy place”, she says, “my therapeutic outlet helping me focus and stay present.” Deliveries are done at 7 am. A woman like Mary Kimonge has no time to waste.
