Janice and her son Nathan faced overwhelming odds

In the rocky hills of Angiro Village, few believed anything could grow. But with the support from DIG’s Priority Household Program and Mentor Mother Hilda, Janice turned once barren land into a thriving, nutrient-rich garden. Today that rocky patch is feeding her family and reshaping their future. Meet Janice and see what resilience looks like in action. Keep reading below.

In the hot, rocky hills of Angiro Village in Homa Bay, Kenya, a young boy named Nathan and his mother, Janice, are defying the odds. 

At just four years old, Nathan was diagnosed as severely malnourished. Weak from lack of food and recurring illness, his small body was fighting to survive. His mother, Janice, was doing everything she could—but with five children already and another on the way, the burden was overwhelming. She sold a few items at the local market, but it was never enough.

Things became even more challenging when, during a prenatal checkup, Janice was diagnosed with HIV. The news was devastating. But Janice, determined and resilient, refused to give up on her children’s future, or her own.

[With the right medication and safe delivery practices, mother-to-child transmission of HIV is almost entirely preventable. Yet with recent roll-backs in international aid, this progress is at risk in some of the world’s most resource-limited communities.]

When Nathan was diagnosed as malnourished in October 2024, the nearby Nyagoro Health Center still had access to Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs)—a critical lifeline that has since now disappeared due to USAID cuts. (Read more about “When Aid Stops, DIG Gardens Grow”  Fortunately, doctors were able to enroll Nathan and Janice in DIG’s Priority Household Program, where they received a locally produced emergency porridge made from amaranth and sorghum flour—rich in protein, iron, calcium, and calories.

Janice was also paired with Hilda Aggay, a DIG Mentor Mother, who offered more than advice. She brought real hands-on support. Hilda taught Janice how to make the flour herself. She introduced her to nutrient-dense gardening, best infant feeding practices, and simple hygiene techniques to reduce illness. Even in the rocky soil where many believed vegetables simply couldn’t grow, Janice learned to build raised garden beds, and her garden flourished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She planted beetroot, carrots, kale, spinach, and black nightshade. To her surprise, they grew. To protect her plants, Janice learned to make natural pest repellents  from what she already had: red pepper, garlic, onions, aloe vera, soap, and wood ash. Simple. Local. Effective.

[DIG’s latest impact data from Kenya shows that at the start of the program, farmers were using only 2 agroecological techniques at home. But just six months after graduating, they were practicing more than 8 regenerative techniques—demonstrating not just adoption, but sustained commitment to what they learned through DIG.] 

As the garden grew, so did Nathan’s strength. The vegetables, combined with the enriched porridge flour were working. Slowly, he began gaining weight. His energy returned, and the light came back into his eyes.

“The porridge flour DIG gave me made me realize that not all food is the same. This one brought back my child’s strength and health.” Today, Nathan is thriving, playing, smiling, growing.

And Janice’s garden? It has expanded beyond her own expectations. She now grows maize, spinach, kale, carrots, beetroot, black nightshade, and beans. Her family eats better than ever, and she’s selling her surplus harvest to help pay school fees.

As her garden has grown, so has her vision. Janice is now teaching others in her community what she has learned, spreading the change.

“It was believed these hills couldn’t grow vegetables because of the heat and the rocks. But DIG changed that. This experience opened my eyes, something more is possible for me.”

She adds with quiet pride,

 “Ne ok wangeyo ni got alot nyalo chieke kaluore gi kite matie kendo gikaka oliet.” ~“I never knew a rocky hill could grow food if cared for with knowledge and effort.”



When aid stops, DIG gardens keep growing

What happens when foreign aid disappears? In Kenya, four hospitals that DIG partners with are seeing firsthand how devastating that answer can be: no more Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTFs), no more emergency lifelines. Families are being turned away with nothing. But these hospitals aren’t standing alone. Through DIG’s Priority Household Program, they’re finding a way forward, one rooted in locally grown solutions, not foreign aid.

Read More>