Relatives who tried to stop Ritkatmun Bwemana from becoming a farmer now send her photographs of their farms, asking for advice. She remembers when they thought she needed some.
Her grades were good enough to pursue a career in medicine. Why waste them on agriculture? Some called her father, hoping he could intervene. But Bwemana had wanted to farm since she was 11. Her parents backed her.
I meet her and Theophilus Maimako, her Green Eden co-founder, in the lobby of the Somerset Westview Hotel in Nairobi on July 26. It is 9 am, after breakfast. We have 30 minutes before I drive them to Hello Tractor, the agricultural technology company that connects farmers with tractor services, for a conversation with its founders.
A mutual friend introduced them. Maimako remembers the recommendation: a first-class graduate, an agronomist, an asset. She supplies the technical grounding; he has a gift for making connections. They have a history together and agree on much. Then we get to God.
Originally published by TechCabal.