From Learners to Leaders: How Nguuni Sparks Career Pathways

Nguuni Nature Sanctuary is best known as an education site and conservation space, but it’s also a driver of local livelihoods. From full-time health workers to youth facilitators, community farmers to visiting educators, the sanctuary’s operations support a growing network of jobs that are grounded in environmental care, community education, and sustainability. In a region where formal employment opportunities are limited (rural and peri-urban areas), Nguuni plays a quiet but significant role in addressing that gap.

From Demonstration to Employment

Haller’s Demonstration Farm and Nature Sanctuary have long served as training hubs for smallholder farmers. Over the past two years, local community groups such as Tupendane, Jitegemee, and Nuru Dzanikeni have received hands-on instruction in climate-smart agriculture, composting, and water conservation techniques. Many of these farmers have gone on to establish their own productive gardens or become peer trainers in their neighbourhoods.

At least 405 smallholders (82% of them women) received formal agricultural training in the most recent project year, with additional follow-up sessions in the field to help convert knowledge into sustainable practice.

“We appreciate the knowledge passed on to us... we are happy that we have started to see the positive results.”

— Community participant

The ripple effect of this knowledge-sharing has led to income generation from surplus produce, greater food security at the household level, and in some cases, new community roles as garden leaders, health educators, or micro-entrepreneurs.

A Growing Education and Facilitation Team

Nguuni’s staffing has also expanded in recent years.Through the need to meet demands for school and youth visits, Haller Kenya has engaged a dedicated education team, including a resident nurse and trained facilitators, many of whom are from the surrounding communities.

In addition to permanent team members, Nguuni regularly hosts local and international volunteers who contribute to farm management, education delivery, and conservation programming. These placements build capacity on-site but also help transfer skills and best practices across borders.

Inspiring Future Careers

Nguuni doesn’t just provide employment, it inspires it. Young students who visit the sanctuary on school trips are often introduced to career paths they might not have previously imagined: conservationist, agronomist, health worker, or science educator.

In one notable programme, students were introduced to the basics of farming through small-scale, school-based kitchen gardens. Supported by Haller facilitators, these gardens often became springboards for further school-based environmental clubs or personal home gardens, a valuable start in both climate awareness and economic independence. The impact of these visits is not only educational, it also plants the seeds for long-term ambition and agency.

Scaling Potential

As Nguuni’s education and conservation programming continues to grow, so does its potential to create more employment and training opportunities. Haller’s strategic goal is to partner with like-minded organisations across Kenya and beyond, replicating the Nguuni model and supporting new jobs in environmental stewardship and education.

For donors, employers, and educational institutions alike, Nguuni offers a real-world example of how nature-based initiatives can create meaningful, measurable livelihoods, not just through employment, but through aspiration.