Rooted in Purpose: How Mary Found Stability and Strength Through Tending Seedlings

When you walk into the Ndumboini Tree Nursery in Kiambu County, you’ll likely find Mary Muthoni Kamande at the center of it all—assigning tasks, inspecting seedbeds, speaking gently with her team. Calm, focused, and unshakably committed, Mary is more than a nursery manager, she’s a living testament to the mission of Furaha and Baraka Farms: growing trees, growing people, growing hope.

Mary joined the team in 2021, at a time when she needed stability. “COVID-19 had left me jobless. I’d been moving around a lot—landscaping in Ruiru, planting flowers at homes in Tatu City—just trying to stay afloat,” she shares. A former supervisor at Coopers Limited referred her to Furaha and Baraka Farms, and it changed everything.

Leadership Rooted in Experience
Today, Mary leads a team of nine on a daily basis and a little over 30 casual staff when she has a heavy workload like potting. She oversees all nursery operations—from sowing and watering to pruning, packaging, and logistics. She also coordinates transport, processes client orders, and handles sales and customer care. “Here, no one micromanages you,” she says. “You learn to take initiative, plan your work, and support your team.”

But beyond her role, Mary brings empathy and wisdom to her work. “I used to get frustrated easily,” she admits. “Now, I’ve learned to lead with patience. I walk with my team when they fall short. Leadership is about understanding, not control.”

A Job That Changed Her Life
For Mary, working at Furaha and Baraka Farms has brought more than a paycheck. As a single mother of three children—aged 17, 7, and 7 months—she treasures the stability her role provides. “Before, I’d leave my kids with my mum for weeks at a time while I chased jobs,” she says. “Now, I get to live with them, watch them grow, and support their education—including one who’s in a private school.”
Her income allows her to meet her children’s daily needs, pay school fees, and build a consistent life—a rarity for many working mothers in the agricultural space.

A Voice for Change
Mary has become a well of knowledge on tree species, soil types, and vendor sourcing. But she also speaks passionately about environmental stewardship.
“Kenyans must plant trees—and not just plant, but nurture them,” she urges. “At least nine a year: three indigenous, three exotic, and three fruit trees. That’s how we protect our future.”

Her Hopes for Tomorrow
Mary dreams of making the Ndumboini nursery self-sufficient and the leading nursery within the Furaha and Baraka network. And her deepest wish? That her children will become changemakers. “Whatever their hands find to do, I hope they do it with love and passion,” she says. “And that they never look down on honest work.”

To clients and partners, she shares her heartfelt thanks:
“You are wonderful people doing a wonderful job. Let’s keep going.”

Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from the heart of our work—where every seedling tells a story, and every team member makes it grow.

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