Education and elbow grease help create food security with Greenmade Kenya Garden Project

David Oseko, founder of Greenmade Kenya, demonstrates sustainable gardening tactics in the Maasai Mara.

We at the Uplift Travel Foundation are proud to stand alongside community leaders and activists working to address the locally identified needs of rural Kenya, and we’re humbled by the good works we have become part of through involvement with local visionaries in our key areas of impact.

Among them:

Featured Partner: David Oseko, Greenmade Kenya

We met David Oseko through existing partnerships with schools in rural Kenya, where he is also a teacher. His love for his students and the welfare of the people of Kenya is perhaps matched only by his passion for the project he founded: Greenmade Kenya.

The focus of this project is restoration and revitalization of Kenya’s garden and permaculture landscapes, to create more green space through planting of trees and gardens. Uplift is partnering with David to create a pilot sustainable garden with elephant-proof solar fence, which will provide food and economic development to the Kileleoni Cultural Village for abused women and widows and their onsite primary school.

To learn more about the project, read the Q&A with David below and remember! Donations of even $10 help provide materials and seeds to support local gardening projects. If you’d like to donate, visit UpliftTravel.org/Donate.

In Their Own Words: Q&A with David Oseko

Uplift volunteers joined in planting shade trees and medicinal plants at Kileleoni Mara Gateway Lodge in 2025.

How did you identify the garden project as both a need and as the one you personally want to address?

I saw that many students and families in our communities struggle with food shortages, and schools lacked practical ways to teach agriculture. As a teacher and conservation advocate, I felt a personal calling to start gardens so we could grow food, build skills and empower young people to care for the environment.

What's different or unique about gardening in rural Kenya, and what impact does a garden have on a village?

In rural Kenya water is limited, tools are few and most families depend on small-scale farming for survival. A garden can change a village by improving nutrition, reducing food costs, teaching new skills and bringing people together to work and learn.

How does Greenmade Kenya address the unique challenges and goals mentioned above?

We teach low-cost, sustainable methods — such as vertical gardening, basic composting and water-saving techniques — so people can grow food even with limited resources. By involving students and community members, the project builds knowledge, confidence and long-term food security for the people who need it most.

What is the value of partners like the Uplift Travel Foundation?

All partnerships provide support, visibility and encouragement we could not achieve alone. Uplift helps us reach even more schools and villages, and provides access to materials and inspiration for communities across rural Kenya by showing others’ belief in our mission.

What can Uplift team members and visitors to Kenya do to help?

Visitors help by planting trees, assisting in garden setup, sharing their skills or knowledge and providing simple tools like gloves, watering cans and seeds. Spending time with students and others in the village — teaching, encouraging and learning from them — makes a significant impact.

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