Website Light Up Hope
The Vision and Mission It is our vision to find creative solutions to offer a continuum of emotional, spiritual, physical and educational care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), youths and their families in Kenya. Emotional and spiritual care includes mentorship, counseling, professional… read more guidance and life skills education. Physical support includes but is not limited to; family unification, kin care, provision of food and adult transitional support. Educational care includes sponsorship for primary, secondary, university and vocational education. The Beneficiaries We work closely with orphans, vulnerable children and youths, parents, guardians and community members who care for our population. It is our belief that simply because a childs life circumstances lead them to be born into poverty, doesnt mean that their story has to end there. It is paramount to our relationship that these children know hope for their futures. The Plan We believe in empowering local leadership in our organization. We acknowledge Kenyans know best the cultural, political and environmental background of their own country, and we believe they know the best solution to providing improvement in the lives of their children. We act in partnership with our Kenyan leadership to provide additional ideas, support and resources to refine Kenyan identified solutions to Kenyan identified problems. In partnership with our Kenyan leadership we work closely with guardians and community members to find loving community based solutions to poverty and care for OVCs. We collaborate to find solutions to keep OVCs in their community connected to their families and living in healthy and safe homes. This includes family unification efforts, provision of food, healthcare, educational and career development opportunities. Additionally, Light Up Hope is keenly aware that once an OVC reaches the age of 18 they continue to be in need of support to make the transition to adulthood without returning to a life of suffering. When an OVC turns 18, they are expected to leave the safety of the care environment they have known and join the Kenyan society. For some this means their education is finalized and they hope to enter the job market with little professional training. In most cases, these young adults do not have the skills, knowledge, resources, or training to do this with success. Our transitional program exists to provide the opportunity for these young adults to gain life skills, resources and university education so they can become contributing members of the Kenyan society and break the cycle of poverty into which they were born.
The Project Lead (Agronomist) will provide technical leadership and oversee the delivery of climate-smart agriculture interventions across schools and communities, ensuring high-quality implementation, adherence to agronomic standards, and effective resource utilization. The role involves coordinating field activities, supervising Project Assistants, and supporting the establishment and maintenance of school and community gardens using innovative and sustainable practices. The incumbent will also drive capacity building for teachers, students, and community groups—particularly women and vulnerable populations—while strengthening stakeholder engagement and promoting household-level adoption of best practices. (Based out of Kajiado County)
Project Implementation
Lead the planning, scheduling, and coordination of all project activities across implementation sites in collaboration with the Program Lead.
Supervise and provide day-to-day guidance to Project Assistants, ensuring quality and consistency in field implementation.
Oversee establishment and maintenance of kitchen gardens, including vertical gardens, deep tillage, and crop production systems in schools and community groups.
Ensure compliance with technical standards and protocols related to soil preparation, planting, pest management, irrigation, and crop care.
Coordinate resource allocation and utilization (tools, inputs, seedlings, manure, feeds, medication, etc.) across project sites to ensure efficiency and accountability.
Serve as the primary liaison between the program and key stakeholders, including school leadership, teachers, 4K Club patrons, and local authorities.
Provide technical backstopping and resolve implementation challenges escalated by Project Assistants and stakeholders.
Supervision and Capacity Building
Directly supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of Project Assistants to enhance performance and technical delivery.
Design and coordinate training programs for teachers, 4K Club members, and community groups on climate-smart agriculture and sustainable garden management.
Support knowledge transfer and promote adoption of best practices at school and household levels.
Facilitate linkages with agricultural extension officers and technical experts to strengthen program delivery.
Community Engagement
Lead community mobilization strategies to ensure inclusive and meaningful participation, with a strong focus on women and vulnerable groups.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with community leaders, local institutions, and partner organizations.
Promote replication of project interventions at the household level to enhance sustainability and impact.
Oversee the delivery of community trainings on agribusiness and sustainable agriculture practices.
Monitoring, Reporting, and Quality Assurance
Monitor adherence to implementation plans, including garden maintenance schedules, water conservation practices, and harvest utilization.
Oversee data collection processes across project sites to ensure accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
Review and validate field data on poultry production, kitchen gardens, tree planting, deep tillage, and household-level adoption.
Consolidate inputs from Project Assistants into high-quality quarterly and ad hoc reports.
Track performance indicators, including participation of women-led initiatives, and recommend data-driven improvements.
Ensure consistent documentation, including photographic evidence and field updates.
Identify best practices, lessons learned, and innovations to inform program scale-up and replication.
Contribute to the development of technical guidelines and standard operating procedures.
Accountability and code of conduct
Adhering to the organization’s code of conduct
Supporting and promoting the standards outlined in the code of conduct
Promote meaningful community engagement and consultations
Promote child safeguarding and child protection principles at all times
Education, Qualifications, Skills & Experience Required
Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Community Development, Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, or related field.
At least three years of experience in a related field with progressively responsible experience in similar roles.
Experience working with rural communities, especially women and youth is highly desirable.
Knowledge of sustainable agriculture practices such as kitchen gardening, deep tillage, and agroforestry is desirable.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Ability to ride a motorcycle and possession of a valid license is an added advantage.
Comfortable utilizing different data collection and reporting systems e.g. Kobo, ODK, Google Forms, Excel/Sheets, etc
Ability to work independently and in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
Willingness to travel frequently between schools and work in diverse, field-based environments.
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