Pastoralist Capacity Building

Empowering Women & Youth in Pastoralist Livestock Value Chains

Inclusivity is one of ETB's five core values — defined explicitly as supporting smallholder farmers, women and youth in agriculture. Our training programme is the operational expression of that commitment, not a side initiative.

ETB training session with pastoralist women and youth at Osiligi Farm
Video

Livestock Production, Feed, Genetics, Animal Disease Control and Traceability

A short overview of the core topics covered in ETB's pastoralist capacity building programme.

Osiligi Farm

The demonstration and production farm as a practical classroom

Osiligi Farm is ETB's operational base, demonstration ground and hands-on training site. Climate-smart fodder systems, feed storage, water conservation and improved breeding are first developed and proven here, then transferred directly to surrounding pastoralist communities through structured cohorts. Applied research and real-world delivery happen side by side on the same land.

Women Lead Trainer

A dedicated Women Lead Trainer role anchors gender-focused programme design — ensuring women participants learn from a peer with the authority and lived experience to lead them.

Cohort-based delivery

Structured cohorts under ETB's own "Livestock Farming for Profit" programme — not one-off workshops — delivered by a multidisciplinary technical team of agronomists, animal scientists and engineers.

Take-home assets

Training is paired with tangible take-home assets — including Juncao fodder cuttings distributed to participants — so learning converts directly into productive on-farm capacity.

Built-in follow-up

Continuation sessions on livestock finishing, marketing and fodder types reinforce the initial cohort, closing the loop from training to income.

Fodder Curriculum

Four fodder categories trainees master on-farm

Training is organised around the four nutritional functions of climate-resilient fodder — so participants can plan a balanced ration and know which species to plant, preserve and feed through dry seasons.

Protein banks

Lucerne, Desmodium and sweet potato vines — nitrogen-fixing and high in crude protein — critical for liveweight gain in the feedlot and improved milk yield in breeding stock.

Energy fodders

Maize and Sudan grass provide the carbohydrate density needed to accelerate fattening cycles and sustain body condition through the dry season.

Roughage & bulk fibre

Napier grass varieties (Red Australian Napier, Super Napier), Rhodes grass and Juncao grass form the fibrous base of the ration and deliver drought-tolerant biomass for large-scale storage.

Browse & agroforestry fodder

Fodder trees integrated into the farm's land-use system supply supplementary protein and fibre while reinforcing soil and water conservation.

Community training cohort at Osiligi Farm
Reach to date

100 women and youth trained — and counting

Participants are drawn from Ildamat, Purko and Matapato wards in Kajiado Central Sub-County. Each cohort receives the same rigorous, hands-on programme and leaves with take-home Juncao cuttings that convert directly into on-farm production.

100
Women & youth trained to date
3
Wards reached — Ildamat, Purko, Matapato
15
Pastoralist counties in replication ambition
Take-Home Capacity

Juncao cuttings turn a training into a farm

Every participant leaves with planting material for high-yield, drought-resilient Juncao grass. Combined with follow-up sessions on livestock finishing, marketing and fodder selection, this closes the loop from classroom to income — pushing pastoralist practice from reactive drought response to proactive feed and water management.

Juncao grass cuttings distributed to training participants
On-farm demonstration during community training
Replication Ambition

Scaling the Osiligi model across 15 pastoralist counties

ETB aims to replicate this training model across all 15 pastoralist counties in Kenya — reducing livestock mortality, strengthening feed security and building climate resilience, with women and youth as named beneficiary groups within that ambition.

Available for Purchase at the Farm

Juncao cuttings
Quality planting material
KES 15
per cutting
Silage
Professionally made and packaged
KES 1,800
per 60kg bag
TMR
Total Mixed Ration
Priced on
request

Breeding Stock & Genetic Improvement Services

Breeding Rams

South Africa and Namibia origin — proven sires selected for pastoralist adaptability and improved offspring performance.

Priced on request
Artificial Insemination (AI)

Assured pregnancy service using elite genetics — de-risking herd upgrading for smallholder and commercial producers alike.

Payment due after confirmed pregnancy
Breeding Bulls

Fleckvieh, Brahman, Boran, Simmental, Sahiwal and Girolando bulls — dual-purpose and beef genetics matched to Kenyan rangeland conditions.

Priced on request

Bring this training to your community.

We partner with counties, cooperatives and NGOs to run cohort-based training for women and youth in pastoralist livestock value chains.

Osiligi Farm, Oloosuyian Road, Kajiado · +254 733 979 794 · kenyatopbreeders@gmail.com