Esther Nzau

I work at the intersection of data, monitoring and evaluation, and programme coordination within food and agriculture development. . My work brings together farmers, government agencies, financial institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders to translate programme strategies into practical action.

Growing up, farming is what put food on our table. As a farmer’s child and through my experience working with farming communities in Eastern Kenya, I have seen how hardworking farmers can still struggle to turn agriculture into a sustainable livelihood. Many have the knowledge, land, and determination to produce, yet limited access to affordable finance, reliable markets, quality inputs, water, and timely information often prevents them from investing in their farms, increasing productivity, or growing their businesses. Seeing these challenges firsthand shaped my interest in agriculture and made me want to understand what could be done beyond the farm level to create better opportunities for farmers. After earning my Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, I became particularly interested in working with organisations that support farmers to overcome some of these barriers, especially access to finance and other essential services. Working directly with farmers and agricultural programmes helped me understand that the challenges farmers face are deeply interconnected and cannot be solved through technical agricultural solutions alone. Building sustainable livelihoods also requires access to finance and markets, strong partnerships, effective programme coordination, supportive institutions, and decisions informed by reliable data. This realization led me to broaden my skills in monitoring and evaluation, data analytics, and programme management. Today, I bring these experiences together in my work in agrifood systems, coordinating programmes and partnerships that connect farmers to the resources, opportunities, and support they need to build more productive, resilient, and sustainable livelihoods.