Engineer Quits High-End Job To Serve Community 

Ndolo Ma
Kavita Ndolo, the man behind the transformed Misoni Village in Machakos County.
File

The pleasant scenery which has become an attraction site and source of income for hundreds of residents in Misoni, Machakos County, was not the same over three years ago. 

A 29-year-old graduate of Engineering from the University of Nairobi has transformed the village with his engineering skills from the days when he was at the university.

Kavita Ndolo quit his well-paying job three years ago with an aim of giving back to the society, an action he says he will never regret. 

Kathani
A section of the Dam that Ndolo and other residents constructed along River Kathani

"Growing up there was a lot of problems accessing water especially during the dry season. We could go for about four to five months without water," Ndolo said. 

The young man led his community in joining forces to construct a dam in River Kathani using a project idea he had developed while studying at the university. 

Ndolo worked with support from other people to complete the construction of the dam.

Two years after completing the project, farming in Misoni has taken shape in a village that had completely lost hope on farming as a source of income. 

Ndolo is currently focusing on mixed farming from where he says he earns much better than what he used to earn as a full-time engineer. 

The youths are now using the over 3-kilometer dam to swim while other residents sell fresh farm produce which has enabled them to even take their children to school.  

"We have enough water now. We can farm anything that we want thanks to Ndolo," said one of the beneficiaries of the project.

Ndolo and other residents sometimes ferry visitors across the river where they charge as little as Ksh150 for the service.

The locals are asking the county and national government to boost their farming venture by advising them on the most profitable farming activities.

Ndolo has only one message for the youths, that they take time to pursue what they want, and it doesn't have to be formal employment.

"I would advise people who are unemployed not to shy away from picking ideas that people are looking down upon.

@When I told people I was quitting engineering, they didn't understand why I was doing that, but I did it nonetheless," he said. 

Misoni
Ariel view of Misoni village in Machakos County where farmers are now doing farming as the main source of income
File