Rooting our Health and Wealth Program (RHWP)

A Program of Magisstar Centre of Influence utilizing MINVASET Agro Strategy in the Lower Igembe region, Meru County, Kenya.

The rural people of the lower Igembe region in Meru County, Kenya, just like the other about 3 billion people living in the rural areas worldwide, and those living in areas of perceived 'low agricultural potential' face three major challenges: Poverty and its 'relatives', food scarcity, and idleness.

Also noteworthy, ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) cover approximately 40% of the world’s land area, and support about 2 billion people, 90% of whom live in developing countries. In Kenya, the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL), occupy over 80% of the country’s land mass. It is home to about 36% of the population (about 18 million people). Poverty, hunger, insecurity and other social evils are rampart in these areas.

The Hope
While we cannot change the climatic conditions of these areas or easily reverse the impacts of climate change, we can innovatively align agricultural production to the prevailing social and climatic conditions. Then add value to the agricultural produce, using suitable natural technologies that transform low value crops to high value commercially appealing products. This strategy will not only improve the food and nutritional security of the paticipating region but will also create employment and spur economic growth on other sectors of the economy.


It is for this very reason that Magisstar Centre of Influence has proposed a program, Rooting our Health amd Wealth Program (RHWP), that is designed to facilitate people of the lower Igembe region in Meru County, Kenya, to work their way out of poverty, food scarcity and idleness.
The program utilizes an innovative agro strategy known as MINVASET - Minimum Input and Natural Value added Agriculture for Socio-economic Transformation.
It largely and sustainably utilizes the locally available natural resources in the area; of particular interest in the lower Igembe region being land, energy of the sun and the readily available labour.

1. Identify strategic crops that naturally do well in a particular region without requiring much inputs.
2. Facilitate farmers to grow the crops.
3. Add value to the crops through cost effective natural processing methods that preserve their nutrients, increase their shelf life, their marketability and market value
4. Market / sell the products to all relevant market segments including the well to do members of the society
5. This results in money trickling down to the rurals and availability of natural, nutritious and delicious value added products

1. The overall result for this program will be availability of nutritious food and economic empowerment to the region.
2. The availability of natural nutritious food will improve people's health, which coupled with increasedy incomes will spur economic growth on other sectors of the economy. Thus the program name "Rooting our Health and Wealth"

Magisstar Centre of Influence, through The Agreplus Program, is working with the farmers in Igembe region, Meru County, to grow cassava, orange fleshed sweet potatoes and grain amaranth - crops that naturally do well in that ecological zone. Then add value to the crops using natural processing methods, package and sell the value added product with the brand name Afhea Rooted . The program will make money for the farmers, avail nutritious food products and provide job opportunities to the locals.

The natural blended flour, Afhea Rooted , will enable people to enjoy the cholesterol free calorie rich cassava, the beta-carotene rich orange fleshed sweet potatoes and the gluten free superior protein of grain amaranth, all in one delicious pack! The project is underway. A research and training farm has already been set up with the three crops growing on it. Building and installation of necessary structures and facilities are ongoing.