Who We Are

PACE — Progressive Action for Community Empowerment — is a youth-led organization founded in December 2024 in Thika. Our diverse group of young people comes from different fields, united by one common goal: to bridge the gap between youth and agriculture while empowering communities to grow sustainably.

We believe in the TOP principle:

• Tap your potential

• Open solutions to transform problems

• Promote peace through collaboration and technology

Through innovation, teamwork, and creativity, PACE turns challenges into opportunities — proving that when youth are empowered, communities thrive.

Our Vision

Urban communities empowered to sustainably grow their own organic food, ensuring household food security, improved nutrition, and long-term resilience.

Our Mission

To empower urban households with limited space to produce organic food through vertical farming, skills training, and community support, while creating opportunities for surplus income and youth economic empowerment.

The Problem We Address

Rapid urbanization in Thika has created several challenges:

• Limited access to land for farming

• Poor nutrition and rising food costs

• Unemployment among youth

• Disconnection between young people and agriculture

• Limited control over what households eat

These issues contribute to food insecurity and restrict opportunities for youth. PACE exists to turn these challenges into solutions.

Our Approach

PACE combines youth mobilization, urban farming, and skills development in a holistic ecosystem:

1. Mobilizing Youth Through Sport
   Football and other sporting activities serve as unifying platforms to bring youth together. This helps us understand their talents, skills, and aspirations.

2. Skill Mapping & Integration
   We assess youth resources and abilities to determine how they can contribute to the urban farming ecosystem, from gardening and composting to marketing and digital skills.

3. Urban Farming & Sustainability
   We implement vertical gardens, composting systems, water recycling, and organic farming practices in small urban spaces — turning previously underutilized areas into productive ecosystems.

4. Financial Empowerment
   Through table banking and community savings groups, youth gain access to capital to start small agribusinesses and reinvest in their urban farms.

5. Digital Upskilling
   We train youth in modern agricultural technology, social media marketing, record-keeping, and online sales, bridging the gap between traditional farming and the digital economy.

Our Values

• Innovation: We embrace new approaches and technologies in urban farming.

• Sustainability: We promote eco-friendly practices that protect the environment.

• Collaboration: We work together with youth, households, schools, and community stakeholders.

• Empowerment: We provide tools, knowledge, and opportunities that unlock potential.

• Integrity: We operate transparently and responsibly in all projects.

Our Impact

Since our founding, PACE has:

• Mobilized youth in football and community activities to connect them with agriculture

• Established demonstration gardens and vertical farms in urban homes and institutions

• Trained youth in organic farming, composting, and urban agribusiness

• Introduced financial literacy and table banking programs to support youth entrepreneurship

• Integrated digital skills to modernize urban farming and market access

Join Us

PACE is more than a project — it’s a movement. We invite:

• Youth to participate, learn, and grow

• Households to start their own urban farms

• Partners and donors to support our programs and scale impact

Together, we can transform urban spaces, empower youth, and create sustainable communities.