Reginald Omulo, a farmer in Migori County, Kenya, noticed that the tobacco farming his community practiced was affecting families’ health and well-being.

“There are many diseases associated with tobacco farming that affect the environment and people,” he said. “There were sudden deaths.”

Worse yet, he saw that children who lost parents to the dangers of tobacco farming often continued in that line of work, only to end up suffering poor outcomes.

So Reginald and other farmers switched to a healthier alternative, planting beans instead. The iron-rich food source keeps them safe from the harmful effects of tobacco farming and is better for the soil.

And children who were once tied up in labour-intensive tobacco farming are now in school.

“When we stopped tobacco farming in this region, we saw development in children. The rate of students joining secondary schools has gone up,” he says. “Even the death rate is on the low.”

Reginald now urges all those still planting tobacco to consider the benefits to their well-being afforded by safer crops like beans.

“With very little input from farming labour, we might make a lot of profit,” he enthuses.

With many thanks to Reginald for sharing his story.