Shamba

food security · resilience · Nutrition

Doyle Farm is not just dwellings. It’s a working food farm. A Kenyan shamba.

Support our food farm Explore our shamba

From the very beginning, it was important for us that Doyle Farm was not only about nourishing childrens’ minds and healing journey, but that it was also a source of nutrition and resilience. Our focus has always been on sustainability and independence, and we are very proud of how far we’ve come in the decade since Doyle Farm became the home of Rafiki Mwema.

Our Farm Produce Manager Stephen and his team of six work across four acres of irrigated land and three greenhouses, growing traditional Kenyan staples alongside a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.

The farm feeds all houses at Doyle Farm, provides food to outreach families in extreme poverty, and sells excess produce at local markets.

The farm’s animals provide daily nutrition for all our children and staff, and create wonderful opportunities for the children to learn about care and responsibility.

Perth #RafikiGolfDay 2025

Cattle Barn Expansion

Thanks to the generosity of our incredible supporters, especially those who contributed through our 2025 Perth #RafikiGolfDay fundraiser, we were able to not only expand our existing barn but also renovate sections of the old structure to create a warm, secure space dedicated to our calves.

This project is so much more than a barn. It’s a step towards long-term food security, a more self-sustaining future, and better nutrition for the children we care for every day.

Perth #RafikiGolfDay 2024

Fish Farm

Thanks to the funds raised at the 3rd Annual #RafikiGolfDay in Perth we built a fish farm on the shamba. This means we now enjoy even higher levels of food security and can ensure our children have access to nutritious food, essential for their physical and emotional healing.

The sustainability of this project means we can rely less on outside resources and more on our own land, empowering us to care for our children for years to come. Fun fact: Did you know a juvenile fish is called a fingerling?

See the building process

Generous heroes

Greenhouses

In 2018 we got a grant from Association Femmes d’Europe to build a greenhouse for our farm and to purchase two dairy cows who we named Butter and Maisy. It meant we were able to produce enough crops to feed all of our houses, and enough milk from our cows.

In 2023 we got another grant and welcomed Femmes the Cow. And in 2025 an anonymous donor helped us repair our oldest greenhouse bringing the greenhouses on the farm to three.

Read an interview with Association Femmes d’Europe

Learning

Organic Kitchen Garden

In 2026 we started an organic kitchen garden at Rafiki Mwema. Agriculture is the backbone of life for many families in Kenya, and we want our children to grow up understanding the knowledge, patience and pride that comes from tending something and watching it grow.

Our incredible staff are right there beside them, mentoring and guiding them through each step. Some of the children have thrown themselves into it with full enthusiasm – others are still finding their feet. But every child is part of it.

Here’s to dirty hands, green shoots, patience, responsibility and the quiet pride of building something with your own two hands!

Help grow seeds and confidence

Our crops

What we grow

Kale

Beans

Potatoes

Tomatoes

Capsicum

Onion

Cabbage

Maize

Coriander

Carrots

Spinach

Sugarcane

Bananas

Pawpaw

Passionfruit

Sweet potato

Strawberries

Yam

Black Nightshade

Showcase

Meet some of our animals and marvel at our crops!

Agriculture and Farming are two sectors that drive the Kenyan economy. Most households depend on fresh produce from their farms and many people earn a living from farming. Most of the children who come to us, come from families who are dependent on subsistence farming. This means that they come to us with an idea or two about farming. They know how to dig holes in the ground, throw in seeds, cover them up and they always enjoy watering them.