In the lush hills of Vihiga County, retirement is taking a new meaning in post-employment life for the likes of 81-year-old Mama Erika Imbwaga.

After decades in the medical field, friends and relatives assumed Imbwaga would follow the beaten path: settle into a quiet, idle life. But Mama Erika had other plans: she swapped hospital corridors for greenhouses and today she is one of the county’s most admired capsicum farmers.

“When I retired, I told myself I wasn’t going to just sit around and wait for help,” Imbwaga says, as she strolls around her farm. “I wanted to remain active, earn my own money and keep my mind and body engaged.”

Her turning point came when she visited farmers in Trans Nzoia and Kiambu. What she saw there – flourishing greenhouses and thriving agribusiness stirred her mind into thinking of investing in agriculture.

Over the years, her curiosity has made her an innovator. Instead of buying expensive fertilisers, she makes her own compost manure.

“Why throw away waste when it can feed the soil?” she rhetorically asks. “On this farm, nothing goes to waste.”

She has also built her own small seedbank to cut costs. “A packet of seeds can be very expensive, sometimes seven thousand shillings for just a little. So, I started saving my own. That way, I’m not always at the mercy of the market.”

What began as a retirement project has blossomed into something bigger than herself. Her farm now supports workers from the community and doubles up as a learning centre for visiting students.

Walking through her greenhouses is like stepping into a rainbow. Rows of capsicum glow in green, red, yellow, purple and white. “These colours brighten my day,” she says with a wide smile. “And when people buy them, I know I’m also putting healthy food on their table.”

Of course, the journey hasn’t been easy. Pests, diseases and market prices are constant battles. But Mama Erika has learned to face challenges head-on.

“Farming will test your patience,” she admits. “But when you love what you do, you find a way. Every time something goes wrong, I tell myself: there’s always another season.”

For Mama Erika, farming is more than business – it is purpose. “I wake up every morning excited,” she says. “Instead of waiting for the day to end, I’m busy, I’m happy and I feel useful.”

 Her story is a gentle reminder that life after work doesn’t have to be cruel, dull or dependent. “Retirement is not the end,” she says with a knowing smile. “It’s just the beginning of another chapter. If you find something you love, like I did with farming, then old truly becomes gold.”

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Sylvester Muhadi