Even from afar , it ’s easy to spot Florence Malemba . She ’s weary a lily-white lab coat mark " Plant Doctor " , and a banner hangs behind where she ’s organizing her equipment , quick to help her farmer - affected role of the day . Florence is set up up her plant clinic in Njoro , an agricultural township southwest of Nakuru City , Kenya .
Florence is a train plant doctor with ten age of experience diagnosing plant wellness issues in Nakuru County . An reference officer by training , her passion for helping farmers motivate her .
Florence started a YouTube TV channel , Plant Health Clinic , and has since uploaded eight videos . The kinship with her James Leonard Farmer is patent , and she use Kiswahili , the most usual language in the sphere . She call for Farmer to her plant clinic via SMS , and since October 2024 , Florence has service about 100 the great unwashed at her plant clinics .
" I have printed my own standard , branded a blanched dust coat and a lens to facilitate my plant clinic . This makes my farmers rely me and recommend others who are scramble with plant health subject . "
How plant clinic worksPlant clinic wreak the same as clinics for human wellness , but rather of explain to the Dr. how one feels and get the tests done , a farmer presents sick / septic sampling crop parts . The works doctor then expend the knowledge gain from their training , experience , and digital support tools , such as the PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank , to name the job and make recommendations on pull off it in the safe , most effective , and monetary value - friendly manner .
CABI ’s suite of digital tools enable Florence and other plant doctors to get at diverse resources online to hold up accurate diagnosing of craw pests and disease . " I can always access precise information from anywhere , in a few clicks , thanks to the PlantwisePlus Factsheet Library , which , once downloaded , works offline .
Using online resourcefulness for skills developmentFlorence is also taking advantage of the free CABI Academy class , which are helping beef up her plant doctor accomplishment . " The courses are very practical , and I have gained a slew of knowledge about pest and diseases . I want to keep improving , and the learning modules on the academy offers me that luxury , for free . I will also encourage the farmers with smartphones to start taking some of the course that are of interest to them . "
Plant doctor refresher breeding reignited her passion"In October 2024 , CABI visit and re - trained a group of works doctor in Nakuru . I feel it was clip to act and have a plant clinic every week to support husbandman needs . I used my personal savings to acquire a lens and impress my streamer . deliberate the climate alteration issue that is affecting Nakuru county , there are a lot of pests and diseases on major crop grown within the county . "
Firenze sustain a industrial plant clinic every Wednesday . " I have since been in different schools and churches and at our office compound in Njoro town . The plant life clinic is loose to the farmers , and these places are public , close and approachable to them , " She adds .
realization and accompaniment from the county government . Florence ’s efforts have n’t gone unnoticed . She has received support from the Department of Agriculture in Nakuru County . Nakuru County Governor Susan Kihika post on Facebook that Florence is playing a part in ensuring food security measures , ameliorate nutrition , and strengthening the local solid food grocery .
Nakuru ’s Crop Protection Officer , Ms Hannah Oduor , utter highly of Florence . " She carries out her plant life clinic with a lot of professionalism , and her passion and love life for farmers ' welfare is unmatched . Through her vlog , she is taking the plant clinic in her ward to the next level by making it accessible to untested granger . We are so glad that Florence is embracing technology and foundation in agriculture . "
Plant Dr. YouTube channelOne of the biggest challenge cited by industrial plant doctors during the refresher training is traveling and transportation of materials . construe this as an chance , Florence decided to film the clinic and partake her plant doctor experience online , wreak the knowledge directly to those who need it . " I have always seen myself as a content creator . I decided to showcase the industrial plant clinic experience online to reach more farmers who may be seek works doc services outside my locality . "
" The Farmer who come to the clinic are mainly adults , but I bang I will reach younger the great unwashed through my vlog . I hope trail plant MD from unlike region will get the motivation to revamp their plant clinic , too . I will use this political program to make a biotic community where masses can share and solve plant wellness issues online . "
What does 2025 hold for this flora doctor?“I plan to attend to more farmer in 2025 . My fair game is to attend at least five hundred farmers on the physical industrial plant clinics , document the experience and get over ten thousand view on my YouTube channel . If I achieve this , I will be an expert plant doctor and can now aid the fresh trained works doctors hone their skill . I hope to be able-bodied to document my plant clinic , create a community of interests and inhale other female plant doctors to step up and wait on farmer around them . " , Florence says .
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