Nora Ndege credits her mother for sparking her interest in agriculture. “I learned farming skills from my mother, but then, I didn’t really like agriculture,” says the young scientist who spent part of her childhood in Kenya’s Kisii and Nakuru counties. “Whenever I wanted to speak to my mother, I would have to look for her in the fields, where she grows finger millet and maize.” Her mother, who would work on other people’s farms to get additional income to pay school fees, is still farming and earning a living from her produce. She sends food from her farm to all five of her children whose families live in Nairobi. “In a small way, she ensures household food security for all of us,” says Ndege. “And this can be transferred to a nation.