Growing up in Vihiga County in western Kenya, Maxmillah Malongo experienced first-hand the challenges of smallholder farming. Choosing a university course was easy, and she applied to study Agricultural Education and Extension at Egerton University. Today, she is the County Assistant Director of Agriculture for Homa Bay County, where she is well-placed to advocate for gender equality in the county’s agriculture sector. Maxmillah’s area of focus is on agricultural policy relating to the intensification and commercialization of small-scale production. She also hopes to develop her public speaking and negotiation skills during the program, as doing so would ultimately make her advocacy for gender equality in policy more effective.