Stories and Testimonials
What vetiver has done, in the words of the people who use it
Data shows the Vetiver System works; your story shows why it matters. When decision-makers hear, in your own words, how vetiver kept soil on your farm, protected your home or improved your livelihood, they connect, trust and act. Your story helps bring support to more people and communities like yours.
- A young Vetiver Warrior, India
- Charles Mlambo, Kenya
- Caleb Omolo, Kenya
- Piet Sabbe, Ecuador
- A gardener in Belize
- How to tell your story
A young Vetiver Warrior, India
For Teachers’ Day in India, on September 5, 2026, a young Vetiver Warrior sent TVNI this poster as a tribute to the network’s founder. It shows how vetiver can capture the imagination of the next generation, as well as farmers and engineers.
“From a curious boy to a Vetiver Warrior… Your teachings have planted a seed in my heart. I promise to grow it, protect it, and gift it to the Earth.”
One plant, many miracles: preventing soil erosion, purifying water, fighting climate change and supporting farmers’ livelihoods.
Charles Mlambo, Tala, Kenya
Charles farms at Tala in Machakos County, where annual rainfall is about 800 mm. His contour hedges were designed and planted in about 2020 under the supervision of Christian Makokha.
“Over time, five to six years, it is very easy to see how vetiver has changed the slopes by holding soil and reducing rainwater runoff. My land was full of stones, but now it has regenerated its topsoil. I also cut the vetiver and use it as mulch for my crops. This has increased organic matter and the water-holding capacity on my farm. I believe the widespread use of vetiver could be transformative for Kenyan agriculture. I welcome anyone who would like to learn about vetiver to visit my farm.”
Charles has offered his farm as a demonstration center and has encouraged many neighboring farmers to plant vetiver.
Caleb Omolo, western Kenya
Caleb rehabilitated badly eroded land on his father’s farm, then used vetiver as the starting point for a food forest. The improved groundwater recharge now keeps his fish ponds full through droughts.
“My father’s land, at the bottom of Kisi mountain, was losing a lot of soil during the rainy season, so in 2008 I sought the advice of Elise Pinners. She brought 1,000 vetiver slips. I used these to make a nursery, bulked them up and used most of them to control the erosion. In 2012 I started my food forest and planted vetiver between the coffee in four rows. I used the leaf cuttings as mulch to build the topsoil, and that was when I noticed the termites. At first I thought they would attack my coffee, but instead they ate all the vetiver mulch, turning it into very good soil. I kept adding mulch and the soil kept improving. My free-range chickens enjoy the termites, and in the rainy season I harvest a lot of mushrooms.”
“Shade affects vetiver when the tall trees grow up. I lost the three middle rows in my food forest; the top and bottom rows still survive because they get the morning and evening sun.”
Piet Sabbe, Ecuador
Piet has used and promoted vetiver for soil and water conservation since 1997, and is now TVNI’s national coordinator for Ecuador.
“To have a good showcase for vetiver, I created vetiver-induced terracing on my farm, combining citrus trees and pineapples with vetiver hedges 6 to 7 meters apart. Within a couple of years the effect was clearly visible and measurable: runoff had stopped and the amount of organic matter had increased from 0% to 3%. The citrus trees produced abundant tangelos and lemons. I also planted a couple of hectares of pure vetiver for production and business.”
Piet has found it hard to interest some small farmers in vetiver, but has recently had good success with farmers who practice permaculture and agroecology.
A gardener in Belize
This gardener replaced raised beds with rows of vetiver and vetiver mulch, and reported the results to TVNI.
“Since 1997 I had used raised beds. They took a lot of time and labor to build. In the dry season they dried out rock hard, and when the rains began they were quickly covered in weeds that were hard to get rid of. Now I have switched to a vetiver mulch system on level ground, with little or no digging. The rows of vetiver are about 2.8 meters apart, and the area between them is covered with vetiver mulch, which will break down into rich organic matter. The soil between the rows is already improving in drainage, moisture-holding, weed suppression and fertility, and the rows work as a windbreak against the hot, drying winds of the dry season. I have tried all sorts of gardening techniques, but this is the only one that shows clear evidence of continuous improvement.”
The gardener cuts the mature plants close to the base for mulch, then feeds the regrowth, turning a little inexpensive fertilizer into high-quality organic matter.
How to tell your story
We want short, simple stories with photos and, if possible, a short video. Think of your story in three parts: before vetiver, what you did, and after vetiver.
Before vetiver
Who you are and where you are (village, district, state, country). What problems you faced: erosion, flooding, poor soil, polluted water.
What you did
How you learned about vetiver, who was involved, and how you planted and looked after it.
After vetiver
What has changed, with numbers if you have them (yields, soil loss, income). One or two short quotes from you, your family or community leaders, and the lessons you would pass on.
How to send it: email your story, photos and video (if you have one) to [email protected]. A few lines written on your phone are fine; we will help with the rest. Photos: good photos are before and after pictures of the land, people working with the hedges, and close-ups of the plants or roots. Video: one to three minutes on a cell phone is perfect. Film it horizontally, and let a farmer or community member speak in their own words and language; we will handle the translation.
