Increasing Crop Yields and Incomes for Smallholder Farmers in Africa

By Martin Fisher, Co-Founder and CEO, KickStart International August 09, 2013 02:40 PM

Irrigation has tremendous potential to increase productivity, raise income levels for smallholder farmers in Africa, and provide a sustainable solution to the rural poor's most important need - a way to consistently earn money. Reliable crop watering methods and innovative tools can mean the difference between break-even sustenance farming and an income-producing livelihood.

Last week, KickStart announced a collaboration between Citi and the Skoll Foundation that will enable our organization to scale our efforts to alleviate poverty. A working capital loan to KickStart, the first from Citi directed to the social enterprise sector, will boost the capacity of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, where farm yields are among the lowest in the world. Crucial support from the Skoll Foundation made the arrangement possible.

Since KickStart launched, we've sold nearly 225,000 human-powered irrigation pumps that provide smallholder farmers with the means to irrigate their crops regularly and cheaply. But the raw number of pumps we've sold isn't the real story -rather, it is the transformational change that poor farmers experience and the sustainable impacts our work has triggered. KickStart has developed a systematic, replicable model for addressing poverty, and clearly defined methods to continually measure our impacts. Starting with a comprehensive database of pump purchasers, we select a sample of farmers to visit in the field at set intervals (immediately after purchase, 18 months later, and again 36 months after purchase) and collect key indicators like family income, health, and education.

Through surveys and the longitudinal data we compile, KickStart continues to demonstrate that we're making an impact. Since we started tracking results, KickStart has helped create 150,000 enterprises and moved 750,000 people out of poverty in Kenya, Tanzania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Zambia and 15 other countries across sub-Saharan Africa.

Support from partners like Citi Microfinance, Citi Commercial Bank, and the Skoll Foundation, in combination with donor funding, is crucial to making all of this happen. To really reach scale, we need philanthropic support and financing, as well as the credibility that comes from working with organizations known for making smart decisions for their clients and partners. Thanks to partners like Citi and the Skoll Foundation, we're on our way to reaching even more smallholder farmers, improving their lives and breaking the cycle of poverty.

no comments

Show Older Comments

Baljeet - 09/29/14 07:27 AM

I have also developed similar pump for the irrigation purposes for farmers in India, I am looking forward for the help and support of GOVT organsations and NGOS so that this pump can reach to maximun people.

S. - 09/27/14 02:27 PM

It is high time that fertile lands are being taken care, cost effective method of sourcing bore-well water, preserving rain water by implementing rain water from each & every house, each street.

Such cost effective irrigation equipment will facilitate cost effective way to produce good yield to farmers.

Let every government, every business man, every educational institutions, every NGOs can focus on protecting yielding land, protection of ground water & encourage massive farming there by let us come to new era of agriculture which will assure organic food to every human being in the earth.

Let us get the education on such farming, irrigation, technology which will eradicate poverty around the world. Reduce the global warming, reduce the pollution. Ultimately peaceful living to every living creature there by appreciating our beloved Almighty. Regards

S. Thanasekar D.M.E.

RKSHARMA.... - 09/27/14 10:17 AM

I Like it.. very intrested .. its revoltion in aggriculture....This shuld addopted in india on large scale....Thanks again.

joseph - 04/22/14 06:55 PM

Efficient irrigation methods are helpful in lifting marginal farmers from subsistence level to consistently profitable agriculture. Drip irrigation methods introduce by Israeli scientists and farmers is another worthwhile contribution to peaceful solution of real human problems.

Nicolas - 12/14/13 09:50 AM

Bravo...,this is very vital farm equipment for a vegetable farmer! This must catch an attention and promotion to all my fellow vegetable farmers in ComVal Province, Mindanao, Philippines.

José - 10/20/13 09:02 PM

Achei muito bom essa parceria com os nossos irmãos africanos.....Parabéns!!!

Please accept the Site Usage Rules above to view all of the most recent comments from this discussion.