Summer Newsletter:
The 1.3 Million Milestone

1.3 MILLION People Out of Poverty!

 To date, KickStart’s innovative irrigation pumps have enabled 1.3 MILLION people in 17 countries across Africa to build resilience to climate change, improve food security, and increase incomes – thus, breaking the cycle of poverty. This means that families are able to start profitable year-round farming businesses for the first time, build new and improved homes, diversify their assets and farming inputs, and pay for their children’s education and healthcare. In short, they are able to invest in their futures. With your support, KickStart’s tools aren’t just transforming lives, but re-imagining how we can alleviate poverty quickly and sustainably.

Our goal is to reach another 700,000 women, men, and children:
enabling them to access and use new technologies that make
small-scale agriculture more profitable and climate resilient.

Will you help us reach 2 MILLION people? 

DONATE

KickStart’s Enterprise Council is a community of thought leaders passionate about changing the way the world fights poverty. In less than one year, this powerful giving community has reached an exciting landmark of $1.3 MILLION pledged in support. We have nearly 30 members from over two continents who pledge to give annually over three years – paving the way for KickStart to scale our powerful core programs and, in doing so, making an indelible difference in the lives of even more farmers and their families. The Enterprise Council provides powerful unrestricted funding in the form of multi-year commitments, accelerating our impacts and ensuring that we can continue to scale the uptake of small-scale irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa every year.

Karibu Sana to our Board of Directors in Nairobi, Kenya!

This past summer the Board of Directors traveled to our headquarters in Nairobi to meet our KickStart staff; explore the Product, Innovations & Design (PID) hub where we develop new technology; and visit farmers in the field to see firsthand how MoneyMaker pumps have impacted communities. They met with farmers like Florence, a retired nurse, who uses her pump to maintain a stable income and provide vegetables and medicinal plants to her neighbors. Get the insider scoop on this trip from the perspective of our Board Member, Chris Young, VP of Entertainment Creation Products at Autodesk, at his LinkedIn post:

“Raining when it’s dry: How smart irrigation pumps are transforming lives in Africa.” 

Meet KickStart’s Newest Team Members!

Nkem Ejoh

Senior Development Manager – NYC

Nkem has spent 14 years launching, fundraising, and facilitating Africa-centered development projects. Her expertise is in capacity building, bolstering public presence, and managing relationships to the goal of strategic institutional advancement. She is interested in disrupting the socio-political marginalization of communities, particularly African’s in the many spaces they hold throughout the world. Nkem earned a Master’s in Public Administration in International Development Policy from the Colin Powell School at the City College of New York.

Angela Omondi 

 Human Resources Officer – Africa HQ

Angela joined KickStart earlier this year to support HR, and in this short period she has been instrumental in managing staff transitions, recruiting and onboarding new team members, and executing our Nairobi board meeting. She has managerial experience in hospitality and the relief sector of the non-profit industry. She is also an active member of the Nairobi NGO HR Round Table Forum and the Institute of Human Resource Management. She will continue to lead the organization in recruitment, staff trainings, career development, and records management.

Why KickStart? “There is a genuine spirit of cooperation and shared goals all revolving around helping millions of people out of poverty, as well as the organization’s respect for employees which creates a great working environment.”

Pascal Maitha Mweni

Country Manager – Kenya

Pascal brings 18 years of experience in three board sectors across 10 African countries; the auto industry, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, and ICT Security Solutions. He studied Business Management and Marketing from Moi University, with experience in international sales, channel account building, project management, and team capacity building. Pascal will be driving partnership sales; expanding our nonprofit, corporate and governmental partners; and strategically reporting our program activities in Kenya.

Why KickStart? “I’ve watched this organization prove its mission country after country. KickStart gives us the opportunity to be leaders in helping millions of poor people gain ownership. I’ve seen how access to productivity enhancing tools enables farmers achieve wealth and a healthy livelihood.”

This Season’s Advocacy:

“Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean-born entrepreneur and philanthropist, [believes that] Africa’s next big ideas are going to be in agriculture.

He has gone as far to say that, if he had to do it all again; he wouldn’t be in telephones, he’d be in agriculture.”

Read the whole article

from our partners at ONE ACRE FUND to find out why!