What we do
KickStart works to tackle the main barriers preventing farmers from adopting irrigation: access, knowledge, and affordability.
Local supply chain
Promotion & awareness
Outreach & farmer training
Innovations Hub
Building access through the local supply chain
KickStart distributes and sells our irrigation products through independent private sector retailers to sustainably reach as many farmers as possible, where they are. By working with and through local system stakeholders, we never compete with the existing market players. Instead, we leverage the durability and reach of this important supply chain. We uplift these important small and medium-sized businesses with new skills, new customers, and the profits from selling pumps, accessories and the additional inputs that irrigating farmers buy. KickStart’s teams recruit, support, and strengthen the commercial value chains of local distributors that import pumps and accessories, distribute them to networks of local retail outlets and agro-dealers, providing easy access for farmers in their communities. KickStart’s teams outfit these retailers with MoneyMaker branded marketing collateral, train their staff on irrigation and our pumps, monitor their stocks, and provide post-sales support to pump buyers.
Promotion and awareness
Only 4% of SSA is irrigated and there is very limited experience or knowledge of irrigation. Education and live demonstrations are key to driving farmer-based consumer demand. To bridge the knowledge gap, KickStart conducts far-reaching radio and TV advertising campaigns, local product demonstrations at farmer field days and agricultural fairs, stakeholder forums, and trainings in farming communities. To reach and educate more farmers we promote pumps through our partner organizations and to their networks of smallholders, and we co-develop projects to meet the specific needs of their target groups (refugees/IDPs, women’s groups, health & nutrition, etc.). Farmers and partners can then access pumps from their most convenient retailers.
Farmer training
To ensure optimal take-up of our pumps, KickStart provides a variety of training services to our partners, farmers, and retail distributors.
Technical Training: Technical training on set-up, usage, and maintenance is provided to all KickStart’s retail distributors, partners, and farmers. This is further supplemented by detailed instruction videos and guides.
Agropreneurship Training: KickStart also provides an innovative and customizable training framework for farmers to maximize the impacts of our pumps and run their farms as a business. Recipients learn business skills, irrigation and regenerative farming best practices, and the financial acumen to maximize their profits.
Digital Training Services: KickStart provides training videos and partners with leading digital learning platforms to pilot remote training options for farmers to access from their homes. Remote training extends our impacts and reach, enabling KickStart’s farmers and partners to continue learning best agronomic and irrigation practices.
Innovations Hub
Home to KickStart’s Nairobi design workshop, and where our specialized team of engineers, designers, and technicians design, test, and develop new high-impact technologies and services. With direct proximity to the communities we serve, KickStart’s Product Intelligence and Development team collects and processes feedback from a diverse group of local Farmer Advisors, ensuring each new product has been rigorously tested and endorsed by real farmers. Through relentless commitment to appropriate design principles, the Innovations Hub drives the technological progress required to support widespread farmer-led transformation.
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