KickStart’s Rent to Try & Buy model puts decision-making in the hands of farmers—allowing them to rent an irrigation pump, use it when needed, and choose whether to buy. This flexible, low-risk approach is helping smallholders adapt to changing conditions, grow more food, and build income on their own terms.
Esther’s farm: A look at how irrigation supports growth Esther Auma Andal is a smallholder farmer in Kenya who has steadily expanded her farming operation over the past two years. Like many farmers in her community, she previously relied on manual methods to water her crops—hauling drums of water and using a watering can to irrigate […]
Alice’s irrigation journey: Finding independence in community After the loss of her husband, Alice Odhiambo faced the urgent challenge of supporting her five children—including one with a disability—in rural western Kenya. A former research professional who had left her job to care for her family, Alice now needed to build a new source of income […]