As one of the strongest El Niño events in decades approaches, KickStart’s field teams across nine African countries share what farmers are telling them right now — about drought, flooding, and the growing push toward irrigation as a way to keep farming through it all.
After 19 years growing maize, Victor Omondi rented a MoneyMaker Max pump and built a five-plot vegetable farm in Kisumu County, Kenya, now earning him $116 a week and a new home for his family.
Research shows that irrigation does more than grow food; it supports better nutrition, reduces anxiety, and strengthens the overall wellbeing of farming families.
Research shows that irrigation does more than grow food; it supports better nutrition, reduces anxiety, and strengthens the overall wellbeing of farming families.
Research shows that irrigation does more than grow food; it supports better nutrition, reduces anxiety, and strengthens the overall wellbeing of farming families.
Research shows that irrigation does more than grow food; it supports better nutrition, reduces anxiety, and strengthens the overall wellbeing of farming families.
Affordable irrigation and agribusiness partnerships in Zambia help smallholder farmers grow year-round, strengthen supply chains, and support conservation through sustainable livelihoods.
With a KickStart pump, Joshua scaled his farm, launched a nursery, and now trains youth in sustainable agriculture across Kenya and beyond.
After losing her husband, Rosemary Okuku turned to farming to support her children. With a KickStart Starter Pump, she increased her vegetable harvest by over 20%, tripled her poultry flock, and gained the stability to invest in her family’s future.
KickStart’s Youth in Pump Business initiative is helping young people in Kenya turn irrigation tools into income, skills, and local impact. With training, credit access, and flexible business models, these youth-led enterprises are improving livelihoods and expanding irrigation access where it’s needed most.