KICKSTART INTERNATIONAL INC

HEADQUARTERED IN NAIROBI, KENYA, KICKSTART DESIGNS AND DISTRIBUTES IRRIGATION TOOLS ACROSS 17 COUNTRIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, PROVIDING SMALLHOLDER FARMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES A SUSTAINABLE PATH OUT OF POVERTY THROUGH INCREASED INCOME, CLIMATE RESILIENCE, AND FOOD SECURITY. WITH SIMPLE IRRIGATION TOOLS, FARMERS NO LONGER DEPEND ON SEASONAL RAINS TO GROW FOOD, ENABLING HOUSEHOLDS TO CONSUME AND SELL THEIR HARVESTS THROUGHOUT THE DRY SEASON AND IN TIMES OF DROUGHT. TO COST-EFFECTIVELY SCALE ITS IMPACTS, KICKSTART WORKS WITH OVER 350 MISSION-ALIGNED NGOS, RELIEF AGENCIES, MICRO-FINANCE INSTITUTIONS, AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS TO INTRODUCE IRRIGATION TO THEIR NETWORKS OF FARMERS. TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC AWARENESS AT THE GRASSROOTS AND GENERATE DEMAND FOR SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION, KICKSTART CONDUCTS A RANGE OF FARMER OUTREACH AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING SESSIONS ON LOW-VOLUME IRRIGATION, USAGE, AND MAINTENANCE OF KICKSTART'S TOOLS, AND AGROPRENEURSHIP BEST PRACTICES. THIS TRAINING FRAMEWORK EMPOWERS FARMERS WITH SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ON SUSTAINABLE IRRIGATION AND WATER MANAGEMENT, AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY, PLANTING STRATEGIES, CROP STORAGE, COMMERCIAL OPTIMIZATION, AND FINANCIAL ACUMEN. ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, KICKSTART WORKED WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS TO REACH NEW GROUPS OF FARMERS EXPERIENCING THE INTENSIFYING CHALLENGES - SUCH AS PROLONGED DROUGHTS AND FLOODS - TO BUILD GREATER RESILIENCE TO FUTURE WEATHER SHOCKS. TO BRING OUR TOOLS TO AS MANY FARMERS AS POSSIBLE, KICKSTART EXPANDED ITS PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL AND NATIONAL NGOS, MFIS, GOVERNMENTS, AND RELIEF AGENCIES TO GENERATE IMPACTS IN LIVELIHOODS, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND CONSERVATION ACROSS OUR THREE REGIONAL HUBS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. KICKSTART ALSO WORKED TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS AND DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS FOR ITS IRRIGATION TOOLS.TO DATE, KICKSTART HAS HELPED OVER 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE TO CLIMB OUT OF POVERTY; CREATED 300,000 PROFITABLE FARMING BUSINESSES; AND FEEDS OVER 15 MILLION PEOPLE WITH NUTRITIOUS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ANNUALLY.IN FY24 (JULY 2023 - JUNE 2024), KICKSTART INCREASED ITS IMPACT BY 44%, DISTRIBUTING 19,539 IRRIGATION PUMPS, UP FROM 13,590 THE PREVIOUS YEAR. KICKSTART'S PUMPS ENABLED MORE THAN 15,000 SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA TO LAUNCH AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES, GENERATING AN ESTIMATED $11 MILLION IN NEW PROFITS AND WAGES - AND HELPING THEM BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY. IN TOTAL, MORE THAN 80,000 PEOPLE BENEFITED FROM THESE INCREASED INCOMES, IMPROVED FOOD PRODUCTION AND SECURITY, AND RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE SHOCKS SUCH AS DROUGHTS AND FLOODS.OVER THE PAST YEAR, KICKSTART FURTHER EXPANDED THE REACH OF ITS NEWEST AND MOST AFFORDABLE IRRIGATION PUMP - THE STARTER PUMP - BY LAUNCHING IT IN TANZANIA AND NIGERIA. WE INTRODUCED THIS HIGHLY INNOVATIVE PUMP TO PARTNERS, FARMERS GROUPS, AND KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND IN GOVERNMENT.IN EAST AFRICA, KICKSTART HIRED STAFF IN TANZANIA TO EXPAND THE TAKE-UP OF IRRIGATION TO HELP SMALL-SCALE FARMERS ADOPT CLIMATE-SMART FARMING USING THE STARTER PUMP. WE BEGAN WORK WITH A LOCAL NGO IN SEVERAL REGIONS TO PROVIDE SMALLHOLDER FARMERS - MAINLY YOUTH AND WOMEN - TRAINING ON ORGANIC FARMING, POST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT AND VALUE ADDITION. KICKSTART ALSO BEGAN COLLABORATING WITH LEADING COMPANIES AND SMES TO STRENGTHEN VALUE CHAINS FOR SUNFLOWER, SPICE, RICE, AND HONEY PRODUCERS IN TANZANIA'S DRYLAND REGIONS AND SEMI-ARID ZONES. ADDITIONALLY, KICKSTART BEGAN PARTNERING WITH SMES TO INTRODUCE IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY AND CONDUCT TRAINING SESSIONS FOR DAIRY FARMERS USING OUR MONEYMAKER PUMPS.IN UGANDA, KICKSTART WORKED WITH PARTNERS TO BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY THROUGH FARMER AGROPRENEURSHIP AND IRRIGATION TRAININGS, WHILE LEVERAGING RADIO MARKETING TO STRENGTHEN AWARENESS AND ADOPTION OF CLIMATE-RESILIENT TECHNOLOGIES. WE ALSO WORKED TO EXPAND IRRIGATION AND AGROPRENEURSHIP TRAINING IN REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS AND SURROUNDING HOST COMMUNITIES. IN ONE OF THE LARGEST REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS HOSTING OVER 200,000 REFUGEES - KICKSTART CONDUCTED TECHNICAL TRAININGS FOR WOMEN AND YOUTH ON CLIMATE-SMART FARMING TECHNIQUES AND IRRIGATION.IN KENYA, KICKSTART WORKED WITH PARTNERS TO IMPLEMENT WATER HARVESTING AND CATCHMENT PROJECTS TO IMPROVE FOOD PRODUCTION AND NUTRITION IN SCHOOL GARDENS THROUGH INTEGRATED IRRIGATION SOLUTIONS.KICKSTART ALSO COMPLETED THE SECOND YEAR OF OUR RENT TO TRY AND BUY PILOT PROJECT, AN ENTREPRENEUR-BASED DISTRIBUTION MODEL WHICH ENABLES FARMERS TO RENT IRRIGATION PUMPS BEFORE COMMITTING TO PURCHASE, THEREBY REDUCING FINANCIAL RISK AND BARRIERS TO IRRIGATION ADOPTION. ENTREPRENEURIAL YOUTH - "IRRIGATION AGENTS" - ARE RECRUITED AND TRAINED BY KICKSTART TO PROMOTE IRRIGATION BY RENTING KICKSTART PUMPS TO GROUPS OF SMALLHOLDERS IN THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. IRRIGATION AGENTS EARN MONEY FROM BOTH RENTAL FEES AND COMMISSIONS FOR EACH NEW PUMP SOLD THROUGH SHOPS OPERATED BY ONE OF KICKSTART'S NGO PARTNERS. TO SUPPORT EACH AGENT, KICKSTART AND A PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNER PROVIDE EACH AGENT A TABLET CRM APP THAT TRACKS INFORMATION ON RENTAL RATES, COMMISSIONS, RENTAL SCHEDULES, AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES. IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, KICKSTART ADDED NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL NGOS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE REGION. IN MOZAMBIQUE, KICKSTART FORGED NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH NGOS AND STRENGTHENED EXISTING ONES. IN ZAMBIA, MORE THAN 5,200 FARMERS WERE TRAINED IN PUMP MAINTENANCE, WATER MANAGEMENT, AND COMMERCIAL FARMING TECHNIQUES - HELPING TO INCREASE THEIR INCOMES AND STRENGTHEN THEIR RESILIENCE.IN MALAWI, KICKSTART LAUNCHED A KEY INITIATIVE TO REACH NEW RURAL MARKETS BY LEVERAGING A PARTNER'S NETWORK OF 60 RETAIL DEALERS, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING ACCESS TO NEW RURAL MARKETS AND ENHANCING OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER OUR IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY TO FARMERS. WE ALSO BROUGHT ON BOARD ANOTHER PARTNER ORGANIZATION THAT INTRODUCED A REVOLVING FUND TO FACILITATE THE PURCHASE OF OUR STARTER PUMP TO ITS MEMBER FARMERS.IN WEST AFRICA, KICKSTART WORKED WITH A PARTNER TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURAL BEST PRACTICES WITHIN NIGERIA'S COCOA VALUE CHAIN AND TO ENHANCE THE TRACEABILITY OF NIGERIAN COCOA, BOOSTING ITS MARKETABILITY. KICKSTART ALSO ESTABLISHED DEMONSTRATION PLOTS IN SIX NIGERIAN STATES, EQUIPPING THEM WITH IRRIGATION KITS TO SHOWCASE ITS PUMP TECHNOLOGY TO FARMERS DURING FIELD DAYS. AS RAINFALL BECOMES INCREASINGLY UNRELIABLE, COCOA FARMERS FACE A GROWING NEED FOR SUPPLEMENTARY IRRIGATION TO SECURE ADEQUATE HARVESTS. IRRIGATION CAN INCREASE COCOA YIELDS BY UP TO TENFOLD.KICKSTART CONTINUED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR PARTNERS TO SUPPORT LIVELIHOODS IN COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCING POLITICAL VIOLENCE, INCLUDING DISPLACED POPULATIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE, NIGERIA, AND ZAMBIA. IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA, KICKSTART PROVIDED PUMPS AND TRAINING IN CONFLICT-AFFECTED REGIONS OF BORNO, ADAMAWA AND YOBE, BOOSTING CROP AND LIVESTOCK FARMER LIVELIHOODS BY IMPROVING THE WATER SUPPLY IN CRISIS-AFFECTED ZONES. OVER 2,000 KICKSTART PUMPS WERE PLACED IN THE HANDS OF FARMERS AND HERDERS.