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Our Impact Our Impact On The Ground Innovations Hub Partnerships Why Irrigation The KickStart Model Our People Financial Information FAQ Products Our Products Get Involved Ways To Give Partner With KickStart Become A Distributor Donate nowDonate Now From poverty to prosperity in one season Watch the video We’re irrigating Africa, one farmer at a time KickStart is unleashing the power of enterprise with the irrigation tools that enable millions of smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa to tackle poverty on their own terms. With our innovative water pumps, farming families break their dependence on seasonal rains, harvest high-value crops year-round, adapt to climate change, improve quality of life, reduce hunger, build businesses, and strengthen livelihoods. 80 % of Africa’s poor are smallholder farmers The vast majority rely on seasonal rains to water their crops. Irrigation offers a transformative opportunity for them to increase their incomes. 4 % of Sub-Saharan Africa’s land is irrigated An estimated 20% of farmers can easily access ground or surface water right on their farms–representing +20 million families that can change their lives with the right tools. 5 % of Africa’s renewable ground water is being used By using human and solar-powered pumps, farmers build profitable and climate-smart agricultural enterprises, without depleting aquifers. See why irrigation is the answer Innovating for Africa KickStart designs and develops climate-smart, highly affordable, and reliable irrigation tools that enable farmers to transform their livelihoods and build lasting food security. These appropriate technologies are specifically designed for the complex needs of smallholder farmers and generate new incomes. See our Innovations Hub See our products Measurable, lasting impact KickStart’s interventions don’t just generate a small bump in income, they empower a family to climb out of poverty permanently. 1. 5 M people out of poverty 290 K successful farming enterprises 15 M people fed with fruits and vegetables Explore our impacts Awards & Recognition An Africa-wide network of partners, farmers, and distributors As a nonprofit social enterprise, local stakeholders are key to our mission for scale. We’re working to build a network of development partners, private sector actors, policymakers, and farmers to irrigate Africa. 250 + Agro-dealers 350 + Partners 17 Countries Partner with us Hear from our farmer entrepreneurs James Kenya Model Entrepreneur Meet James James wasn’t making enough to make ends meet, so he quit his job and rented a small plot of land to farm. He met KickStart’s Field Innovations Team, received an early Starter Pump prototype, and began irrigating. With his farming success, he built a new house, opened a new shop, and sent his kids to top schools. Impact Highlights Expanded Enterprise by employing 6 workers on his farm Planning for the Future by saving earnings in a new bank account Investing in New Assets including purchasing a piece of land worth $50,000 Support farmers like James Meet James × James Kenya Model Entrepreneur James wasn’t making enough to make ends meet, so he quit his job and rented a small plot of land to farm. He met KickStart’s Field Innovations Team, received an early Starter Pump prototype, and began irrigating. With his farming success, he built a new house, opened a new shop, and sent his kids to top schools. Impact Highlights Expanded Enterprise by employing 6 workers on his farm Planning for the Future by saving earnings in a new bank account Investing in New Assets including purchasing a piece of land worth $50,000 Support farmers like James Monika Kenya Woman Entrepreneur Meet Monika Monika spent her days lugging buckets of water to her farm to support her family of 19, only earning $4 a day. She knew she needed a change, and once she heard about the MoneyMaker Hip Pump, she knew it was time to take a leap of faith. Monika’s since expanded her farm to 2 acres and is growing cilantro, kale, green onions, and sorghum. At 66, Monika is paving the way for other women in her community to become confident and successful businesswomen. Impact Highlights Increased Income 5x from $4 a week to $20 a week Diversified Crops With cilantro, green onions, sorghum, and kale New assets Raising cows, geese and chickens Support farmers like Monika Meet Monika × Monika Kenya Woman Entrepreneur Monika spent her days lugging buckets of water to her farm to support her family of 19, only earning $4 a day. She knew she needed a change, and once she heard about the MoneyMaker Hip Pump, she knew it was time to take a leap of faith. Monika’s since expanded her farm to 2 acres and is growing cilantro, kale, green onions, and sorghum. At 66, Monika is paving the way for other women in her community to become confident and successful businesswomen. Impact Highlights Increased Income 5x from $4 a week to $20 a week Diversified Crops With cilantro, green onions, sorghum, and kale New assets Raising cows, geese and chickens Support farmers like Monika Agatha Tanzania Climate Resilient Meet Agatha Agatha farmed a small vegetable plot to feed and support her family of six, but more frequent dry spells made it impossible to depend on the rain, causing repeated crop losses. She saved up for a MoneyMaker pump and started irrigating, adding high-value crops to her rotation. With access to water, not rain, Agatha changed her odds, expanded her enterprise, and transformed her livelihood. Impact Highlights Increased Crop Cycles From 1 to 3 per year Expanded Size of Farm Increasing the area of cultivation 10x Increased income By 15X Support farmers like Agatha Meet Agatha × Agatha Tanzania Climate Resilient Agatha farmed a small vegetable plot to feed and support her family of six, but more frequent dry spells made it impossible to depend on the rain, causing repeated crop losses. She saved up for a MoneyMaker pump and started irrigating, adding high-value crops to her rotation. With access to water, not rain, Agatha changed her odds, expanded her enterprise, and transformed her livelihood. Impact Highlights Increased Crop Cycles From 1 to 3 per year Expanded Size of Farm Increasing the area of cultivation 10x Increased income By 15X Support farmers like Agatha Mercy Kenya Serial Entrepreneur Meet Mercy After high school, Mercy wanted to get a job in an office, but she couldn’t find one. To make money, she and her husband started farming, but with infrequent rains, her crops failed. It wasn’t until she received a Starter Pump, that her vegetable enterprise thrived. And as a natural entrepreneur, she’s also renting her pump to her neighbors for $2 a day, empowering them to change the way they’re farming and greatly increase their income. Impact Highlights Increased income By selling high value produce year-round she is able to sell more, invest in high-value produce and chickens Local Irrigation Advocate By renting her pump, Mercy is spreading irrigation and its benefits across her village Planning for the future Using the Starter Pump enabled all her children to go to school Support farmers like Mercy Meet Mercy × Mercy Kenya Serial Entrepreneur After high school, Mercy wanted to get a job in an office, but she couldn’t find one. To make money, she and her husband started farming, but with infrequent rains, her crops failed. It wasn’t until she received a Starter Pump, that her vegetable enterprise thrived. And as a natural entrepreneur, she’s also renting her pump to her neighbors for $2 a day, empowering them to change the way they’re farming and greatly increase their income. Impact Highlights Increased income By selling high value produce year-round she is able to sell more, invest in high-value produce and chickens Local Irrigation Advocate By renting her pump, Mercy is spreading irrigation and its benefits across her village Planning for the future Using the Starter Pump enabled all her children to go to school Support farmers like...