Kiasili Farm

?? Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Across Africa! Women-led businesses in Africa could add $316 billion to the economy by 2025 (McKinsey, 2022). But they still face barriers to scaling up. That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome 202 new women-led SMEs to the third cohort of the Enhancing Women Entrepreneurship in Africa (EWEA) Program. ?? Across Africa, we’ve supported 562 women-led SMEs, helping them build essential skills, access resources, and connect with investors to grow their businesses. ?? So far, 89 SMEs have been introduced to investors to unlock new funding opportunities. ?? Over 1,000 jobs have been created, fostering economic growth and community upliftment. Meet the WSMEs of EWEA cohort 3: Dina Tonielli Consulting Azaavi Foods African Deposit System AFROCESSORIES CO, LTD Agriflex Ltd AgriTech Analytics Limited Akazi Amrach.net AROZA GROUP LIMITED Berhanu Integrated Farm Blueroomcare Business Business Diversity Chanja Datti Recycling Co Ltd Eden Foods Ennie Wears Esty Kiddies Carnival Golden Hive Bee products Gyno Care Hub Hager Pesticide Factory PLC Hashtech Tanzania Limited Home of Laurels Nature Living Nig. Ltd HOTPRINTS LIMITED COMPANY Jopiter, Inc Kiasili Farm Lake Farms and Fishing Lodge Limited LAMU DECOR Leonary Fast Delivery Mamlaka Hub and Spoke Mawutwueni Medherence MathGenius Africa Miller and Marian MOHCA Beauty and Skincare Limited Money Messages OFUMBI Oh Honey! Okana Patapia Queen Amina Medical Integration Roak Swahili Wear #EWEA #SMEs #GenderInclusion #Africa #AFAWA

For this week's post, we honor our allies in sustainable agriculture and weather analysis (??); ??Dragonflies ?? We are now in the season where most Kenyans will stop mid-conversation, observe quietly, look up at the sky and utter the infamous statement: 'Na leo kunakaa kutanyesha...' For most of us, we will start to regard these people with skepticism and wonder what delulu is this and what special signs are these of incoming rain that we are blind to. However, as we discovered this week at?#kiasilifam, some of these signs are rooted in Indigenous knowledge and patterns of animals, birds and insects, such as the dragonfly. Just before it rained this afternoon, we had continuously observed a swarm of dragonflies flying particularly low, confirming a belief held by farmers and fishermen in the Asian culture that when dragonflies fly high in the sky, it'll be a sunny day but when they fly low, it'll be a rainy day. It is also widely believed in the African culture that the magnificent insect is a symbol of transformation and growth, indicating the likelihood of positive change. For many smallholder farmers, this can mean plenty of rain for their indigenous and traditional food crops and bountiful harvests! What other fascinating patterns do you observe when it's just about to rain in your area? #kiasilifarm?#shortrains?#alliesinclimateaction?#dragonflies?#delulu?#deluludebanked?#sustainableagriculture

In this week's post, the mysterious superfood makes a comeback! ??Drum roll please! ?? ?? Sea weed! ?? BUT in its more popular form… ?? Sea moss!! ?? Let's debunk this persistently mysterious superfood first through fun facts! 1. Sea moss is said to contain 92 out of the 102 minerals needed for the human body to thrive. 2. It is estimated that there is over nine times more sea moss in marine water than plants on land. 3. *Vegan Friendly* When certain varieties of sea moss are fried, they supposedly taste like bacon ??. We have personally made it our mission at Kiasili Farm to test out fun fact #3 but until then, let's indulge in the benefits of this fascinating algae! It is said to have antiviral agents, antimicrobial properties and other unique benefits such as reduced inflammation of the mucous membranes in the human body, supporting thyroid health, boosting immunity and aiding weight loss. This superfood comes in many forms, in its raw form, as a gel, powder, capsule or gummy. Speaking of gummies... Sea moss is also widely used as a thickening agent in all kinds of foods, including ice cream! ?? Kiasili Farm currently has a batch soaking somewhere in the background. Should we share our hot take and experience making sea moss gel from scratch in a later post? ?? #sustainability #kiasilifarm #seamoss #seaweed #algae #foodsofthefuture

??Kiasili Farm Recently Went Global! ?? In a recent article, Reuters discussed the challenges and opportunities in achieving food security in Africa, emphasizing the need for sustainable agricultural practices, amid ongoing debates over the use of natural, organic inputs and traditional methods of farming. ?? As proponents of Sustainable & Health Food Systems through Indigenous and Traditional Food Crops (ITFCs), Kiasili Farm's Vision is embodied in this line in the article: '"...the answer to food security in Africa lies with the concept of agroecology, and combining traditional, local knowledge with science to restore biodiversity and build more resilient food systems." Many thanks to beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship for featuring our Co-founder & Social Impact, Sustainability & Purpose Manager Fiona Macharia , a Cohort 2 Fellow and for the opportunity to collaborate with Reuters Events Sustainable Business! For the full article, click on the link below: https://lnkd.in/ekrGAtNY #sustainablefarming #indigenous #foodsecurityforall #kiasiliglobal #kiasilifam

We turn 1 Today! Grateful for the year that has been and for you #kiasilifam #kiasilifarm ??

?? For the aqua-culture! ?? In this week's post, we feature the mysterious, extremely nutritious superfood of the seas, seaweed! Let's get into some science and share some fun facts about seaweed! 1. It is a marine algae plant that is often grouped according to its color, i.e., brown, green, and red 2. It can be edible or non-edible 3. It is considered a carbon negative crop, with high potential to mitigate climate change through ***big word incoming*** carbon sequestration. Edible seaweed is known to prevent many chronic illnesses through its nutrient-dense content of sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, potassium, iron and zinc. Due to its high demand, seaweed farming has provided several economic benefits for fishing communities at the Kenyan coast, with households benefitting from fishing by the men and seaweed farming by the women in the household. Aside from the nutritional, environmental and socio-cultural benefits, seaweed can be leveraged to provide economic benefits as an input in industrial and pharmaceutical industries. Has seaweed ever featured on your dining table? Could seaweed be our food of the future? #carbonsequestration #sustainablefoods #foodofthefuture #seavegetable

In this week's post, we celebrate the collaboration between our smallholder farmers and key partners at?Kiasili Farm. At Kiasili Farm, we champion sustainable farming practices in the indigenous and traditional food crop value chain! How? Our smallholder farmers and key partners work together to provide natural pesticides and natural fertilizers so that our products are organically and sustainably grown! Do you know how the foods you eat are grown? Do you know the kind of inputs that are added to these foods as they grow? #sustainablefoodsystems?#sdg2zerohunger?#kiasilifarm #sustainablepractices

At Kiasili Farm, we are excited to keep making beautiful, meaningful partnerships with incredible leaders in the sustainability and social impact space! ?????? In this week's post, we honor and congratulate?Light On A Hill (LOAH) Organization.?for turning 4 years old and for hosting a Beautiful, Fun-Filled, Environmental Awareness Day this past Saturday for the wonderful kids in the Kiirua and Timau Regions, Meru County. ?????? On this day, our Co-founder Fiona Macharia?Fiona Macharia?gleefully wore many hats: teacher, artist, photographer, judge, partner, and moderator. Many thanks to?Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens?for the opportunity to have our very own as a Ban Ki-Moon Centre Global Citizen and the chance to connect with other such impactful Global Citizens in Kenya. #sustainabilitychampions?#partnerships?#globalcitizen?#sdg17

In this week's post, we celebrate the collaboration between people of all ages and generations in environmental restoration and sustainable practices. Our efforts towards a sustainable future through tree planting and sustainable agriculture span all areas of Kenya, with a goal to reach the globe! We are not just Sustainable & Healthy Food System Champions but also Climate Action Champions! We look forward to having you join us in the next tree planting session as the #kiasilifam takes on more #kiasilimashinani initiatives! #sustainablefoodsystems #climateaction #sdg13climateaction #sdg2zerohunger #kiasilifarm #kiasilifam #kiasilimashinani??

It is one thing to plan an event and an entirely different thing to have it be successful; but trust the Fellows beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship to come through for a successful one! This past weekend, we decided to visit a children's home called Kujali Children's Centre in my local community. The home houses 26 girls as of August 2024, and they consist of abandoned babies from local hospitals and pregnant teens who have been shunned from their community and chased out of their parents' homes. Some of the activities we took part in were: 1. Planting of fruit tree seedlings i.e., avocado, mango, guava, and pawpaw 2. Sharing a meal with the kids 3. Bracelet-making 4. Dancing 5. Playing other games i.e., football and kati By so doing, we collectively taught the kids on the importance of caring for our environment through tree-planting, re-using plastic bottles for watering trees to reduce plastic waste, leaning into their artistic talents through bracelet-making and dancing, and the importance of working together to achieve a common goal. Many thanks to all who joined us and supported us through donations! #fruittrees #reuse #community #sustainableliving #kiasilifam