by Steven Carr, Independent Consultant & Anne Roulin, Nestle R&D.
The following text is a slighly modified version of the executive summary as presented in the report.

“An exploration of Agripreneurship: Scope, Actors and Prospects” is the title of a report that was commissioned as a result of growing interest in the topic of youth-centred Agripreneurship and had the objective to identify the key actors particularly within Academia, Non-Government Organisations and the non-profit sector to help young unemployed, or under-employed, graduates in Africa, or other developing economies, to enter into entrepreneurship in agriculture or agribusiness.

The average age of farmers is increasing globally and encouraging a new generation of farmers and agribusinesses is crucial for the future of food and nutrition security. This is particularly critical in many developing countries where there are significant levels of migration of young people from rural to urban areas. Even where they stay in rural areas young people often do not have interest in agriculture as it is practiced today. This approach is also highly relevant within a wider global strategic framework that includes the Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2063, Lesser Developed Countries and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Aidufellow Darleen venturing into agripreneurship with her business “Tomato Splash”.

The research model that was adopted for this project was pragmatic and adaptive, utilizing personal contacts and online research during the timeframe of December 2015 – April 2016. The research received a very positive response from the individuals, universities and organisations that were contacted, with an initial response rate of 55%, details below. Twenty-two universities and organisations, among them Aiducation International, are described, providing details on areas of interest and modus operandii. This provides a wealth of information and will allow the reader the opportunity to reflect upon their own interests and identify possible future opportunities for partnership. Details, drawn from web based research, are also provided on four case studies as well as a number of other organisations of interest.

The highlight of June was the first Swiss Re Start-up Academy in the Philippines and it was a huge success. Our CEO Florian Kapitza and Aiducator Tom Hofer attended the academy as Swiss mentors and they were overwhelmed by the strong leadership and planning demonstrated by Pathways, our partner organisation in the Philippines.

More importantly, the students were blown away by the learnings and personal impact the academy had on them. Aidufellow Dyanne said “Pathways, Aiducation and Swiss Re: you’ve so generously begun something amazing and brimming with possibility for us, the participants, and for the growth of the country. You have lit the coals; let’s watch them set aflame together".

Our first Swiss Re Start-up Academy was featured in the newspaper in the Philippines.

Another participant shared: “Before the Swiss Re Academy, I thought having passion is enough to make a difference. But exactly a week after, through meeting inspiring new friends from diverse backgrounds, interests and fields, I realized that having an entrepreneurial spirit, identifying needs, creating a strategy, and calling for action on those needs is crucial to making an impact.”

Having been awared an Aiducation Scholarship some years ago, 21 year-old Aidualumna Faith Mwakidedela is the true definition of a dedicated entrepreneur. With support of the Aiducation Start-up Fund, Faith opened a fruit juice parlor in Mombasa’s CBD and it has grown to be a great success. We are proud that Faith and her business have been featured in the online Enterprise Development Portal Bizna – read her full story as published at Bizna!

“Her name is Faith. She’s only 21 but she’s the true definition of a dedicated entrepreneur. Faith runs a fruit and vegetable eatery in Mombasa’s Central Business District called ‘The City Natural Parlor’. Her business has only been running for six months and the money has began to roll in.

What got her here? What inspired Faith to settle on a beverage and salad business?

“I’ve always been obsessed with good nutrition.” says Faith. “ I noticed that most people who work in offices in Mombasa town only eat fast foods. These are people who stay on their work desks for most of the day without moving or doing any kind of exercise. This creates a really bad health pattern. I figured that making well-packaged fruit and vegetable meals available to them will really help in boosting overall health.”

So last year, while still 20 years old, Faith set up her startup idea and approached several organizations for funding. After plenty of fruitless attempts (no pun intended), she finally got funding from Aiducation’s start-up fund. The startup fund gave her 430,000 for a share of equity and Sh 510, 000 as a loan.

Pendo D. is an adorable and determined young lady whose life changed by 180 degrees with the award of an Aiducation scholarship at the beginning of 2016. We met her at the „Realize Your Potential Aacademy“ she attended in spring. In a video she gives her insight into social injustice against women, rural poverty in Kenya and her firm intention to fight the problems she experiences in society.

We are eager to share another success story from our entepreneurial Aiducation Alumni!

Simon finished his high school education thanks to an Aiducation scholarship and he wanted to finance his on-going university studies with a small business. Simon decided to start a small chicken farm and so far, his business growth is exceeding expectations. Simon worked hard and taught himself the knowledge he needed. As his chicken farm is running so well, he is thinking of ways to grow his business and has applied for support trough the Aiducation Start-up Fund. What a success story!