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 Kenya is a country full of beauty and promise. cKarma Marketing has been working in Kenya to develop the marketing and branding for KickStart International, an award winning non-profit social entrepreneur that works with poor farmers to transform their plots of land into sustainable businesses. For as low as $35, a manually-operated irrigation pump makes a small farm up to ten times more profitable. KickStart operates in 4 African countries. In Kenya, MoneyMaker pumps are sold in over 300 farm shops.
After the announcement of the Presidential election results on December 31, 2007 and subsequent accusations of rigged results, two opposing political sides reached a tipping point. Although Kenya is a model African country with improving education, hard working people, thriving tourism and an educated middle class, the election results sent the country into chaos. Divisive political parties and power struggles incited riots, police force, racial killings and terror. Less than 30 days later, a cyclone of rioting and tribal clashes has resulted in over 700 deaths. At least 250,000 women, children and families are homeless. Commerce, tourism, and getting back to business is badly needed.
Last week, current President Mwai Kibaki and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, met for the first time since the disputed election. Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary, moderated the discussions. Amidst the rhetoric, differences remain unresolved and more people are terrified, hungry and without a job. Poverty & desperation fuels the fight. Riots and ethnic violence continues in places like Naivasha, a stunning lake resort with hippos, flamingos and flower farms.
In the midst of the mess, hope remains. KickStart staff are back to work and more passionate than ever about eliminating the roots of poverty and bringing hope to families. I am returning to Kenya as soon as it's safe to help launch a marketing campaign and promotion for MoneyMaker pumps. Farm shops are selling MoneyMaker pumps. Farmers are being lifted out of poverty, like James, a retired teacher I visited in October last year.
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 The poor person's dreams of success and economic freedom seem far away and out of reach, especially in today's uncertain times. It's hard to see how a plot of farmland is the solution. With 80% of Africa's poor living in rural areas, KickStart believes that farming is the shortest route to success for millions. Farming works with what's there; land, experience, hard work and motivation. A thriving local market exists to buy and sell fresh produce like spinach, rice, kale, cabbage and tomatoes, as well as crops for export.
"Many Sub-Saharan Africans dream of being successful business owners. They often overlook the business opportunity literally beneath their feet because they don't have the right tools," says Nick Moon, co-founder of KickStart International. Our new marketing campaign communicates the message that "Farming is My Business." For a farmer growing crops, watering with buckets for a small output is barely enough to feed his family. When he is growing constant crops and selling them for cash, it's a business. We hope this message will inspire more farmers to purchase MoneyMaker pumps and become successful farmers.
ckarma has developed point-of-sale displays, sales brochures, signs, billboards and media to generate brand awareness and demonstrate how a pump makes irrigation easier and creates a profitable business. The campaign features real farmers and bountiful crops and a new MoneyMaker logo with the tagline Family.Life.Success.
In October, we field tested in 3 shops in Western Kenya, Eldoret and Kitale, the towns most devastated by the post-election violence and destruction. Early results of the marketing campaign were promising and generated excitement among the sales teams and shop owners. Three stores that tested the new marketing materials had a 300% increase in pump sales in the first few weeks.
Marketing efforts are rolling again in Kenya. In the coming months, the campaign will launch in Tanzania and Mali in local languages.
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KickStart Success Story: James & Loretta Malondo
October 2007 -- Eldoret, Kenya |
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 "Don't give me a fish, teach me to fish. This pump is our fishing net, our future. Whoever designed this pump had the common man in mind. Thank you."
James Malondo is an eloquent speaker with a commanding manner. In August 2006, at the age of 55, he had to retire from his job as a school teacher, which paid about $50 per month.
Retirement left him and his family with no land and no income to support a family of 19 (children, grand-children and elderly parents). All they had was a few hundred dollars that he had managed to save over his 30-year career. They were living in the very poor and densely populated village of Vihiga in Western Kenya, where poverty is high and opportunity is low. James saw that providing even basic needs for his family was going to become almost impossible.
He moved his family to Matunda, a settlement area outside of Kitale/Eldoret, and used his savings to buy a tiny plot of land (1/8 acre) and to create a new beginning. He had recently seen a MoneyMaker Irrigation Pump on a friend's farm. With the easy-to-operate pump that didn't require any fuel, he believed he could grow enough vegetables to provide for his family. The day after he bought the land, he invested in a $35 MoneyMaker Hip Pump and started his "second career" as a commercial farmer.
He and his wife Loretta first used the pump to help plaster the walls of a small house that they built for their family. Soon, the pump helped cover every inch of their plot with irrigated tomatoes, sukuma wiki (kale) and kunde (cow peas -similar to spinach). The first harvest was sold to their neighbors and local brokers. By the time the rains came they had made enough money to rent more land and plant maize and sorghum - local staple foods.
James and Loretta now keep their large family well-fed and clothed and are able to pay their children's school fees. They rented and cleared more land and will start growing more high-value fruits and vegetables.
"Our neighbors are amazed that we are growing all this here, and they seem to wonder if we brought the vegetables with us when we moved in," James told us. "I've decided when my next child marries, I will give them a MoneyMaker pump and some spare change for seeds. I will have given them all they need."
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KickStart International:Donate
KickStart is a winner of Fast Company's Social Entrepreneur Awards 4 consecutive years in a row.
NuWire Investor, an online alternative investment magazine, named KickStart one of their Top 15 charities for Investors. Organizations were chosen based on their effectiveness and how tangibly the success of one's donation could be measured.
Vumilia House
Vumilia: to persist, persevere in the face of adversity. Vumilia is a home for women and orphans affected by HIV. A dear friend of mine, Rose Ayuma, is a Kenyan who started the home in her village in northwest Kenya. Women and orphans live in a supportive environment, with counselors helping with medical assistance, education and food. They face many challenges and are reeling from recent violence. The home was used by both police and thugs in the outbreaks. Your donation will go to pay school fees, buy food, supplies and medical care.
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ckarma marketing is for businesses and organizations who want to create a better and more sustainable world. Thoughtful branding, compelling messages, and practical strategy does make a difference. We work with you to create c
We'd like to learn about where your business or organization needs help. Find us at www.ckarma.com, by phone at 303-377-0035 or info@ckarma.com.
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