What We Do
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Kenya
Women's Empowerment through Fishpond Husbandry
Building on an existing successful project in the Kenya area, Africa Now's project is aiming to reduce the vulnerability of the Suba women fisherfolk, supporting them to create independent bait rearing ponds, whilst also addressing the cause of natural resource degradation in Lake Victoria. Read More
Commercial Beekeeping for Young Entrepreneurs
Based on another highly successful Africa Now project, commercial beekeeping is now being implemented in schools in Western Kenya. The project allows for additional income, allowing schools to purchase valuable resources while helping students from poorer families pay school fees. Proving to be an incredibly successful project, students are also equipped with business skills they can use in the future. Read More
Rich Fisheries, Poor Fisherfolk
Approximately 30% of Kenya's total fishing revenue of Ksh 2.2 billion (£16.5m) comes from Suba District, Lake Victoria. However, profits do not benefit local communities. Africa Now set up banking services in partnership with financial institutions to enable and encourage savings amongst the fisherfolk. Africa Now has also developed a hire-purchase scheme to supply fairly priced fishing equipment. Read More
Community Water and Sanitation
Africa Now builds the capacity of village artisans with construction skills in spring protection and sanitation to make a living by providing these services to the community. In schools, we construct rainwater catchment tanks and latrines and our Child-to-Child health education clubs have enabled over 21,600 young people to talk to their parents and village leaders about the importance of better hygiene and cleaner water. Read More
Smallholder Flower Farming
Floriculture is one of the main export crops in Kenya, however due to large plantations, smallholder farmers find it very difficult to compete and make an income. Africa Now's project is supporting over 400 farmers to access village banks and link them to an export partner who provides a fair and garanteed market for the sale of their flowers to the rest of Kenya and Europe. The results have so far proved to be successful with many farmers' receiving high enough incomes to save for the future. Read More
Greening Rusinga Island
With support from the UNDP, Africa Now is coordinating seven projects designed to reforest the island through planting 1.5 million seedlings to increase tree cover from 5% to 45%. The project involves promoting income generating opportunities, supporting small businesses managing tree nurseries and setting up horticulture schemes to reduce dependency on the Lake. Read More
Commercial Beekeeping
Beekeeping is a viable enterprise for disadvantaged smallholder farmers who have little land and suffer declining yields due to poor soil fertility and erosion. New beekeepers receive training, and access to equipment through a leasing scheme. Africa Now has assured farmers a fair price and sustainable market for all their honey by linking them up with a private sector company, Honey Care, who process and sell the honey in Kenyan supermarkets. Read More
Natural Resource Management
Over 80% of the poorest households in Western Kenya are dependent on subsistence agriculture. The majority of farmers rely on small plots of land, but poor farming techniques and intensive cultivation has decreased productivity. Africa Now promotes rural technologies that increase incomes through crop diversification, improved soil fertility, small scale enterprise development and better access to markets. Read More
Women's Village Banks
Commercial banks do not provide the services that rural Kenyan women need. Africa Now has established Village Banks that are owned and managed by their members. The banks were originally women-only, but men have now been permitted to join to further encourage sustainability. Members buy shares at Ksh 300 (£2) to open a savings account, and access credit for family emergencies or for developing small businesses. Africa Now provides training, including basic banking and accounting techniques, outreach and on-going support to the banks until they become financially sustainable. Read More
Zimbabwe
Increasing Incomes for Small-Scale Dairy Farmers
When farms produce milk they can ensure regular year-round income not found with arable crops. This security is of particular value to farm households headed by women. Africa Now works with 28 Dairy Associations nationwide representing 4,000 association members to improve food security of farming families and enable the individual associations to develop far greater independent business capacity. Read More
Devil's Claw
Africa Now has been working with rural communities in Western Zimbabwe to harvest and market the tubers of Devil's Claw. Devil's Claw is a medicinal plant traded internationally as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory. It grows in the Kalahari sands and is typically harvested by extremely remote communities who have very few cash earning opportunities. Read More
Zambia
Elephants and Chillies
The project aims to increase chilli farmers' income, while at the same time reducing conflict with elephants that destroy agricultural crops (because elephants don't like chillies!). Africa Now and its partners work with farmers to develop their ability to market chillies, and build the capacity of farmer organisations to negotiate and secure trade with regional and international buyers. Read More
High Value and Organic Vegetables
Farmers in Southern Zambia grow the same seasonal crops, driving down prices and reducing income. Africa Now is working with farmers to diversify their crops and grow organic vegetables, enabling them to access a growing demand from the tourist industry and increase their earnings. Africa Now is establishing a farmers' market to give farmers an outlet from which they can sell and links them to a local Village Bank, set up as part of Africa Now's Elephants and Chillies project, to access affordable credit and savings. Read More
Rwanda
Increasing Incomes for Smallholder Coffee Farmers
Africa Now has launched an exciting new venture in Rwanda with the ethical coffee company, Union Hand-Roasted. The aim of this project is to improve the lives of smallholder coffee producers and the wider community. Farmers will be assisted to enhance the quality of their crop, enabling them to command a better price, whilst developing their knowledge of market demands. Read More
Ethical Business Services
Ethical Audits
Large companies doing business with and in Africa can implement their core business practices in ways that contribute positively to reducing poverty. Africa Now engages with the private sector to encourage ethical trading practices which benefit small scale producers. As part of this, we undertake ethical audits and producer training programmes. Read More
Ethical Business Projects
Africa Now, with its unique combination of ethical business expertise and rural development experience, is able to offer special project implementation services to private sector partners who wish to have a greater impact in the communities with which they are working. Many companies want to take their ethical sourcing issues beyond that of observing workers rights, but also to ensure some benefit from the organisation also extends to the local community. Africa Now works in collaboration with both the private sector and smallscale producers to strengthen enterprise skills and bring about successful business linkages. The list of Ethical Business Projects can be found below.
Export Trade Project - Enabling the poor to share the fruits
Developed by the EBS team in Nairobi, this projects aims to alleviate poverty by empowering low income households in Kenya to benefit from opportunities posed by increased global trade. Read More