AGRIJOBS 4 YOUTH

Kilimo Ni Ajira Program

Project Duration:

5 Months

Project Aim

To hone innovative solutions, model green businesses, create decent jobs, conserve the environment, and promote circularity in Western Kenya.

The Kilimo Ni Ajira Program under the Business Acceleration for Young Entrepreneurs in Africa (BAYE Africa) was a comprehensive initiative Funded by German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), executed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and implemented by LAKEHUB in partnership with other channel partners in the Western Region of Kenya. The program focused on providing business skills training, coaching, mentorship and networking opportunities to entrepreneurs in the Agri-food Sector in the Western Kenya. Spanning five months, the project was conducted under the Agri-Jobs for Youth Initiative

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

15

idea-stage businesses received technical assistance

15

Entrepeneurs trained

PARTNERS

FAULU NA AGRIBIZ INCUBATION PROGRAM:

Empowering Women-led Agribusiness Startups in Western Kenya.

Project Duration:

2 Months

Project Aim

To hone innovative solutions, model green businesses, create decent jobs, conserve the environment, and promote circularity in Western Kenya.

The Faulu Na Agribiz Incubation Program, Cohort II, targeted women-led agribusiness startups in Kakamega and Vihiga Counties. This program was Funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and was implemented by LAKEHUB in collaboration with Business Acceleration for Young Entrepreneurs in Africa (BAYE Africa), Rafiki Wa Maendeleo Trust and CAPYEI. The program spanned two months, during which participants received training, coaching, and mentorship across 12 modules. These included business planning, branding, sustainable agriculture practices, legal compliance, digital marketing, financial management, leadership, innovation, and investor readiness. Additionally, Business Acceleration for Young Entrepreneurs in Africa launched the second cohort of the Faulu Na AgriBiz Incubation Program in partnership with LAKEHUB

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

12

Modules across which participants received training, coaching and mentorship

70+

women enterprises beneficiaries across multiple counties

Development of pitch decks, business strategy plans, business model canvases, financial projections and minimal viable products by participants

PARTNERS

MAZAO DIGIMARKET PROGRAM

Project Duration:

6 Months

Project Aim

Revolutionize the Agri-food sector

Enhancing the Entrepreneur Data & Impact system through innovative digital solutions

Empower 35 women and youth-led startups operating in the Agri-food sector, equipping them with advanced skills in digital marketing, including social media marketing, SEO, email marketing, and content marketing.

The Mazao DigiMarket Program, is a flagship initiative within the Strengthening Kenyan Intermediaries and Innovation Ecosystem (SKIIVE) Project, jointly led by Business Acceleration for Young Entrepreneurs in Africa (BAYE Africa) and GFA Consulting. It was Launched in November 2023.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To bolster data-driven support for startups, amplify their online presence, and facilitate improved record-keeping for financing and investment
Develop individual digital marketing platforms aligned with their business and financial models, enhancing market penetration, customer acquisition, and retention.

HEALTHY DIETS4AFRICA PROGRAM

Project Aim

To Reshape the conversation around healthy food in Africa. By addressing the need for informed health and food safety policies and empowering people to make better food choices, the program marked a significant step towards improving overall health and nutrition in the region.

To combat malnutrition, including hunger, micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable diseases, and poor dietary practices.

To harness the potential of food system diversification to improve food and nutritional security.

To support the adoption of innovative approaches to scale youth-led Agri-SMEs for sustainable food and nutrition security.

The Healthy Diets4Africa program, led by Food Security for Peace and Nutrition (FSPN) and supported by BAYE AFRICA and KALRO-Kabete, aimed to reshape the conversation around healthy food in Africa. Recognizing that safe, nutritious, and healthy food is a fundamental human right crucial for maintaining good health, the program aimed to combat malnutrition, including hunger, micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable diseases, and poor dietary practices. Implemented across several African countries, the project sought to harness the potential of food system diversification to improve food and nutritional security.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The event took place in October 2023 at KALRO Kabete (NARL), providing a platform for stakeholders to collaborate and exchange ideas. Registration for stakeholders was open, emphasizing inclusivity and collaboration in achieving the program's objectives.

PARTNERS

NUTRITION IMPACT AT SCALE PROGRAM

Project Aim

To equip Agri-food SMEs and startups with the tools and knowledge necessary to develop nutrition-focused business models and secure financing

The Nutrition Impact at Scale (NI@S) program, spearheaded by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in collaboration with ASSEK, focused on addressing nutrition-related challenges in Kenya. Business Acceleration for Young Entrepreneurs in Africa (BAYE Africa), along with partners such as the Kenya Industrial Research & Development Institute (KIRDI) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), facilitated training sessions and workshops on food safety, standards, and compliance. These sessions covered various topics tailored to the specific needs of the entrepreneurs, including food safety guidelines, ISO certification, HACCP planning, and allergen management. By leveraging partnerships and engaging relevant stakeholders, NI@S aim was to enhance nutrition impact within the SME sector and foster sustainable business growth.

PARTNERS

Project RYE (Rural Youth Employment)

Project Aim:

Project RYE focuses on four main areas in the agribusiness value chains:

African leafy vegetables

Passion fruit

Beekeeping (apiculture)

Poultry farming

For a period of four months, each participant will be paired with a mentor and will have access to 12 coaching sessions tailored to their specific needs and business interest.

Equip entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in agribusiness and to empower young men and women in the agribusiness space to drive innovation, and create economic development in rural areas.

Project RYE (Rural Youth Employment) is a special program designed to support women and young people who are venturing into agribusiness with targeted mentorship and coaching sessions. The program was officially launched on the 22nd February 2024 and welcomed over 50 participants from five countries in the Western region, including Kisumu, Siaya, Bungoma, Kakamega, and Vihiga. During the program, participants will receive guidance on important topics like strategy development, financial management, digital marketing, risk assessment, partnership building, leadership, and market research.

PARTNERS

Project RYE was fully funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT UNIT (EDU)

Project Aim:

EDU is hoping to create up to 2400 direct and indirect jobs in the Lake Basin region and the country at large through the de-risked ventures in the next 24 months.

Enterprise Development Unit is the enterprise investment arm at BAYE-Africa, with keen focus on the youth and women owned startups and early growth businesses that face enterprise management and funding challenges due to weak enterprise structures within the great lakes region and Kenya at large. The unit was founded as a de-risking center for new businesses and scalable ideas in the agribusiness, service and technology and act as a liaison between the investors and the de-risked venture through investment management support and funds management systems to enhance the optimum gains.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since its inception in November 2023:

16 attracted applications from organizations and startups

8 shortlisted

4 were selected to form the first cohort

FURTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

PROJECT ANALYSIS

The EDU, in execution of its mandate, analyses follows the following metrics:

Ideology

Applicability

Profitability

Founders Mentality

Acceleration

Structural design

Market systems analysis

Financial Management System

Product development

Partnerships management

On-boarding

PARTNERS

we are currently partnering with other Enterprise support organizations (ESO) in the region, such as:

ECOL Marketing
Pepea Capital
GIZ (Non-governmental organizations)

Among others.

CONCLUSION

Backed by a team of skilled, experienced and dynamic coaches and mentors at BAYE-Africa, the EDU is not only able to deliver the best of the high impact start-ups, but also ensure constant growth of the de-risked venture through our customized monitoring and evaluation mechanism and guarantee high ROI for the investors.