Nurture and Reset

I am Margaret Karaba, a young entrepreneur from Nairobi, Kenya, and the Founder and C.E.O of Nurture and Reset. Nurture and Reset is Kenya's new blockchain based agri-tech moringa company on the meteoric rise for partnering with rural small scale farmers to grow moringa in a bid to eradicate rural farmer poverty.

My work is informed by my previous experiences in start-ups which have offered me a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that African hyper-growth start-ups face.

I am specifically attuned to the challenges of rural area farmers and more importantly their potential impact on the economic growth of Africa.

I am an authentic, empathetic, and intuitive leader who likes to meditate and practice yoga during my free time.

We are Nurture and Reset, a blockchain based agri-tech moringa company that partners with farmers to grow moringa, which we fairly source from them to create our quality, organic, fair trade moringa products.

Our goal is to solve rural poverty among small scale farmers by creating and providing a direct market for our network of farmers.

Our project is elevating humanity by creating sustainable incomes for rural small scale farmer households. We make sure our farmers are paid a fair wage for their moringa, and that our moringa products are the healthiest and of the highest quality in the consumer market.

Problem Statement 

Rural poverty remains predominant in African households.413 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live in extreme poverty. 82% of these people live in rural areas, earning from farming activities. Down to Kenya, 68.9% (32.73 million) of Kenyans live in rural areas and earn their livelihoods as small scale farmers. Among this 68.9%,12.68 million (38.8%) live below the poverty level and struggle to meet their basic needs.

Factors causing the problem

Poor Market Access

Most small scale farmers are unable to sell their farm products and those that manage to sell their products get unfair prices for their produce. 

Climate Change 

Climate change as evidenced by erratic weather changes is unpredictable. Thus the major cropping system that mainly includes rain-fed agriculture in Sub Saharan Africa is not sustainable.

Lack of Information

A huge number of rural area small scale farmers lack the right education to improve and monetize their farming practices due to limited school knowledge.

Consequences: 

Rural area poverty among small scale farmers has led to 

1. Lack of resources to invest in education, proper medical care, and other basic needs.

2.Psychological problems such as depression, deteriorating self-confidence, and high suicide rates due to poor income streams.

Our solution is Nurture and Reset. We are a blockchain based agri-tech moringa company partnering with farmers to grow moringa. We directly source the moringa from our partner farmers and use it in the production of our quality organic fairtrade moringa products for our consumers. 

We are solving the problem of poverty among rural small scale farmers by addressing the factors that are the root of the problem. Here is how we are accomplishing this.

1. By partnering with farmers, directly sourcing from them, and paying them a fair wage, we are creating a direct and ready market for their produce.

2. Moringa trees can grow almost anywhere – they are resistant to drought, they are deep-rooted and can tolerate a wide variety of soils, enabling them to flourish even in the harshest of conditions.Thus introducing moringa as an additional, sustainable crop for farmers offers a diversification option that can weather climate change.

3. Our partnership with our farmers includes farmer benefits such as agronomic support (we offer free moringa seedlings), and farmer education on growing, marketing, and harnessing moringa as an economical plant. Farmer education is crucial to us and them as it enhances their knowledge of the value of their produce.

Our project is serving 12.68 million Kenyans who are largely small scale farmers living below the poverty line in rural areas across Kenya.

Rural small scale farmers are the back-bone of Kenya's economy, however, they reap very little for the work they do. We are impacting their lives by providing them with sustainable income streams.Our vision is to propagate sustainable agricultural development and farmer empowerment through fair wages and farmers’ benefits.

To better understand their needs, we directly approach farmers, have talks with them and conduct farmer surveys to grasp the magnitude of their challenges and potential opportunities. Our whole business model needs constant engagement and communication with our network of farmers and we do all we can to make sure that they have adequate information on new and improved farming practices through our farmer education program.

Our project addresses their needs by providing an additional hassle free sustainable crop that they can benefit from. We provide free moringa seedlings for them, give them free farmer education, and provide a direct and ready market for their produce by sourcing their moringa.

Small scale farmers are traditionally overlooked even though they are the key players at the core of the food value chain. Our project is well aligned with our selected dimension because we are creating opportunities for small scale farmers to take charge of their economical situation.

We are providing a solution to rural poverty by opening up sustainable agricultural opportunities to our network of farmers.

Both men and women farmers will have the elevated opportunity to equally earn with us, partner with us, and learn from us to upgrade their livelihoods. 

While in college, I discovered and incorporated moringa in my diet, which aided in my recovery from Iron Deficiency Anaemia.This was the onset of my in-depth research, and interest in moringa.

I was surprised and disappointed to find out that farmers in Kenya weren't widely growing and using moringa and therefore do not benefit from this plant, yet it indigenously thrives in most parts of Kenya.

My research also showed that moringa's popularity was widely and quickly growing as the next superfood in the market. It was then that I saw a gap for Kenyan farmers and moringa consumers locally and internationally.

In September 2019, I decided to start Nurture and Reset as a solution to rural small scale farmer poverty while introducing moringa to Kenyan,African, and International consumers.

I have a soft spot for farmers because my mother is a farmer. Growing up, I witnessed first hand how difficult it was for her to make ends meet for us. It didn't make sense that she was growing food crops yet she couldn't find buyers for her crops. When she did find an opportunity to sell her farm produce, the brokers and middle-men she worked with took most of her profit. This forced her to find alternative sources of income.

I am passionate about Nurture and Reset because I can finally provide a solution to farmers like my mother.

My experience as a business development intern at different companies, and my experience as a business strategist at previous start ups has built my business acumen. This experience was crucial in cultivating the strategies I am currently using with this project.

I am a highly strategic and organized person. I have the ability to see the bigger picture with my project, while keeping track of present details to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

I am an empathetic leader who understands how to relate and communicate with different people within my company. This is inclusive of our network of farmers who need an approachable person to communicate with.

Furthermore, My leadership experience at different start ups and companies has taught me how to harness people's expertise to propel this current business forward. I am accommodating of diverse opinions because they build the company.

Nurture and Reset is my dream, sweat, and work. Being the founder and vision bearer makes me the best person to lead this audacious dream.

At the onset of Nurture and Reset, the farmers did not trust us and refused to engage with us due to the many brokers, and con men who had taken advantage of them.

We worked to gain their trust by setting up free seedling booths that encouraged them to come to us. The few farmers who approached us for the free seedlings got free education pamphlets on the economic and environmental benefits of growing and selling moringa. They then got back to us with their follow up questions and signed up to partner with us. 

Instead of forcing our knowledge and project on them, we set up an environment that attracted them to us. The result was that more farmers are reaching out to us to partner with us. Our database of farmers has significantly grown from 1 farmer to 50 farmers.

Before college, I volunteered under the group Pacemaker International Kenya, to teach underprivileged kids in the Kiandutu slums of Thika, at General Kago Primary school. During my time as a volunteer teacher, I led the renovation of the school library and pioneered the library program to ensure that the kids could get access to books they did not have. The program also ensured that the kids had an environment to read and do their homework in. I can proudly say that the library still stands 5 years after my departure. This was my greatest accomplishment as a leader, and as a Pacemaker volunteer.

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Economical Innovation 

Our work is unique in that we are challenging cultural norms in Kenya by allowing our women partner farmers to independently partner with us and earn an equal fair wage just as the men do, devoid of discrimination based on their gender.We are committed to propagating equality and equity by encouraging women farmers to actively partner with us. 

Nutritional Advancement

Our project is innovative because by growing moringa, we are introducing Kenyans to a valuable source of nutrition, while helping improve rural communities' food security. Our project challenges food norms in Kenya by introducing unique ways people can consume moringa through our current and future products (moringa powder, moringa purple tea, moringa porridge, and moringa energy bars)

Environmental Innovation

What makes us unique is that we are providing farmers with an additional sustainable crop alternative that is resistant to drought, deep-rooted and can tolerate a wide variety of soils, enabling it to flourish in even the harshest of conditions. Hence farmers have the opportunity to earn from their moringa trees come heavy rains or drought.

Nurture and Reset provides rural small scale farmers with the platform to earn sustainable incomes in exchange for the moringa they produce. This entails availing direct market access for their moringa, the provision of free moringa seedlings, and farmer education. We in turn add value to the moringa powder they supply to us by producing nutritious and healthy moringa products for our consumers.

Our immediate outputs are:

• Increased sustainable fair wages to our small scale partner farmers.
• Direct access to the moringa market for our partner farmers.
• Increased farmers' knowledge on business skills and invaluable up to date agricultural skills.
• Introduction of affordable, and nutritious moringa products to our consumers.

These outputs link to our long term outcomes which are:

• Reduced rural area poverty and improved standards of living among rural small scale farmers.
• Sustainable agricultural and economic growth in rural areas in Kenya and ultimately East Africa.
• Improved food nutrition in Kenya and East Africa as a result of introducing nutritious moringa products in our consumers' diets.

To test some of these links we surveyed our pioneer partner farmers, and initial customers by the mode of interviews. Results show that our partner farmers' standards of living improved due to increased wages from their business with us. They are now able to offset their basic needs and save up what's left. 

Results from our initial customers show that they are benefitting from the health and nutritional benefits of moringa. 

Current number 

Our project is currently serving 50 farmers, 25 from Taita Taveta Kenya, 15 from Nyahururu, Kenya, and 10 from Kisii, Kenya. 35 of our partner farmers are women.

Numbers in a year

In a year's time we hope to be serving 1000 farmers in Kenya, and we hope to involve farmers in Northern Kenya, as they are the hardest hit by rural poverty.

Numbers in 5 years

In 5 years we hope to partner with a total of 50,000 farmers in Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. That is a total of 10,000 farmers from each country in East Africa.

Goals within the next year

1.To partner with and provide sustainable incomes to 1000 small scale farmers within the year to drive the implementation of sustainable goals 1, and 8 No poverty, and Decent Work and Economic Growth. We plan to achieve this by expanding our farmer partnership program and reaching more counties in Kenya.

2.To ensure all our product packaging is sustainable and recyclable. In addition to that we plan to plant 5000 moringa seedlings/trees within the year. This will drive the implementation of sustainable goal 12, Responsible Production and Consumption. We plan to achieve this by providing more moringa seedlings to our growing database of farmers.

3. To expand our moringa product line. This is inclusive of: Moringa purple tea range(the first of its kind in Africa),Moringa porridge and Moringa energy bars. This is in line with our company's ethos: Quality Organic Fair trade Moringa products. We are achieving this by conducting moringa food research and tests in partnership with the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI)

Goals within 5 years

1. To have partnered with, and provided sustainable incomes to 50,000 small scale farmers not only in Kenya but also East Africa.

2.To have planted 1 million moringa trees across the East African Region.

3. To keep innovating and introduce the organic Moringa skin care line to supplement the moringa food product line. Not only will we provide nutritional products but also safe skin care solutions rooted in moringa power.

As a young company that is bootstrapping, the following barriers currently hold us back:

1.Poor food delivery systems in the country that force us to personally get our moringa from our farmers because we want to ensure that the quality of our moringa is not tampered with in transit.

2. Our manufacturing capacity is currently still small and this hinders us from fulfilling large orders from major retailers in the country.

3.Financial constraints which hinder us from hiring a larger team that would propel us forward in the marketing, farmer education, and productions sector.We acknowledge that our small team cannot do everything.

1. Upon raising enough money we plan on budgeting for a partnership with Sendy Kenya for customized moringa friendly delivery services from our farmers to us. 

2. We are currently working on a partnership with the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) to not only research moringa products but also to use one of their facilities as a manufacturing point to develop, and manufacture our products. This will give us the space to increase our production.

3.We plan on fundraising, and increasing sales of our moringa products to increase our revenue and enable us to hire more people.

Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI)

It is at KIRDI that we do our research on moringa products that we currently have and moringa products that we plan to add to our product range.

Nurture and Reset is a compilation of two business models.We use the social enterprise business model in tandem with the vertically integrated supply chain business model.

Social Enterprise Business Model 

We aim to make profits from the sale of our moringa products, and part of our profits go towards: providing better wages to our rural small scale farmers, providing our farmers with updated farmer education, and providing free moringa seedlings.

Vertically integrated supply chain business model

We are about owning and managing our supply chain activities (sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution). Through partnering with and sourcing from our moringa farmers, we are able to own, and manage our moringa supply chain. This ensures that we have better control over how our moringa products are produced, manufactured and delivered to our consumers. It also enables us to provide our moringa products at affordable prices to our moringa consumers. 

Nurture and Reset is partnering with rural small scale farmers to grow moringa, which we are sourcing from the farmers. We use the moringa to make our nutritious moringa products. We then sell our moringa products to moringa consumers.

Our current revenue model is to make sales from our moringa products through web sales, and retail sales. We plan to capture the Kenyan super food market with our products and scale up to Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi. We will vertically scale the business by deepening our offerings in the super food market, learning more about our market, and uncovering new product opportunities in the super food market within Africa.

Revenue source: Moringa Sales

Our goal is to raise 300,000 dollars in the form of grants by the end of the year.

Our estimated expenses for the year 2020 is 56,000 dollars. This is inclusive of our fixed and variable expenses.

We are applying for the Elevate Prize because we hope to scale up our business, increase our manufacturing capacity, and produce more diverse moringa products in the market.In turn, scaling will help us partner with more small scale farmers. 

So far our progress is we have partnered with 50 farmers, and have sold 300 pouches of moringa powder.Scaling our company would mean scaling our impact in terms of the number of farmers we work with. This will bring us steps closer to our longterm goal of closing the 12.68 million poverty gap within Kenyan rural areas. Moreover, scaling up would translate to bringing more nutritious, and healthy moringa products to the market.

The Elevate Prize would provide enough resources to hire and pay skilled staff who would fill different voids within the company such as the marketing, finance, and legal sectors.

With the Elevate Prize, our company would be able to streamline the pick up and delivery systems from our farmers to our manufacturing point. Streamlining this process would boost company efficiency by cutting pick up and delivery time from two days to under 12 hours. 

Ultimately, the strategic partnerships will open up our brand to the international moringa market which is valued at 5.5 Billion Dollars globally. These partnerships would not only increase our international market, but also boost our credibility as a fair trade social enterprise.

Funding and Revenue model - We would like partners to support us in this sector in order for us to have a run way that will sustain us before we attain profitability 

Talent Recruitment - For our company to grow and expand into different markets globally, we would like to afford the best talent for our specific needs.It is also essential that we learn how to identify the best talent.

Mentorship and/or coaching - We would like guidance and support from wise and experienced people in the Social Enterprise space. We plan on learning from their mistakes and implementing key lessons they learned along the way.

Marketing ,media, and exposure - We would like help in this sector in order to increase visibility and ultimately boost sales. We plan to make moringa mainstream, increase brand awareness and our credibility in the process.

International Tree Foundation - We would like to partner with the ITF branch in Kenya to get further support in the moringa planting process. Their support would be inclusive of farmer education on the environmental, social and economic benefits of moringa trees.We would like to empower our farmers with the right knowledge and support, ITF would be highly invaluable with this.

CBI -The Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing countries, the International Trade Center, the Swiss Import Promotion Program and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

We would like to partner with these organizations to forge an entryway to the global market by exporting our moringa powder globally. This will further increase the demand for our moringa which will in turn translate to increased wages for our partner farmers.

B the Change, Real Leaders, Entrepreneur, Stanford Social Innovation Review

We would particularly like to partner with these media outlets because they are specifically focused on Social Entrepreneurship and Impact. We would like to share our story and have the agency of how our story is shared. Media outlets dedicated to social entrepreneurs and impact have our heart.