Happy Farmer First—Meet Frank the Farmer!

Frank was the first to raise his hand and try something new.

When you’re working in ag development, sometimes it’s tough to convince people to do things differently. When their parents and grandparents and generations of kin all farmed a certain way, choosing to shake things up can be scary.

But Frank has shown a willingness to try..

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Happy Farmer First: Meet Gideon

I worked in the railway industry for decades, but that wasn’t as natural as this. Something about farming, it’s inborn for me, it’s who I am. I wanted to get away from the city and to enjoy a quieter life, and farming has made that possible. Thank you for coming to see what we do here.

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East Africa, Farmer First, Farmer Stories, Zambia Matthew Willingham East Africa, Farmer First, Farmer Stories, Zambia Matthew Willingham

Happy Farmer First: Meet Nolodi!

We believe in help that lasts because we’ve seen how often nonprofit work doesn’t. Before starting AgGrandize, our team spent years doing other work in countries around the world, and we had a front row seat to a lot of unsustainable, unhelpful work that just didn’t last.

So how do we increase the chances that our programming will go the distance and actually be sustainable?

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Zambia, Hamara Heartlands, East Africa, Portfolio Partner Matthew Willingham Zambia, Hamara Heartlands, East Africa, Portfolio Partner Matthew Willingham

This School You Support Offers Farming + Discipleship Training!

With drought and famine affecting much of East Africa, our partners in the region are a secure source of food for their neighbors and income for their families. This tomato crop has been highly valuable, providing a 50% profit and helping support an outstanding network of discipleship training centers you've helped support.

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Development, Aid, Kenya, Zambia, East Africa Matthew Willingham Development, Aid, Kenya, Zambia, East Africa Matthew Willingham

Aid vs Development: Two Stories

This old saying came to mind again on a recent trip through East Africa, and it’s a reminder why we do this work developing farms in underserved parts of the world. People stuck in poverty cycles are often very hard working, but the work is inefficient and they often lack the partnership, resources, and vision required to move toward self-sufficiency…

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Kenya, East Africa Matthew Willingham Kenya, East Africa Matthew Willingham

Thanks to Kenyan Farm Co-Op Akili Foods!

Akili Foods stands out as an excellent Kenyan-run farming operation. The staff were extremely generous hosts with a strong understanding of local food supply chains and the challenges many Kenyan farmers face in growing and selling their crop. Thanks to Mrs. Washira for showing us around her lush farm, and thanks to Pauline, Julius, Catherine, and the team for the hospitality.

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East Africa, C Fund Matthew Willingham East Africa, C Fund Matthew Willingham

Investing Prospects: New Opportunities in East Africa

At AgGrandize, our Scout team finds excellent people to invest in, but we keep to a specific investment focus: using the C Fund to provide commodity loans.

That leaves many excellent opportunities out of our scope, but some of these businesses are just as strong as those we invest in. I’d like to present five opportunities that we appreciated visiting, to give you the chance to invest directly…

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Better Access Helps Samuel Lift Himself From Poverty

74 year-old Samuel knows his ‘why’, the driving reason behind his farming.Originally from Gikungere Hill in the landlocked African nation of Burundi, Samuel is also a father to nine children and a grandfather 16 times over! ⁠

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Meet Coffee-Farming Sisters Josephine & Frescesma!

These women are Josephine and Frescesme, two remarkable sisters whose love and support for one another inspires us.

In a culture where a woman’s honor and respect is tied to her marital status, you can imagine the challenges these strong, resilient women have faced in a male-dominated world, but they relied on one another to keep going and to grow their coffee farming business.

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East Africa, Kenya, Farmer First Matthew Willingham East Africa, Kenya, Farmer First Matthew Willingham

Farmer First: Margaret

Margaret is a Kenyan farmer and co-leads an agricultural business near Mt Kenya with her husband, Haron. Margaret’s farm felt like Eden, it was so lush and vibrantly ‘alive’ in every sense of the word. While we have not partnered with Margaret’s business, Akili Foods, they are a distributor of our latest portfolio partner and impact investment, Long Miles Coffee.

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A Food Business Trial Run For Kenyan Widows & Orphans

In a small region of Kenya outside the capital city of Nairobi, one local couple named Meshach and Elizabeth are using their God-given time and talents to serve widows and orphans in their area, and their out-of-the-box thinking and willingness to just try things for the sake of the Kingdom is absolutely beautiful.

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