KICKSTART INTERNATIONAL INC
459 FULTON ST NO 207, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102 www.kickstart.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: KICKSTART'S MISSION IS TO HELP MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY QUICKLY AND COST EFFECTIVELY. KICKSTART PROMOTES EMPLOYMENT CREATION BY DEVELOPING AND PROMOTING TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN BE USED BY DYNAMIC ENTREPRENEURS TO ESTABLISH AND RUN PROFITABLE SMALL ENTERPRISES.

KICKSTART INTERNATIONAL HAS ENABLED WELL-OVER ONE MILLION PEOPLE TO FARM THEIR WAY OUT OF POVERTY THROUGH ITS DECENTRALIZED PROGRAM TO EXPAND SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA (SSA). TO DO THIS, KICKSTART DESIGNS AND MASS-MARKETS CLIMATE-ADAPTED HUMAN POWERED MONEYMAKER IRRIGATION PUMPS, WHICH EMPOWER SMALLHOLDER FARMERS TO ACHIEVE FOOD AND INCOME SECURITY QUICKLY, COST-EFFECTIVELY, AND SUSTAINABLY. THIS DRIVES ITS VISION FOR A FOOD SECURE FUTURE, BUILT UPON EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE TOOLS THAT MAKE FARMING A PRODUCTIVE AND RESILIENT ENTERPRISE. IN FY20 (JULY 2019-JUNE 2020), KICKSTART'S IRRIGATION SOLUTIONS HELPED FARMERS START 6,400 SUSTAINABLE, PROFITABLE, AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE COLLECTIVELY GENERATING APPROXIMATELY $4.5M IN NEW PROFITS AND WAGES PER YEAR AND ENABLED 32,000 PEOPLED TO DISRUPT THE CYCLE OF POVERTY WITH NEWFOUND FINANCIAL SECURITY ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.IN MUCH OF AFRICA, DEPENDENCY ON SEASONAL RAINS FOR FOOD PRODUCTION CAUSES ANNUAL CYCLES OF BOUNTY AND SHORTAGE, AS HARVESTS FLOOD THE MARKETS WHEN PRICES ARE LOW AND SCARCITY DRIVES PRICES UP DURING THE LONG DRY SEASON. THIS FORM OF LOW INPUT SUBSISTENCE FARMING TRAPS MANY HOUSEHOLDS IN A CYCLE OF POVERTY AND DRIVES SYSTEMIC FOOD INSECURITY AT SCALE. HOWEVER, WITH ACCESS TO SIMPLE IRRIGATION TOOLS, FARMING QUICKLY BECOMES A HIGHLY PROFITABLE ENTERPRISE AND INCREASES FARMING-BASED INCOME BY 300-500%. NEWFOUND PROFITS AND PRODUCTIVITY ENABLE HOUSEHOLDS TO QUICKLY ESTABLISH FOOD SECURITY AND REINVEST THEIR INCOME INTO SOCIAL WELFARE (EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, HOUSING, ETC.) AND NEW PRODUCTIVE ASSETS (LIVESTOCK, RETAIL SHOPS, ADVANCED AGRICULTURAL INPUTS, ETC.). TO COST-EFFECTIVELY SCALE ITS IMPACTS, KICKSTART WORKS THROUGH DIVERSE MISSION-ALIGNED PARTNERS TO INTRODUCE IRRIGATION TO THEIR NETWORKS OF FARMERS. IN FY20, KICKSTART BUILT NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH INGOS, GOVERNMENT AND UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES, FARMER GROUPS, AND AGRIBUSINESSES IN 16 COUNTRIES ACROSS EAST, WEST, AND SOUTHERN AFRICA. TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC AWARENESS AT THE GRASSROOTS AND GENERATE DEMAND FOR SMALL-SCALE IRRIGATION, KICKSTART CONDUCTED A RANGE OF FARMER OUTREACH AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING SESSIONS ON LOW-VOLUME IRRIGATION, USAGE, AND MAINTENANCE OF KICKSTART'S TOOLS, AND AGROPRENEURSHIP BEST PRACTICES. TO FURTHER SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS, KICKSTART WORKS WITH PARTNERS ACROSS MULTIPLE COUNTRY PROGRAMS TO IMPLEMENT ITS AGROPRENEURSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO EMPOWER FARMERS WITH SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ON SUSTAINABLE IRRIGATION AND WATER MANAGEMENT, AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY, PLANTING STRATEGIES, CROP STORAGE, COMMERCIAL OPTIMIZATION, AND KEY FINANCIAL ACUMEN. IN FY20, KICKSTART CONTINUED ITS ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO CATALYZE LARGE-SCALE UPTAKE OF IRRIGATION ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA BY SUPPORTING THE GROWING POLITICAL MOMENTUM FOR INVESTMENT, SMART-SUBSIDIES, AND DONOR SUPPORT FOR SMALLHOLDER IRRIGATION INTERVENTIONS. TO SCALE ACCESS TO SMALLHOLDER IRRIGATION, KICKSTART BUILT NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN RESPONSE TO COMPLEX CHALLENGES FACING LOCAL POPULATIONS. THIS INCLUDED CONTINUED WORK WITH RELIEF GROUPS IN MOZAMBIQUE, WHERE RECURRING TROPICAL STORMS IN THE CENTRAL REGION, CONFLICT AND POLITICAL DISPLACEMENT IN CABO DELGADO STATE, AND THE ONGOING EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ARE UNDERMINING LOCAL LIVELIHOODS. IN NIGERIA, KICKSTART COLLABORATED WITH PARTNERS WORKING WITH EXTREME-VULNERABILITY GROUPS IN HIGH-INSECURITY AREAS IN THE NORTH AND NORTH-EAST, IN ORDER TO RESTORE AGRICULTURAL LIVELIHOODS TO COMMUNITIES FACING COMPOUNDING CRISES, INCLUDING THE BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY, INTER-COMMUNAL CLASHES, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND COVID-19.THROUGHOUT FY20, KICKSTART'S NAIROBI-BASED PRODUCT INTELLIGENCE & DEVELOPMENT (PID) TEAM MADE CRITICAL PROGRESS ON MULTIPLE PRODUCT INNOVATIONS, INCLUDING FINALIZING AND LAUNCHING KICKSTART'S NEWEST TOOL, THE "STARTER PUMP". THIS RADICALLY AFFORDABLE IRRIGATION PUMP IS NOW AVAILABLE, UNLOCKING THE CAPACITY TO DEVELOP NEW TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS AND GREATER INCLUSION OF WOMEN FARMERS, YOUTH, AND OTHER HIGH VULNERABILITY GROUPS WITH UNEQUAL ACCESS TO CAPITAL. ADDITIONALLY, PID ALSO MADE CRITICAL PROGRESS TOWARD ITS GOAL TO DEVELOP THE WORLD'S MOST AFFORDABLE SOLAR PUMP AND HAS DISTRIBUTED NEW PROTOTYPES TO THE FIELD FOR MARKET TESTING. DESPITE UNPRECEDENTED FOOD AND INCOME PRESSURE ON RURAL FARMING FAMILIES AS A RESULT OF COVID-19, THESE INNOVATIONS PROVIDE NEW PATHWAYS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FUTURE OF FARMING IN AFRICA, WITH THE CAPACITY TO TRANSFORM THE SYSTEM BY EMPOWERING FARMERS WITH GREATER CONTROL OVER THEIR HARVEST CYCLES AND INCOME.

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