Jasiri Tai Fellows Radava Mercantile have been awarded a grant from USAID through YALI to support their work in empowering smallholder farmers in Africa. This grant will help them expand their programs and create sustainable solutions for improving food security and livelihoods in rural communities.

“We are grateful for the support of USAID and look forward to continuing our partnership in creating a brighter future for African agriculture!”, Ivan Otieno, Chief Operating Officer, Radava Mercantile

More on their work at https://radava.co/

#smallholderfarmers #foodsecurity #rurallivelihoods #sustainability

Exciting times are ahead for the Jasiri Talent Investor Simba Fellows / Cohort #3, who are now at a 3-month residential intensive in Rwanda. The 22 Kenyan Fellows join 12 Fellows from Ethiopia and 16 Fellows from Rwanda, bringing the total to 50 (20 Female; 30 Male) Fellows.

At the flag-off event in Kenya, the Jasiri team was joined by executives from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund; namely, @Hon. Fatma Bakari Barayan, Chairperson, and Josiah Arabu Moriasi, C.E.O. They congratulated the Jasiri Simba Fellows for their achievements thus far and asked them to represent Kenya well.

Hon. Fatma further urged the Fellows to align their ideas towards the value addition chain and creative ventures that will create more job opportunities.

In his remarks, Josiah Arabu Moriasi said, “We appreciate this [Jasiri] program. We fully associate ourselves with it because it intends to capacity- build our young people to start businesses. Jasiri contributes to the mandate of the Youth Fund; to enable young people to create employment for themselves and others. The Government of Kenya is very passionate about entrepreneurship. Jasiri is helping Kenya achieve its development goals. At the next briefing with President Hon. Dr William Ruto, our Chairperson, Hon. Fatma Barayan,  shall inform him of the work Jasiri is doing”.

At the end of the residential intensive, the Jasiri Fellows are expected to come up with an idea, which has the potential to be a market-creating innovation. We wish all the Fellows well and look forward to celebrating them at the final Demo Day – the pinnacle of the residential intensive.

In an endeavor to bring together key stakeholders in the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem to collaborate and support budding entrepreneurs, Jasiri partnered with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry, ICC-ECA Centre of Entrepreneurship Nairobi to host the inaugural Start-Up Pitch Event. This was held yesterday, 23rd February 2023 at the Jasiri offices, Nairobi Garage, Kilimani. The key purpose was to collaborate in creating a more conducive environment for entrepreneurs to succeed.

Our sincere gratitude to the 15 start-ups that pitched. It was exciting to hear about the innovations coming from young people in the country, solving problems in different fields including #agriculture, Beauty&Cosmetics, #investment, #mentalhealthawareness, #pharmaceuticalindustry, and #transportation.

Sincere gratitude to our panelists Noreen Nthiga, – Executive Office of President; Peninah Muchiri– Jubilee Insurance; Kingsley Melita Kipury; Peris M. – KRA(KENYA REVENUE AUTHORITY); Cromwell Kedemi – UBA Group; Mildred Eboi – Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS); Dr. Robert Karanja –Villgro Africa; Favour Ruhiu – Adanian Labs, Nelvin Obiero – EAGC Grain Business Institute (GBI);  Ramah Madiba – Chair ICT and Innovation Committee KNCCI; and Roselyn Marandu-Kareithi (PhD) – Jasiri. We are grateful for your insights and advice to propel the start-ups forward.

Key takeaways from the engagement that took place include;

1. The need to create opportunities and spaces that encourage the collaborative cross-pollination of ideas around how best to help Startups and Founders access services available to them from government-adjacent bodies and agencies tasked with advancing the cause of Entrepreneurship.
2. The ability to leverage strategic partnerships is a crucial skill every Founder should master. Founders should pursue these with the same zeal and enthusiasm they pursue fundraising opportunities as they present value beyond capital.
3. #Founders should pursue Dynamic Innovation – innovations that evolve over time with the customers’ needs in mind. Be futuristic – constantly review and reposition your offering for the future and prepare internally for any resultant disruption to your own business model.
4. It is paramount that #Founders prioritize the power of storytelling, not only when pitching their solutions to investors and stakeholders, but to articulate the impact of their brands and the position they occupy in a crowded marketplace.
5. #Startups should seek the right advice and follow appropriate governance processes and procedures without putting undue burden on themselves and their often limited resources.

Be on the look for many more of these forums to come in the near future.