Farmers in Africa are boosting crop yields and incomes with rented irrigation pumps. Learn how this simple tool is transforming rural livelihoods.
Our local partners have faced immense pressure over the last six months to do more with less. Your continued support has never meant more.
As we reported in February, thanks to your support, KickStart launched a new pilot this year: Rent-to-Try & Buy (R2T&B). This bold move focuses on sustainable, farmer-led solutions. We wanted to chime in with a six-month update for you.
ICYMI: R2T&B gives farmers a more accessible path to irrigation. Instead of paying the full cost upfront, they can rent pumps from local Irrigation Agents for a small daily fee. Once their income improves, they have the option to buy their own pump.
TAP supporters helped recruit and train 30 Irrigation Agents. Each received pumps on loan (75 in total). They also received entrepreneurship training, mobile CRM tools, and signs to advertise their businesses.
In the first few months of launch, your support:
Even during the rainy season, demand is high. Agents are charging between $0.80–$2.30/day, a fraction of what farmers used to pay for diesel pumps (up to $23 per session). Already, agents are earning income, and farmers are reporting better yields and more reliable food supplies.
Before renting a pump, most farmers made about $1.50 a day. They watered their crops by hand using a bucket on small plots, usually around two acres. KickStart interviewed 10 of these farmers. Each one shared a similar hope: that with regular access to irrigation, they can grow more, earn more, and better support their families. Many spoke about paying school fees, putting food on the table, and no longer having to rely on unpredictable rainfall. We can’t wait to see what unfolds in the next six months.
One of the standout stories so far comes from Linda. She is an irrigation agent based in a small town outside Kisumu, Kenya.
Linda owns three pumps and has built a full-fledged agri-business around them. She rents pumps to local farmers. She also runs a seedling nursery. There, she grows and sells kale, tomatoes, tree seedlings, and leafy greens. Her products reach customers in three counties. On top of that, she manages a vertical garden, a pig farming venture, and employs one full-time neighbor to help her.
“Irrigation has allowed me to scale everything I do,” Linda told us. “I’ve already repaid one of my pumps, and I’m expanding my seedling sales faster than expected.”
What started with one pump has grown into a model for rural entrepreneurship in only six months.
The dry season is just beginning, and demand for irrigation is expected to surge. Thanks to your support, we are:
Each pump you helped fund is more than a tool—it’s a business, a job creator, and a source of resilience. And it all started with your generosity.
Thanks to you, farmers like Linda are not just surviving climate shocks. They’re creating stronger, more secure futures for themselves and their communities. We’ll keep sharing updates as the season goes on. But for now, just know this: Your donation didn’t just make an impact. It planted seeds of transformation.
Thank you for being part of it.
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