AMARANTH NUTRITIVE MAGIC
The idea is about commercializing Amaranth weed to provide nutrition for the rural population in Kenya and those living with HIV and AIDS virus. The project entails encouraging communities to convert the weed into cultivable crop with improved farming practices that will enable them to harvest sufficient crop for both consumption and surplus for.
About You
Section 1: About You
First Name
SAMWEL
Last Name
BIKENS
Website
Country
Kenya, XX
Section 2: About Your Organization
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
Organization Name
MOI UNIVERSITY
Organization Website
Organization Phone
+254 020 2141251
Organization Address
P.O BOX 1125, ELDORET
Organization Country
Kenya, XX
Is your organization a
Government
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Your idea
Name Your Project
AMARANTH NUTRITIVE MAGIC
Describe your Social Enterprise
The idea is about commercializing Amaranth weed to provide nutrition for the rural population in Kenya and those living with HIV and AIDS virus. The project entails encouraging communities to convert the weed into cultivable crop with improved farming practices that will enable them to harvest sufficient crop for both consumption and surplus for.
Country your work focuses on
Kenya, XX
Innovation
What makes your innovation unique?
My idea is unique because it takes advantage of a weed to provide nutrition to the poor population who cannot afford refined food supplements that are sold in markets, as well as generating income for these poor folks. Since the weed grows abundantly and naturally during wet seasons, then it means this source of proteins, vitamins and essential minerals provision will be sustainable in the long run as it can be preserved for use during periods of drought. The amaranth flour on market shelves is very expensive and therefore if grown commercially, then it can fetch money for the poor therefore alleviating poverty.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact
Through this project, I have managed to encourage the population of my rural area to adopt utilize the weed for its high protein, vitamins and essential minerals value and showed them on how the weed can be used to produce nutritive flour that they can mix with their staple maize meal to add value to their food at absolutely no extra cost since the weed grows naturally. They can also use the leaves as a vegetable by cooking it or better still drying it for long period preservation to be used during dry seasons when the weed and other vegetables are rare. Apart from providing nutrition, they also earn from selling the surplus grain harvested to improve on their income levels, this being an additional benefit to them as a community.
Problem: Describe the primary problem(s) that your innovation is addressing
My innovation is addressing the issue of poor nutrition available to people living with HIV/AIDS virus in the first instance and also trying to alleviate poverty through income generation. Due to the sky rocketing cost of food available in stores, it makes it difficult for many to access these foods. Again due to poverty, many people cannot produce affordable food through sustainable agriculture. It therefore calls for adoption of nutritious indigenous foods that are easily available albeit will improve food crop tending. Since the weed crop is easy to manage with low input demand, then it follows that it is one of those crops that can drastically improve the well being of the society both socially and economically/ financially.
Actions: Describe the steps that you are taking to make your innovation a success. Include a description of the business model. What might prevent that success?
My project is currently addressing the need to provide vitamin and essential minerals supplements to HIV infected persons in the rural areas of Nakuru District of Kenya. The Amaranth weed has proved to provide high value vitamins and essential minerals to this hurting group of the population who cannot afford to purchase processed and refined food supplements from the shops. My community has also started venturing into the commercialization of this weed to fetch money that can be used to buy other basic needs.
Moi university has provided funding and vehicles to ferry project extension personnel to the rural areas where the project is located and therefore ensuring that the acceptability of the project amongst the community is enhanced due to the trust and respect bestowed on institutions of higher learning by the community..
The institution is also partnering with a Indiana University sponsored HIV and AIDs management programme christened AMPATH to spread the use of the idea to help in health management of HIV and AIDs patients.
The only impediment to my innovation may come in form of draught which may wipe all the gains made by the society in adopting my idea and expanding it.
Results: Describe the expected results of these actions over the next three years. Please address each year separately, if possible
Year 1. The project by the end of this period will have over 4,500 benefiting from the commercialization of this weed turned crop. Since the community has already seen the value of transforming this venture into a profitable one, it will continue having a multiplier effect on the population translating to better revenues and therefore improved income levels
Year 2. this year will see the adoption of mechanized planting of the crop to enhance efficiency and therefore maximizing revenues and general income.
Year 3. This year will see the introduction of cottage industry in form of a milling plant to grind/mill and package the surplus produce for sale in both the immediate market and also the external outlets
How many people will your project serve annually?
More than 10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your innovation seek to have an impact on public policy?
No
If your innovation seeks to impact public policy, how?
Approximately 150 words left (1200 characters).
Sustainability
What stage is your Social Enterprise in?
Operating for less than a year
Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?
Yes
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with businesses?
Yes
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with government?
Yes
Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your Social Enterprise
Partnerships will bring in more expertise and improved production technologies based on research that will try to make this project a success therefore reducing the break even duration such that it will be attained much faster therefore transfering the gains immediately to the society. This will encourage faster penetration of the innovation to the community hence improved rate of adoption. The shorter the success rate of the social venture, the faster the gains are obtained by the masses hence overall success of the project.
We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model
The business venture will take 2 years to start generating revenues for the community. This will be because year one will be the incubation phase where costs will be absorbed by the project during this period of revenue dormancy. At the start of year two, the community will have already seen and felt the benefits of the weed crop and hence adopt large scale production. This is the year when break even point will be attained. In year three, the community will start processing and packaging the weed crop for sale therefore reaping the maximum benefits of the crop.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
I come from a rural area where the population is very poor and ravaged by HIV and AIDS due to its proximity to the Great North Road which is an highway that runs across the African continent from South Africa to Egypt where long distant trailers and trucks drivers use as a stop-over for their overnight stay before proceeding with their journeys since there are numerous lodging facilities and good security for their trucks and loads.
Due to the suffering of the people and considering the aridness of the area I thought there should be a cheaper way of providing nutritive food to these hurting people and therefore the birth of the idea.
Tell us about the person—the social innovator—behind this idea.
I have close relatives infected and affected by the HIV and AIDS disease and I feel I am indebted to assist this poor and hurting community to live with hope and have the courage to face the future.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)
If through another source, please provide the information
 | 102 weeks agoSAMWEL BIKENS submitted this idea. |
