Making the Most of Water provides gravity micro-drip irrigation systems for subsistence farmers at an affordable price through a 2-year microfinance loan arrangement, so that farmers can maintain year-round harvest cycles, diversify their crop selection, and reduce the time spent weeding and water gathering. This particularly impacts families where women and children are the primary water collectors, and helps to reduce community conflict over water through more effectively using available water resources.

The Making the Most of Water team will provide small-scale irrigation systems for subsistence farmers residing in central Kenya. The gravity-fed micro-drip irrigation kits include a large 500-L water drum with a simple switch valve and filter, which leads to rows of drip tubes that have holes located at certain increments down the line and feed water directly to the roots of plants. Micro-drip irrigation technologies are often used on large-scale farms and are unavailable to the average farmer due the size and expense of the systems. However, by scaling the drip kits to the average landholdings of a subsistence farmer (starting at a 1/4 acre) and making the kits affordable through a 2-year loan agreement (at the end of which, farmers will fully own the kits), this venture strives to make small-scale micro-drip technologies more accessible to farmers living in rural and water-scarce areas.

This venture team initiated three “test plots” of land in the Nanyuki/Timau area of central Kenya in January 2010 to test the response of farmers and the mechanics of an irrigation kit designed and obtained through the Kenya-based company Irrico International Ltd. All three initial farmers showed positive crop yield results (several have sold green produce in local markets or for foreign export) and have thus far upheld their loan agreements. Between word of mouth and community engagement sessions held in the region this past summer, many other farmers have expressed an interest in working with the project and there has been a significant increase in demand for the “drip” kits.

Currently, this project operates in the Mt. Kenya area, but is a system that ventures believe could be applied in other regions as well. At present, the micro-drip irrigation kits cost about $150-180 to produce (depending on tank size) and have been distributed and maintained through the Ngusishi Water Resource User’s Association (NWRUA), a local Kenyan organization that manages water resources among community members in Mt. Kenya area. Currently, up to 9 kits have been distributed through this venture, and with ongoing support, the venturers hope to see the project continue and be available to more subsistence farmers. This venture team is grateful to the students at the University of Virginia who have helped with this project and to the Resolution Project for making this venture become a reality that can effect positive change on people’s everyday lives.

Official project partners:

• The Resolution Project
• Irrico International Ltd.
• Ngusishi Water Resource User’s Association
• Kits featured in recent NWRUA video