KOMAZA
Encyclopedia
KOMAZA is a social enterprise
that develops economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in East Africa
’s unfertile and drought-prone regions. Founded in 2006 by Tevis Howard, the organization’s social business model is designed to dramatically boost household income and wealth for rural farm families.
By reducing burdensome start-up costs, helping farmers grow more productive, high-value crops and removing barriers to market access, KOMAZA aims to transform entire agriculture value chain
s to make them work better for the poor.
Swahili
for “promote development; encourage growth”, KOMAZA is registered as an official non-governmental organization
(NGO) in Kenya
and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States. It is incorporated in the State of California.
in East Africa
.
The organization’s “microforestry” model is a unique combination of microfinance
, sustainable forestry and conservation being implemented throughout Costal Kenya
. Working through a village-based farmer extension network, KOMAZA identifies interested farmer groups under the advice and consent of community leadership and then provides them with appropriate agriculture inputs and tools on credit – such as improved seeds and fertilizer, on-farm training and support, and complete vertically integrated value chain
services so that they can access markets and transform their previously unproductive land into valuable tree farms. Farmers can then reinvest this profit to start their own business, pay school fees for their children and receive improved healthcare.
KOMAZA structures its organization as a social business – recovering its costs and earning a small profit from each farmer, which is then reinvested in program expansion and holistic community development. According to KOMAZA, this allows the organization to become a "self-sustaining” and “self-scaling” partner for rural development. By the end of 2012, the organization plans to plant two million trees with 10,000 smallholder farmers.
The organization has also established two industry-leading experimental farms to further refine agricultural practices for semi-arid
farmers living in East Africa
.
In 2008, KOMAZA and its founder Tevis Howard were awarded major grants from The Mulago Foundation and The Draper Richards Foundation and chosen to enter their highly selective portfolios of social enterprises. During the same year, Howard was awarded a Rainer Arnhold Fellowship, which provided a two-year stipend to pursue KOMAZA full-time. He has also been recognized as a Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow . Tevis is featured on the Pop!Tech Website giving a talk on KOMAZA
KOMAZA's work has been written about in The Daily Nation
, Kenya's most influential newspaper, and the organization has also been featured in The Solutions Journal.
. Between 2002 and 2005, Howard’s academic studies frequently brought him to the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Labs, a world-renowned medical research facility in Kilifi
, Kenya
, a small coastal town of 40,000 people.
As Howard spent more time in East Africa
, he acquired a deep understanding of the social and economic problems facing this extremely impoverished part of the world. Upon realizing the remarkable potential and entrepreneurial spirit of the community, he launched KOMAZA and has since dedicated his efforts to growing and strengthening the organization.
Social enterprise
A social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit....
that develops economic opportunities for smallholder farmers living in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
’s unfertile and drought-prone regions. Founded in 2006 by Tevis Howard, the organization’s social business model is designed to dramatically boost household income and wealth for rural farm families.
By reducing burdensome start-up costs, helping farmers grow more productive, high-value crops and removing barriers to market access, KOMAZA aims to transform entire agriculture value chain
Value chain
The value chain, is a concept from business management that was first described and popularized by Michael Porter in his 1985 best-seller, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance.-Firm Level:...
s to make them work better for the poor.
Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
for “promote development; encourage growth”, KOMAZA is registered as an official non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States. It is incorporated in the State of California.
The Microforestry Model
KOMAZA's flagship initiative is its sustainable tree-farming project, which serves as a market-based mechanism to fight rural poverty and deforestationDeforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
.
The organization’s “microforestry” model is a unique combination of microfinance
Microfinance
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services....
, sustainable forestry and conservation being implemented throughout Costal Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Working through a village-based farmer extension network, KOMAZA identifies interested farmer groups under the advice and consent of community leadership and then provides them with appropriate agriculture inputs and tools on credit – such as improved seeds and fertilizer, on-farm training and support, and complete vertically integrated value chain
Value chain
The value chain, is a concept from business management that was first described and popularized by Michael Porter in his 1985 best-seller, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance.-Firm Level:...
services so that they can access markets and transform their previously unproductive land into valuable tree farms. Farmers can then reinvest this profit to start their own business, pay school fees for their children and receive improved healthcare.
KOMAZA structures its organization as a social business – recovering its costs and earning a small profit from each farmer, which is then reinvested in program expansion and holistic community development. According to KOMAZA, this allows the organization to become a "self-sustaining” and “self-scaling” partner for rural development. By the end of 2012, the organization plans to plant two million trees with 10,000 smallholder farmers.
Accomplishments
At the end of 2010, KOMAZA had partnered with nearly 2,000 farm families to plant more than 275,000 fast-growing, drought-resistant trees in Kenya’s Ganze District, the country’s poorest political constituency. When sustainably harvested, these trees will be sold to local and regional markets to be used as raw materials for various products, from telephone poles to construction materials.The organization has also established two industry-leading experimental farms to further refine agricultural practices for semi-arid
Semi-arid
A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...
farmers living in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
.
In 2008, KOMAZA and its founder Tevis Howard were awarded major grants from The Mulago Foundation and The Draper Richards Foundation and chosen to enter their highly selective portfolios of social enterprises. During the same year, Howard was awarded a Rainer Arnhold Fellowship, which provided a two-year stipend to pursue KOMAZA full-time. He has also been recognized as a Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow . Tevis is featured on the Pop!Tech Website giving a talk on KOMAZA
KOMAZA's work has been written about in The Daily Nation
Daily Nation
The Daily Nation is a Kenyan independent newspaper. It is the most influential newspaper in Kenya with a daily circulation of about 205,000 copies. The total readership is likely to be higher as each copy is read by a large number of people...
, Kenya's most influential newspaper, and the organization has also been featured in The Solutions Journal.
History
KOMAZA was founded in 2006 by Tevis Howard while he was studying at Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. Between 2002 and 2005, Howard’s academic studies frequently brought him to the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Labs, a world-renowned medical research facility in Kilifi
Kilifi
Kilifi is a town on the Kenyan coast, home to many resorts. It sits on the estuary of the Rare River in Kenya. The beach itself is known as Bofa Beach and is said to be one of the best beaches in Kenya. The town lies on the Kilifi Creek between Malindi and Mombasa. Kilifi is capital of the Kilifi...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, a small coastal town of 40,000 people.
As Howard spent more time in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, he acquired a deep understanding of the social and economic problems facing this extremely impoverished part of the world. Upon realizing the remarkable potential and entrepreneurial spirit of the community, he launched KOMAZA and has since dedicated his efforts to growing and strengthening the organization.