African Urban Professionals & Rural Farming - (Agricultural Markets that Favour Africa)

About African Urban Professionals & Rural Farming - (Agricultural Markets that Favour Africa)

You can take an African out of the village, but you cannot take the village out of an African. Most of us live in the city but are farming in the village, either out of family obligation, or a deep routed desire to see agriculture work for Africa. What is the return on investment? How does that align with #Agenda2063 - "The Africa We Want" by 2063? Fostina Mani is championing an agricultural markets revolution that favours Africa, under her #legacy2063byfostinamani platform her version of "The Africa I Want" by 2063.

Publisher

Fostina Mani

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Nov 2021

Latest episode

26 Apr 2024

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 Apr 2024

   Cocoon Moments Imagine, Innovate, & Implement

   Alone moments to think is a skill that one must cultivate.  It is very difficult to shut the door on all the noise that is around us.  From social media, not forgetting all the pressure from the perception that you have been left behind.  Especially as everyone seems to be living their best life ever. The reality is we very often do not see the real story and how long it took to create the picture before us. Many years ago,I spend quite a bit of time empowering the rural youth on entrepreneurship.  One of the exercises, I used to give them was to just find a quiet space with a very large stone, and just sit by themselves and think about their lives.  What they would want to do.  Where they would want to travel.  Job opportunities and careers they would love to explore. In today’s world quiet moments have become difficult. We can barely stay away from our phones. It is reported that the average person touches their phone about 400 times a day!  My cocoon moments help me come to the realization that I am running someone else’s race.  The funny thing is I don’t even know whose race it is.  No wonder I felt misaligned, anxious, and not able to tell, how it all adds up to my final goal and destination.   Think about it! when was the last time you took your shoes off and walked on grass or lay down on the grass looking up at the clouds.  So, while I am still alive, I was going to be very present and enjoy every quiet cocoon moment. So, what is a cocoon moment.  The term refers to the moment when a caterpillar becomes a cocoon.  No eating, or crawling.  Just absolute stillness, as the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.  It is complete stillness, or should I say rest as its physical body transform into a beautiful butterfly.  My Cocoon moment include days away from social media especially WhatsApp, so I can declutter my mind.  It is in those moments that I get to step away and ask myself, why am I doing what I am doing.  Does it truly align with what I want in my future. One of my absolute favorite Bible verses is 1 Thessalonians 4:11 “That you aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hands, as we have commanded you”. Verse 12 goes on to say, “that you may walk properly towards those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing”.  As a woman of Christian faith my aspiration is to lead a quiet life, which to me means lots and lots of quietness in cocoon moments.  The second is to mind my own business.  Which means I am to focus onbuilding my business empire.  My mind and focus should be using my talents to generate an income for me. Cocoon moments are also moments of creativity and business strategy.  It is in my cocoon moments I have found the guts and the strength to make my most difficult, risky and scary life’s decision.  Innovations is another benefit of cocoon moments.  God has placed such potential within us.  There are aspirations within us that were killed along our adulting process.  I am thinking about my primary school debates.  Who would ever know they would be a handy tool for podcasting.  But it was a seed God had planted there just waiting to be cultivated at the right time. In my cocoon moments, I also get to hear God remind me that I have a role to play in encouraging others to dare dream and trust God for their cocoon moments.  I may not sing like my favorite gospel singer, but God reminds me that the same way I have found encouragement in the words, songs, and life of others.  I like wise must also write, speak, and share words of encouragement to others.  The goal is not the clicks or the eye balls, but if I can transform one life, I have done very well.  If I can get only one person to listen and dare to believe, then I have done very well.

2. 

   5 Jan 2024

   Kenya's Kadogo (Micro) Economy A Serious Ecommerce Force

   Kenya’s informal economy constitutes of US$136 billion. Today we are seeing large companies including leading supermarkets beginning to sell open sacks which will allow Africa’s Informal markets to cut their cloth according to the size of their pockets.  Today, package unit size no longer work, Africa wants what they can afford. Kenya’s Safaricom and Airtel have realized Africa’s micro mass market is the way to go.  And they have literally disrupted if not taken business away from many leading companies that provide pay television and high-speed internet services such as Zuku. Kenya’s Safaricom and Airtel hit the “Kadogo Economy” by selling their products and services at their lowest divisible level and allowing consumers to make small daily purchases. Vitual tills either for shops, banks, or other services providers in the form of Mpesa Tills, Poshi La Biashara and Paybills are very important services and products offering from Safaricom and Airtel in on boarding Africa’s micro and small entrepreneurs into mobile money.  Kenya is virtually using mobile money to pay for everything.  This has also seen the rise of several mobile applications that are taking part in the mobile money space. Did you know Kenya leads in the world Tiktok usage? According to Reuters Institute Digital News report 2023, Kenya has 54% of global TikTok usage, followed by Thailand and South Africa. Tiktok has created one massive platform that allows every African to showcase their talent and compete with many internationalbrands.  Many micro entrepreneurs are turning smart phones into virtual shops, wallets, as well as electronic transaction receipts especially when dealing with taxes, which drastically cuts down on operating expenses. The entertainment industry in rural Africa is booming business.  Young African MC’s who would never compete with celebrities are making serious money, by simply showcasing their services online.  Today, we can truly say the world is flat, it is an even playing ground for all entrepreneurs across the globe regardless.

3. 

   20 Dec 2023

   Mentoring African Youth to The Africa We Want Agenda2063

   An old and very valuable African tradition we unintentionally lost, which we are currently heavily paying the price for is youth mentorship.  See! In the African traditional custom, the family which normally went beyond the parents and children, and included aunties and uncles, would gather outside and sit around a fire to share stories. The women would normally sit around the fire in the kitchen with their grandmothers, while the elders sat outside, mentoring the young men.  The African Three-legged stool is where as young African women, we were taugh how to sit properly with our legs closed together.  My maternal grandmother used to tell me that the fire would put ugly marks, which she called “Mbala” on my inner thigh.  Truth be told, the only marks I ever got, were here painful pinches whenever I forgot to sit properlywith my legs put together.  To date am very careful how I sit. The entertainment mainly through the television and social media with all its benefit, has replaced mentorship in many homes. Mentorship has completely been removed from many homes, especially today for the young person who is not really involved in church programs, youth clubs, or professional clubs.  Today many young people are clueless on the many life skills that used to be passed on around a fire in many African homes.  In this series of African Youth in Agribusiness, I hope to share my stories to inspire young people as an African Mother, wife, trader, especially as a woman in technology to cause Africa to think differently especially about Africa’s Agricultural markets and trade.

4. 

   23 Nov 2023

   Snail Trade - Easy Startup for African Youth

   Did you know the total value of Snail Import in 2022 was US$61,801,000 (Ksh9,412,292,300) against exports of US$59,520,000 (Ksh9,064,896,000). With a shortage of US$2,281,000 (Ksh347,396,300), and I have been busy killing snails because they are eating away at my fruit seedlings. I have been using the self-watering plants technology to grow my fruit seedlings using my recycled kitchen water waste. When I noticed a lot of snails around the plastic bottles. It was peaceful co-existence at first, until they started eating at my seedlings, then it became personal. Did you know snails can be used in making cosmetics? Yes, there is skin repairing and regeneration cream as well as anti-aging. Did you know a Kenyan a snail farmer is reported to have quoted 1 kilogram of snails was selling at Ksh1,500(US$9.85)? 1 Kilogram of Snail Shells was selling at Ksh1,443(US$9.48). 1 Kilogram of snail slime was selling at Ksh6,244(US$41). Did you know Africa’s entire snail export in 2022 was US$14,006,000 (Ksh2,133,113,800)? The leading African exporters of snails in 2022 are Morocco US$8,756,000 (Ksh1,333,538,800), Tunisia US$2,550,000 (Ksh388,365,000), Senegal US$1,569,000(Ksh238,958,700), Algeria US$766,000(ksh116,661,800), Cote d’lvoire US$126,000 (Ksh19,189,800), Guinea US$114,000 (Ksh17,362,200), Sierra Leone US$60,000 (Ksh9,138,000), Cameroon US$33,000 (Ksh5,025,900), Zimbabwe US$16,000 (Ksh2,436,800), Benin and Ghana US$5,000 (Ksh761,500), Egypt US$3,000 (Ksh456,900). My beloved Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana, Congo, DRC, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania are absolutely not exporting any snails. Eswatini, Equatorial Guines, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Seychelles, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, and South Africa are importing snails. With Namibia importing US$213,000 (Ksh32,439,900) and South Africa US$222,000 (Ksh33,810,600) in 2022. Clearly, there is a huge market and demand for snails. If a lot of the African countries will embrace snail farming as a simple business, then snail farming will open doors for youth business in Africa. The world’s leading importers of snails in 2022 were France US$16,898,000 (Ksh2,573,565,400), Spain US$10,177,000 (Ksh1,549,957,100), Italy US$6,444,000 (Ksh981,421,200), Romania US$3,905,000 (Ksh594,731,500), Bosnia and Herzegovina US$3,518,000 (Ksh535,791,400), Portugal US$2,783,000 (Ksh423,850,900), United States of America US$2,615,000 (Ksh398,264,500), Czech Republic US$2,599,000 (Ksh395,827,700), Lithuania US$2,585,000 (Ksh393,695,500), Germany US$1,007,000 (Ksh153,366,100), Belgium US$970,000 (Ksh147,731,000), Canada US$867,000 (Ksh132,044,100), Hong Kong US$650,000 (Ksh98,995,000), Netherlands US$647,000 (Ksh98,538,100), Greece US$493,000 (Ksh75,083,900), China US$428,000 (Ksh65,184,400). The data clearly shows there is a huge export market opportunity for many African countries especially those who do not consume snail. My advice to anyone considering snail farming is to take their time and do their research carefully. Google as well as do your own personal research. YouTube is always a good place to start.

5. 

   3 Nov 2023

   Suicidal Financial Distress Amongst Women Entrepreneurs

   Suicidal thoughts amongst women entrepreneurs seem to be on the rise.  In the last couple of months, I have found myself amid conversations with women entrepreneurs who have lost a lot of money and are completely at a loss on what to do. In my most recent conversation was at a hospital, where one female entrepreneur openly admitted that she was there because she had contemplated suicide a few times.  When asked her why? She simply told me that she owed a lot of money because her business had failed.  It turns out the lady was lending out money to people for a fee. She had investors whom she got money from, then she in turn loaned out the money at an interest.  Without going into much details it turns out that she was conned.  She cannot exactly recall how but before she knew it she had lost all the money investors had given her, now she was having to deal with a lot of threatening calls and harassment from her creditors. I was intrigued that if the money was not the problem, especially if she was confident that she could pay it all back.  Why kill yourself I asked?  Do you have any children?  She happily said she had children, and they were not small children. My mouth went ahead of me, and I asked her if she realized that most people would probably forget about her within two weeks after her burial.  I asked her, so what would happen to her children? Why would she allow her children to suffer life without a mother?  Especially seeing her husband would probably be showing up at her funeral with his side chick.  I was only guessing the side chick part, however a light bulb lit in her head, and she turned around and asked. By the way why am I trying to kill myself? I was like “You tell me?” #nativesense #agenda2063 #theafricawewant #theafricaiwant #dyi #women #financial #suicide #distress #entrepreneurs #mobileloans #bankrupcy #auction

6. 

   25 Jul 2023

   Tomatoes From Nowhere Nairobi Gal Gone Urban Farmer

   Recycling my Kitchen water waste has become my new obsession, especially after seeing how it has slowing converted me into a horticulture farmer.  Many farmers and medium traders have reached out to me asking if I could develop a horticultural market information website similar to my current one for dry agricultural commodity trade www.bettagrains.com (http://www.bettagrains.com).  I toyed with the idea, but really lacked the incentive to do it, because I was not particularly trading in fresh produce.  Yes, I have data on the horticulture but data without any street business smartness especially from the African informal market’s perspective was not enough motivation for me. I saw the need but lacked the incentive to develop the website. Until one day as I was watering my mangoes and avocado seedings I noticed a tomatoes plant sprouting near my mangoes and avocado seedlings.  Then a thought to myself, let’ssee what will happen, so I continued watering it along with my mangoes and avocado seedlings.  Before long another tomatoes seedling sprouted, then another, then another, before I knew it I had tomatoes sprouting all over which I did not plant. Having tried to plant tomatoes and miserably failing in the past, I asked myself if this is something I really wanted to do.  I figured why not perhaps there is a lesson to learn.  Let’s see where this leads to. Hi my name is Fostina FOSTINA last name Mani spelt MANI (www.fostinamani.com).  I am the Global Trade Engagement Director at Betta Grains (www.bettagrains.com) am also the Founder of a market place called Mothers of Africa Mobile Soko (www.mothersofafricamobilesoko.com (http://www.mothersofafricamobilesoko.com)).  I believe Africa can feed itself.  I believe Africa can profit from agriculture trade.  And that is why I am championing for an Agricultural Markets Revolution that favours Africa. Well, the tomatoes did grow, and kept on growing.  What I had not realized was the few seeds from my chopping board had found their way into my small garden through my recycled kitchen water. The tomatoes ignited an additional passion of playing around with different types of seeds.  I ventured into passion fruit farming, the only problem was it was during the dry season, and both my husband and especially my mother-in-law did not seem to understand my logic.  They gave me a lecture or two about how not to plant when it is not rainy season.  However, seeing that I was raised in the city, they decided to humor my excitement and figured out I would soon find out for myself when my passion fruits dry up.  In addition to the passion fruits, I also decided to plant mangoes, avocados, and pawpaw.   I saw everyone’s one raised eyebrow, they simply had not seen my secret weapon, which was my kitchen water waste, not to mentions the very many plastic bottles I had been collecting, because as previously mentioned am extremely bothered by plastic bottles waste. So, I planted my mangoes, avocadoes, and passion fruits.  I had also carried water in plastic bottles, I was going to use the plastic bottles for drip irrigation by simply making a hole on the lid of the plastic bottle which I would turn upside down.  I also incorporate the zai pits (planting pockets, or basins), so that water can last longer. Africa is heavily dependent on rain feed agriculture, even though every homestead using a minimum of about 80 liters of water daily.  Most of that water is used in the kitchen and in washing clothes.  If each family would collect only 60 liters of kitchen waste daily, that is more than enough water to grow enough onions, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and every type of food consumed in every homestead both during and after the rainy season.  There is a myth that Africans believe.  That soapy water will dry the seedlings.  That is not true, I use both the water waste from both the kitchen and that used in washing clothes and am yet to see any seedling die.  I hope you have enjoyed my story. Thank you for listening to me.

7. 

   25 May 2023

   The Nairobi Maize Report Quarter 1 (January - March) 2023

   Is there Maize Demand in Kenya? Yes! about 3.9 million MTs is what is required for Kenya’s consumption. How come we cannot find any maize in Nairobi?  Maize queries from both buyers and sellers have been our most frequently asked questions.  We have compiled a very well researched, and business focused maize report.  That will help traders make more informed business decisions.  Such as where are the profitable business opportunities within Kenya’s counties.  What is the size of the maize business opportunity in Kenya Shillings and US Dollars? What is the most profitable county to sell the maize? What prof it should one expect from a 28MTs container or trailer of maize?  Where else should a trader sell the maize besides Nairobi? What are the profit margins in Out-Of-County trades especially for a 28MTs of maize? How much should I sell my maize? Are there risks traders and farmers should be aware of? What about fluctuation of Maize Market Prices? We have extensively studied maize market demands and supplies, against prevailing market prices.  Using our experience as traders, we have also factored in the various logistical costs to better advise you on what profit a trader can make on a 28MTs container or trailer of maize. There are counties where it is more profitable to sell the maize within that county than selling across other counties. We have removed the guess work of where to sell the maize, by providing you with a list of large buyers,  We have calculated for you the profit margins for 28MTs of maize in the most profitable counties.  As well as listed the business opportunity values in both Kenya Shillings  and United States Dollars when selling within the county and across counties, both in tables and charts.  We provided guidance on how much to sell your maize, and caution you on risks and mistakes to avoid.  The monetary value of risks eliminated far out weights the highly subsided price of the report. Kindly note the report is strictly available online. https://mothersofafricamobilesoko.com/product/maize-demand-in-kenya/

8. 

   14 Dec 2022

   Africa's Agenda2063 - "How to Innovatively Position Yourself"

   I have been looking but there are no jobs offers. I have just lost my job. What do I do? What business should I start? Am stuck in the village with no job prospects. What do I do? What agribusiness venture can I start? Am seriously worried about what I will do when I retire? What can I do to earn money quickly? I want to move my business to the next level. What do I do? I hate my job, but I have bills to pay. What do I do? Am tried of making others rich. When will I work for myself and be rich from my work? These are just but a few of the many questions I get asked a lot from many Africans youth, and many agribusiness entrepreneurs as well as professionals. The root cause without a doubt is uncertainty with regard to what ones talents, giftings, calling, and skills. The uncertainty I have discovered lies in the lack of discovering the beauty of quietness in thinking. Hi, my name is Fostina Mani, am the Global Trade Engagement Director, Betta Grains www.bettagrains.com (http://www.bettagrains.com/) and Founder of a private marketplace Mothers of Africa Mobile Soko www.mothersofafricamobilesoko.com (http://www.mothersofafricamobilesoko.com/). Am a recognized sector leader in Africa’s Agriculture, am credible, reputable and much sort after global trade engagement facilitator by many development partners, non-profit organization, and foreign government commercial attaches seeking partnerships and distribution opportunities for trade in Africa’s mass markets especially the bottom of the pyramid. As a woman of the Christian Faith, am serving God by championing for an agricultural markets revolution that favours Africa, as my contribution towards #Agenda2063 – The Africa We Want. Am using my social media platforms #Legacy2063byFostinaMani to serve farmers, traders, women in agribusiness, and youthful (young, mature, retired) professionals to create the “Africa We Want”. I recently stumbled on this verse “Surely, I have calmed and quiet my soul. Like a weaned child, resting with his mother. My soul is like a weaned child within me composed and freed from discontent. Psalms 131:2 (Amplified). The art of individual critical thinking is one of the most difficult things I have seen individuals struggle with. The discipline to just sit quietly by yourself with your thoughts especially positive thoughts that lead to problem solving ideas is an art many have not discovered. Yet there within lies the answers to the many questions raised above. My heart breaks every time I see Africa youth idling wasting time because they simply do not know what to do with themselves. Yes, unemployment may be high, and even those able to find jobs, the money is not all that. There are those who know they do not want to work for anyone, but the question is what businesses they start. What pains me the most is Africa’s rural youth, who have so much land within their reach and yet cannot think of any projects they can come up with. Land is God’s best gift for Africa. Yet! Africa has youth who cannot wait to get out of the rural areas to the urban cities.

9. 

   3 Nov 2022

   Potatoes in Sacks "Seed to Sow, Bread to Eat"

   Did you know Africa is doing extremely well in the fresh and frozen potatoes trade. Some African country exported USD264, 319,000 worth of fresh and frozen potatoes, while African countries imported USD127,884,000 worth of fresh and frozen potatoes, given Africa a positive trade balance of USD136,435,000. Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, and Tanzania were those that exported millions of dollars’ worth of potatoes. While Zimbabwe, Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, and Malawi were sadly importing potatoes in the millions of USD. This tells me Africans especially youth and women, have no business complaining about unemployment, there are opportunities worth millions of USD within and around your country. One of my all-time favorite bible verse is found in Isaiah 55. “As the rain and snow comes down to water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud. That it may give seed to the Sower, and bread to the eater”. This statement perfectly describes agriculture as Africa’s solution to agricultural transformation in identifying the seeds to sow. I recently celebrated my son’s traditional marriage, and as we gifted our future in-laws with the dowry. They also blessed us with lots and lots of potatoes, cabbages, and bananas. All of us left with abundance, which was such a gift especially considering the effects of drought in Kenya, especially for my people in Ukambani. After ensuring everyone who participated had more than enough of their share of the gifts, as the mother of the groom. I found myself with more potatoes than my husband and I could consume. Then I remember my family had land. It’s not lush green, but rather extremely dry, in fact at the time of my visit it was more like grey, not brown with hardly any green. Then I thought to myself, I wonder if I can still use my recycled water to grow those potatoes in sacks. See as I planted my potatoes my people of Ukambani and pretty much many African countries were waiting for the rain. As I watered my potatoes with recycled water, many wondered if the soapy water would not kill the plants. A myth believed by many, but my potatoes kept growing, as my people still waited for the rain. Not to mention the price of potatoes has skyrocketed. My potatoes have flowered as my people still wait for the rain. The weather forecast has predicted poor rainfall, not to mention the delayed rainfalls. Yet my people are still waiting for the rain. I will harvest my potatoes as my people still wait for the rain. Who would have thought a simple bible verse would have lead to such an innovative disruption and dismantling of such limiting beliefs with regard to using recycled water to grow food. Much to my surprise the potatoes in Makueni have done much better than the potatoes in Nairobi. Am suspecting lots of sunshine has everything to do with it. Planting potatoes in sacks was such a game changer in Zimbabwe, I was pleasantly surprised to see how Zimbabwean farmers where able to bring the price of potatoes down, by simply planting potatoes in sacks, they were able to produce large harvest. It was more effective because they were using less space, more precision watering, and less labor intensity. When I look at current price of potatoes, am so glad I sowed the seeds, because I will not be buying potatoes for a while, and most importantly. I will eat my bread and remember to keep some seed for sowing. I no longer have buy potatoes, that is money saved, and I still make money from selling some potatoes. Who said recurring revenue streams can only come from online work. Africa wake up, there are plenty of Agricultural markets opportunities that favour us, no matter the climate, the region, or the season.

10. 

    3 May 2022

    Zambia - My First Export Market

    Zambia was my first export market. Why Zambia, well Lady S, my last-born sister had met a Zambian man at University of Nairobi, whom she married and later moved to Zambia. My first visit to Zambia was my clue to the market demand. As many Kenyan do, she requested I visit Masaai Market, a Kenyan open market for authentic African hand-crafted beaded jewelry, excellent for souvenirs and gifts. I had the option to choose whatever I thought would be a good to sell. So I filled my suitcase with nice jewelry and an amazing selection of blanket shawl wrap, and off I flew to Lusaka. As with an African community, we like to meet family and friends. So her friends and family came to visit. They wanted to know what I had brought from Kenya, and immediately I opened my suite cases, and before long the blanket shawls wrap were all done. I was shocked, that was the fasted sale we had ever made. So why am I telling you this story. Well, I want African women to know that your export business does not need to have huge investment. You can work with what is within your reach. For me it was some little money I had, which I combined with some little money my sister had, then because our family responsibilities did not give us the freedom to travel freely. We negotiated a deal where Lady K my other sister, would like her son with me, as she handled the logistical and selling component of our Zambia export market. The second lesson I want you to learn from my story, is that gifts are all around you. Use what is within your hands, and make products and services you can sell within the African market, which is now the Worlds Largest Market. #afcfta #agenda2063 #theafricawewant #theafricaiwant #womeninbusinesss #womenintrade #africa #trade #agriculture #legacy2063 #legacy2063byfostinamani #agribusiness #export, #Zambia

11. 

    2 May 2022

    CORVID19 Pivot towards the Gig Economy

    CORVID19 without doubt has changed the world especially Africa forever. As if it was not bad enough that Africa has been dealing with high numbers of youth unemployment. The CORVID19 pandemic saw several mature professionals lose their jobs. There were very many instances many people simply could not handle living in the cities, especially during those times when lock down seemed eminent. Many simply left the urban cities and simply moved to their rural homes in the village. The concept of working from home quickly eliminated several senior managers especially those who were accustomed to working with secretaries or rather had administrative assistants doing everything for them. Those who had never bothered to figure out how to schedule conference calls, let alone having a WiFi at home. Because they left the responsibilities of online communication to others, simply found themselves unable to access their official email accounts, because they had never learnt how to do so. There was no one from IT to help them log into your office networks from home. Many were simply left in the dark, as others continued to work. Guess who was let go?

12. 

    26 Apr 2022

    How My Clean Africa Project evolved to A Nairobi Gal Gone Urban Farmer

    When I first heard Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame speak about the Africa’s filthy streets as a poverty mindset. I was really intrigued, because I simply could not relate the two. But as I listened and read more about it, I realized what he said was true. Would you dump your trash or garbage on your bed. No!! any human being normally wants to live in a clean environment, even those living in the dump site will still move trash around to find a space they can lay down and sleep. So why are Africans so quick to throw away trash anywhere. The truth is because we see it as someone else’s problem and responsibility. Visiting Nairobi’s Dump site did something to me. It bothered me and caused me to think of ways to reduce my trash and garbage. Nairobi like most urban African cities is faced with people with complete disregard to where they throw their trash, yet are the first ones to complain when the sewage systems is blocked and access to their homes is flooded. So the more I began to see dumpsites similar to Nairobi’s Dandora dumpsite in many African Urban cities, the more I got bothered. And I decided to be deliberate in reducing the amount of trash I throw out, and also began recycling waste water. And that is how my amazing journey of Urban farming began. The first step was to reduce the amount of waste water running down my drainage into the sewage systems. It was my small way of thinking on how I was going to reduce waste water running into Nairobi’s sewage systems. So, I started collecting the waste water from washing my dishes and laundry simply started pouring it on my grass. When I realized how much waste water, I was dumping on my grass I decided to use it to grow fruit trees. The realization of my success finally come when one day I realized that my trash was so little that it kept being blown away , ending up on my neighbor’s pile. I honestly had not realized how much progress I had made, and at that point I had to let my garbage collector that I would no longer be paying for garbage collection because I simply had nothing to throw away. My journey to a clean Africa had seen me become an African Urban Farmer, and that is how my Nai Gal gone Farmer story began. Yes am a Nairobi Gal whose gone farmer in an urban city. Being an urban farmer has been wonderful, I have learnt a lot, have failed a lot, but I have also enjoyed some amazing fruits that have caused me to start my path of planting more fruit trees not only in cleaning up Africa, but also as my contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. That is how I am now contributing towards global warming and climate change by the reduction of carbon emissions.

13. 

    22 Mar 2022

    Ground Nuts Farming Distress Call within African Continental Free Trade Area

    My post on Groundnuts, Aflatoxin, and Salon Gossip has seen me get a few phone calls from people who want to grow groundnuts for the Kenyan market. One such call was from a young man who comes from the groundnut growing areas of Kenya, who wanted to find out how he can grow aflatoxin free groundnuts. My first reaction was I am a trader, I really do not know much about agricultural extension services, so I suggested he gets in touch with his with his county agricultural extension offer. Immediately felt a sense of despair in his voice as he hang up the call. I felt God remind me the reason he had reached out for me was because he had found a sense of hope in my article. I felt rebuked because he had come to me looking for a private sector approach, to the groundnut value chain. Hi my name is Fostina Mani. I am the Global Trade Engagement Director at Betta Grains, am also the Founder of a Marketplace called Mothers of Africa Mobile Soko. I believe Africa can feed itself, I believe Africa can profit from Agricultural Trade. That is why I am championing for a Markets Revolution that Favours Africa. Since that phone call I have received several other calls, asking for information about planting groundnuts, my response has since changed, and today I have now become a markets approach one. The African Continental Free Trade Area has an estimated combined gross domestic product of around USD3.4 trillion (a trillion is a million million that is twelve zeros). Kenya’s debt currently stands at USD64.42 billion (a billion is a thousand million that is nine zeros). Kenya has the potential to trade within Africa and clear her debt. Africa’s one large market is the largest world market, the world knows it and are gearing themselves to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area The only question is do Africans know it. Are they willing to invest in themselves so they can begin to trade. Africans need to be uniquely positioned to benefit from Agricultural trade, especially Africa Agricultural Trade. Yes Africans have been blessed with much land. Unfortunately the African employment skewed education, has left many completely helpless regarding what we are supposed to do, with regard to the land we have been blessed with especially the continents Agribusiness potential. I however do believe the time has come for Africa to take its destiny into her own hands, and that is why I have developed an agribusiness mentorship and coaching program. Africa’s agricultural development must begin to yield results. However, to do that Africans must get feed up with its poor agricultural development and begin to come up with their own solutions. The solutions cannot come from governments, but rather individuals looking at themselves and coming up with creative ideas and innovations that will solve Africa’s agricultural solutions. Thank you for listening to me. Please do subscribe to my channels on social media. It is a pleasure to serve you as we walk together on transforming Africa’s Agricultural markets. Thank you and God bless you.

14. 

    12 Jan 2022

    Reseller Repositioning & Distribution Program - Questions & Answers

    We are looking to build legacy African businesses of men and women of integrity whom we can develop, support and entrust with repeat business through our trade facilitation services. Africa's agricultural market is now one big market, so we are looking for individuals, who are willing to invest in themselves in order to earn more money for themselves using the land, skills, talents, and resources they have. Very many individuals have reached out to us for trade facilitation, unfortunately we have realized that it is one thing to list, read, and study agricultural trade, and quite another to be an actual trader. They keep dropping the ball because of lack of actual trading experience and knowledge on regional and global markets. Which is why we are running an online Reseller Program. This is our contribution to Agenda 2063 "The Africa We Want" #agenda2063 #theafricawewant #theafricaiwant #legacy2063 #legacy2063byfostinamani

15. 

    13 Dec 2021

    Don't Get It Twisted Supplying to WFP Can Bankrupt You in A Heartbeat

    The consequences of the performance bond, placed on WFP suppliers, is something no one ever wants to speak about. That along with the bureaucratic payment process, which some have told me may require a flight to the regional offices, is something many traders may be oblivious to. I have known this for many years but have been quiet. Unfortunately, I am seeing more and more institution pushing women in agribusiness towards this, oblivious to the risk of bankruptcy placed on many African women entrepreneurs.

16. 

    6 Dec 2021

    Reseller Reposition Program for Agricultural Markets that Favour Africa Swahili English (ShEng)

    Africa is now one very large market and Africans need to strategically align themselves to take advantage of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). As part of her championing for Agricultural Markets that Favour Africa, Fostina is urging Africans to enroll in the skills reposition program, that is aims to serve farmers, traders, women in agribusiness and youthful (youth, mature, and retired) professionals in helping them discover what resources they have and how they can use those resources to strategically position themselves to earn more money for themselves using what they have.

17. 

    6 Dec 2021

    Reseller Reposition Program for Agricultural Markets that Favour Africa (Kikamba / Kamba Language)

    Africa is now one very large market and Africans need to strategically align themselves to take advantage of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). As part of her championing for Agricultural Markets that Favour Africa, Fostina is urging her community to enroll in the skills reposition program, that is aims to serve farmers, traders, women in agribusiness and youthful (youth, mature, and retired) professionals in helping them discover what resources they have and how they can use those resources to strategically position themselves to earn more money for themselves using what they have.

18. 

    18 Nov 2021

    Who is H.E. Dr. Agnes Kalibata? An African Queen Transforming Africa's Agriculture

    Long before she ever become AGRA’s President, and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy. “The Work of Her Hands” praise her in the gates of Africa. That is why, she is a perfect emblem of the Proverbs 31 virtuous woman. History will forever praise and remember her for the great work she has done for Africa. I got a chance to see and experience the results of her work and service to the Rwandan farmers when she was the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), under the leadership of H.E. President Paul Kagame. I was not only left speechless by the sea of maize plants for miles and miles, but her work created a deep desire and longing to one day use my skills to bring such hope to my people. Today, Rwandan farmers are not just feeding themselves, but exporting to other countries like Kenya, Uganda, and last time I checked other parts of the whole.

19. 

    11 Nov 2021

    African Urban Professional & Rural Farming

    You can take an African out of the village but you cannot take the village out of an African. Most African Urban Professional and Entrepreneurs are faming in the village. We call it telephone or mobile farming. Is it a viable venture? How does that align with Agenda 2063 - "The Africa We Want". Africa has become the largest market, it also has the largest youth population. African Urban Professionals, Entrepreneurs as well as Farmers need to wake up and align themselves to Agenda2063 by creating their own Legacy2063 "The Africa I Want". #agenda2063, #theafricawewant, #theafricaiwant, #legacy2063, #legacy2063byfostinamani

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