Empower 470 Smallholder Farmers
In a groundbreaking initiative to combat climate change’s severe effects on smallholder farmers, ChildFund International, Barnfonden, and Swedish greentech company Spowdi have joined forces to equip 470 farms in Kenya with solar-powered irrigation systems and training in regenerative agriculture. This scalable rollout marks a significant step toward achieving food security, effective water management, and sustainable entrepreneurship.
Chege Ngugi, Africa Regional Director for ChildFund International, highlights the urgency of the initiative: “We’re reaching farmers at a tipping point, struggling to feed their families and protect their land. With the right tools, they can shift from surviving to thriving. These 470 farms show how regenerative agriculture can improve food security, restore degraded land, and strengthen adaptation to environmental stressors.” Most of the farms are located in drought-affected regions, where water scarcity and declining crop yields have exacerbated income insecurity. This joint investment equips farmers with tools to reduce fossil fuel dependency, increase crop yields with minimal water usage, and build resilience for long-term sustainability.
Henrik Johansson, CEO of Spowdi, emphasizes that the initiative is more than a technological deployment. “This implementation in Africa is a turning point. The farmers we work with are pioneers. They show that regenerative agriculture is not a distant future – it starts here and now. This business model is designed to be replicated across East Africa and beyond.”
The initiative is supported by SHL Medical, a leader in self-injection solutions. Roger Samuelsson, Founder of SHL Medical, draws parallels to the company’s mission: “From the very beginning, SHL Medical has been driven by a vision to enable individuals.
Contributing to this initiative is a natural extension of our mission of helping people live more empowered lives, and we’re proud to be part of it.” Ulrich Faessler, Chairman and CEO of SHL Medical, reflects on the company’s involvement: “For several years, we’ve supported initiatives that advance opportunities for people. Our engagement with Spowdi over the past few years has been especially inspiring, as we’ve witnessed remarkable progress and impact.”
This new collaboration with ChildFund builds on SHL Medical’s legacy and commitment to these types of initiatives – a long-standing source of pride for the organization. The initiative builds on the success of an initial rollout of 50 systems and places farmers at the center of the transformation. These 470 farms are micro-hubs of change, bringing innovation, training, and economic opportunity to regions most in need.
The aim is to scale the program to tens of thousands of farms in Kenya and beyond, using these hubs as models for best practices. Martina Hibell, Secretary General of Barnfonden, emphasizes the broader impact on children: “When a family can grow food and secure an income, children can focus on school and learning. This initiative goes beyond farming – it’s about building stability in children’s lives, while also caring for the environment.
With reliable access to food and water, they are more likely to attend school and stay healthy. These 470 farms are just the beginning – a foundation for resilience and learning that can scale across borders.” This initiative underscores the critical role of private stakeholders in driving a just agricultural transition.
By investing in climate-smart solutions and empowering smallholder farmers, the partnership aims to ensure food security and environmental sustainability for future generations. ChildFund International, Barnfonden, and Spowdi have launched a transformative initiative to equip 470 farms in Kenya with solar-powered irrigation systems and regenerative agriculture training. Supported by SHL Medical, the program aims to combat the effects of climate change by improving food security, water management, and economic resilience.
This scalable model, grounded in successful pilot projects, is set to expand across East Africa, empowering smallholder farmers and creating a foundation for long-term sustainability.
