Meet the wanda-ful agripreneur

Sometime back, Marion Moon, a young entrepreneur, received a phone call from a farmer in Makueni. The farmer narrated how his fortunes had turned around, thanks to a fertiliser that Marion had introduced in the county. He narrated how his income had risen from Sh9,000 to Sh40,000 and how he had managed to clear all his debts. Life indeed was never the same again.

And another farmer in Laikipia had finally afforded to buy a goat and named it ‘Wanda’. Yes, Wanda, after Wanda Organic Ltd, a company that is in its own little way is boosting rural small scale farmers.

 It is these stories of happy farmers that keep Marion going. Marion, 32, is the CEO of Wanda Organic Ltd, a social enterprise that imports, markets and distributes organic bio-fertilisers in Kenya. myNetwork caught up with Marion, who shared what it means to deliver  innovative solutions to Kenya’s agriculture sector. 

What inspired you to start Wanda Organic?

I wanted to do something unique that would make a difference but also make money. After looking around for ideas, it struck me that our farmers, who grow our food, are among the poorest lot in the country. How does that even make sense? I decided to help them become more productive and profitable. I found that the greatest unresolved challenge  was soil fertility. By researching what has worked elsewhere, I discovered soil fertility technologies from Philippines and saw an opportunity to borrow and adapt it to the Kenyan context.

What’s unique about your fertilisers?

The synthetic fertilisers in common use can be very damaging to soil. Our organic fertiliser is the breakthrough result of decades of biotechnological research that’s been used successfully around the world. We have exclusive rights to the technology in Kenya, Zambia and Malawi and the fertilisers contain beneficial micro-organisms and organic material, and are non-toxic and eco-friendly. They replenish soil nutrients and help to increase yields, shorten crop cycles and reduce crop diseases.

Tell us about the journey of Wanda Organic in a nutshell.

I started out alone four and a half years ago when I left employment and launched Wanda from my parent’s house. Today, Wanda Organic has grown to a team of 22 employees serving hundreds of small holder farmers across the country and 10 corporate clients with a presence in seven counties.

A lot of potential entrepreneurs feel stuck in employment and are afraid to take the leap. What did it for you?

I’d tried several side businesses while in employment and at some point I just decided to take the risk. When I quit, I didn’t have a definite plan, I just knew I wanted to do something bigger and better. I reasoned that if I failed, I could just go back and get a job (laughs).

What experiences or influences prepared you for entrepreneurship?

In employment, I was curious and went beyond my job description to take work on different projects and learn many different skills. This prepared me to wear the different hats you need to wear when starting out alone.

The employment experience was also critical in helping me build a reputation and networks. My first funders and clients for Wanda were people I had worked or interacted with while employed.

How do farmers access your fertilisers?

Farmers can access the fertilisers through our field offices. Most of our employees are field officers who map out their zone and work with government and local organisations on the ground to identify farmer groups.

We leverage peer networking and referrals and plan to incorporate an incentivised deal in a mobile platform that will be launched soon.

What are some of the challenges unique to your type of business?

In the beginning, our main challenge was lack of resources to test the idea and produce proof of concept. The first two and a half years were spent trying to get a government licence, which was a very slow and expensive process. It was also difficult at first for some people to take me and my ideas seriously as a young woman in agribusiness. 

What do you have to put in and sacrifice to succeed?

My social life has suffered as the work involved in building a start-up from scratch is so consuming. I also downgraded my lifestyle completely. I couldn’t afford to do my hair or shop for shoes as many times as I would have liked. At some point I sold my car and even moved back home after I quit my job. It really involves a lot of sacrifice.

What does it take to be an agripreneur?

People do business with people they know. Even at farmers level. network is extremely important but you don’t build it unless you know a few things and are credible.

What is your message to aspiring agripreneurs?

Youths shy away because agribusiness does not yield immediate rewards and it is high risk. A few strike gold at the first try but usually, agribusiness takes time and some elements of it are often beyond your control. If you find your niche in agriculture, it’s extremely profitable. You can’t go wrong with agriculture because food production will never go out of demand. You just have to learn and adapt till you find your spot.

Reason behind the success you’ve achieved so far?

Persistence has made us gain traction and more people believe in us and take us seriously.  I’ve been supported by Kenya Innovations Engine (KIE), Village Capital, Growth Africa and Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC). KIE and KCIC were especially helpful because they helped us to prototype and experiment while figuring out how to transform our idea into a business.