AFRICAN AGENCY FOR ARID RESOURCES (AGAR) LIMITED

• Increase productive potential of gum, resins & Aloe in ASALs, catalyzing & formalizing the sector through a scalable approach to diversified & sustainable livelihoods in ASALs.
• Scale up capacity to fulfill large orders by training & equipping community groups in wild harvesting, sorting & storage of Frankincense and gum Arabic & commercial-scale farming of Aloe and Acacia.

Key Milestones Under KCJF 

• Increase in income for 240 pastoralists, 180 collectors, sorters and graders (largely women) and 90 Aloe farmers. Income levels increase by £160 – £340 which is significant for members of these pastoralist communities.
• Spearheading formalization & growth of sector in Kenya, influencing government policy & standards, increasing international competitiveness.
• Potential further scale-up through replication in other arid areas.

Founders profile

Tommaso Iser Menini, co-founder and managing director, completed degrees in International Business, HR and Community Work Services in Australia and further achieved a Master in Communication and Marketing in Milan. He is a business development specialist who has developed commercial ventures in Australia, Italy and East Africa. After five years working in the arid lands of Uganda and Kenya, he returned to the private sector driven by the idea that he will be more useful to pastoralist communities as a company than an NGO.

Kevin Abyshai, manager entrusted with most of the field work, graduated with a degree of Natural Resources Management which he paired with a certificate in geo- mapping studies. He earned a full-time role as an Area Manager with AGAR working mostly field based and reaching out to rural communities and field agents, working closely with institutions and other stakeholders. On top of his field operations, Kevin interfaces with development actors and county partners moving frequently between Marsabit and Isiolo.