Sisal Processing Innovation Project
Transforming abundant sisal resources into sustainable livelihoods for women in Mango, Karachuonyo — through solar-powered technology, cooperative enterprise, and strategic market access.
Women at the Mango community processing centre — Sisal Processing Innovation Project, Homa Bay County
The challenge
Women in Mango had access to abundant local sisal but could only extract minimal fibre manually — a labour-intensive process yielding very limited income, leaving a valuable natural resource largely untapped.
Focus areas
SIC's response
Solar-powered machines
Introduced processing equipment powered by solar energy, dramatically increasing fibre yield while eliminating manual extraction labour.
Community processing centres
Established shared, accessible facilities serving multiple women's groups across Mango village.
Skills training
Trained women across the full value chain — from raw fibre extraction through to finished rope making, mat weaving, and product marketing.
Market linkages
Built strategic partnerships and women's cooperatives to connect products to buyers at fair, sustainable prices.
Peanut Processing & Value Addition
Empowering local smallholders to transition from raw groundnut farming to high-yield commercial processing, reducing post-harvest losses and capturing localized market value.
SIC Value Addition Hub — localized sorting, roasting, and paste manufacturing
SIC's peanut initiative addresses the low return margins of raw commodity sales. By training farmers in secondary processing—turning harvests into premium peanut butter, cold-pressed oils, and retail snacks—we build a self-sustaining local food ecosystem.
Quality sorting & toxin management
Rigorous sorting protocols to eliminate mold, combined with processing moisture metrics to prevent dangerous aflatoxin outbreaks.
Precision roasting & shelling
Technical training on small-scale roasting equipment to achieve uniform heat profiles required for industrial-grade snack items and paste bases.
Milling & formulations
Operating processing mills to produce smooth or crunchy pastes while keeping recipes free from artificial stabilizers and preservatives.
Compliant packaging & safety seals
Guiding cottage industries through shelf-life management, nutritional labeling standards, and tamper-evident retail packaging methods.
Significantly increased income loops for local rural women and youth processing groups
Drastically lowered seasonal waste margins through high-quality storage and conversion practices
Nutrient-rich, shelf-stable groundnut varieties kept inside local schools and households to combat malnutrition
Valuable processing press-cake diverted to poultry feed programs, boosting localized systemic integration
Permaculture & Student Empowerment
A place where students discover their strengths through the soil—planting, watering, and harvesting while learning organic farming directly from the land itself.
SIC Permaculture Site discovering personal strengths through localized land stewardship
For some students who struggle in class, the garden has become a doorway to confidence. As their crops grow, so does their belief in themselves—turning hard work into real systemic change.
Daily Soil Stewardship
Students practice active integration with the ecosystem through intentional daily planting and watering protocols.
Ecosystem Harvesting & Funding
Gathering mature crops to nourish the school community while managing baseline commodity sales to finance secondary local activities.
Community Multiplication
Transferring specialized agronomic knowledge home to set up domestic family setups and multiply robust ecological fruit variants.
Daily Nutrition & School Feeding
Providing daily nutritious porridge to children in school—addressing classroom hunger directly while improving attendance, concentration, and localized development loops.
SIC Feeding Module — connecting clean community agriculture to direct institutional relief
This simple yet powerful initiative addresses immediate baseline needs while generating long-term education outcomes, turning vital micro-nutrition loops into institutional stability.
Local Supply Chain Integration
We purchase processing ingredients directly from surrounding smallholders, reinvesting resources into local economies.
Daily Institutional Delivery
A hot, micro-nutrient dense meal is prepared every single morning, removing baseline classroom hunger variables entirely.
Cognitive & Academic Leverage
Stabilized blood sugar tracking unlocks student focus, driving stronger attendance rates and classroom lesson retention metrics.
Menstrual Hygiene & Dignity Program
Providing sanitary pads, training, and mentorship to keep girls in school, break stigma, and build confidence — because menstruation should never be a barrier to education.
SIC Menstrual Hygiene Module — dignity, education, and empowerment for every girl
We tackle period poverty head-on by distributing reusable sanitary pads, delivering age-appropriate training, and pairing each girl with a mentor — creating a safe space for questions, growth, and continued attendance.
Pad Provision & Training
Each girl receives a starter pack of high-quality reusable pads, plus a practical session on hygiene, usage, and care.
Peer Mentorship Groups
Small-group mentorship circles meet weekly, led by trained older peers, to discuss health, confidence, and goal-setting.
School Retention & Follow-up
Regular check-ins track attendance and well-being, ensuring that periods no longer cause missed classes or dropouts.
Scholarship & Education Access
Removing financial barriers through full and partial scholarships — because talent is universal, but opportunity is not. We invest in students who will transform their communities.
SIC Scholarship Module — investing in leaders of tomorrow, today
Identification & Selection
We partner with schools and communities to identify high-potential students facing financial barriers, using a fair and transparent selection process.
Holistic Scholarship Package
Scholars receive full tuition, learning materials, and a monthly stipend for transport and meals — removing all barriers to attendance.
Greenhouse & Shade Net Establishments
Establishing greenhouse and shade net infrastructure at schools to enable sustainable seed propagation — strengthening farmer access to quality seedlings and building climate-resilient agricultural systems.
Greenhouse and shade net infrastructure at partner schools — strengthening seed propagation for local farmers
To beat unpredictable weather patterns in Kisumu and Homa Bay, we transition farming from open-air vulnerability to protected microclimates. Our hubs act as learning centers for local smallholder farmers to experience sustainable technology firsthand.
Controlled Greenhouses
Our customized greenhouse units provide complete environmental protection, making year-round production a reality even during intense dry spells.
Water Management
Integrated low-pressure gravity drip lines deliver moisture straight to plant roots, cutting water waste significantly.
Soil Ecosystems
Instead of chemically intensive monoculture, we feed the soil with deep organic mulching, active compost, and bio-fertilizers.
Crop Focus
Optimized for high-value crops like determinate tomatoes and sweet peppers.