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    Bristol Myers Squibb One Young World Scholarship 2023 (Fully Funded to attend the 2023 One Young World Summit in Belfast, Northern Ireland)

    Bristol Myers Squibb One Young World Scholarship 2023 (Fully Funded to attend the 2023 One Young World Summit in Belfast, Northern Ireland)

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    The Mawazo Institute Fellowship Programme 2023 for African women PhD students

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    The Sahara Group 2023 Graduate Management Trainee Program for young graduates.

    Baker Hughes 12-months Graduate Internship Programme 2023 for young Africans.

    Baker Hughes 12-months Graduate Internship Programme 2023 for young Africans.

    AIMS South Africa/DeepMind AI for Science Master’s Scholarship Program 2023 for young Africans. (Fully Funded)

    AIMS South Africa/DeepMind AI for Science Master’s Scholarship Program 2023 for young Africans. (Fully Funded)

    Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program for women-led tech startups

    Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program for women-led tech startups

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    The Jasiri Talent Investor Program 2023 for young East African Entrepreneurs.

    Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships 2023/2024 (for low and middle-income countries) to Study in the United Kingdom (Fully Funded)

    Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships 2023/2024 (for low and middle-income countries) to Study in the United Kingdom (Fully Funded)

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    Wendy Okolo: 26-year-old Nigerian woman becomes first black woman to obtain PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas, wins US Government award

    Wendy Okolo: 26-year-old Nigerian woman becomes first black woman to obtain PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas, wins US Government award

    32-year-old housemaid bags university degree after 12 years of caring for others

    32-year-old housemaid bags university degree after 12 years of caring for others

    Nicole Lynn becomes first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl

    Nicole Lynn becomes first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl

    Young Nigerian Lady sets record, bags Bachelors degree at 19, Masters at 22 and PhD at 25 years old

    Young Nigerian Lady sets record, bags Bachelors degree at 19, Masters at 22 and PhD at 25 years old

    Nigeria: Replacing imported baby foods with local production

    Nigeria: Replacing imported baby foods with local production

    Kenyan company seeks to change the skincare game with Korean technology

    Kenyan company seeks to change the skincare game with Korean technology

    17-year-old genius who graduated from high school at age 11 is on set to bags her doctorate this year

    17-year-old genius who graduated from high school at age 11 is on set to bags her doctorate this year

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      Wendy Okolo: 26-year-old Nigerian woman becomes first black woman to obtain PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas, wins US Government award

      Wendy Okolo: 26-year-old Nigerian woman becomes first black woman to obtain PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas, wins US Government award

      32-year-old housemaid bags university degree after 12 years of caring for others

      32-year-old housemaid bags university degree after 12 years of caring for others

      Nicole Lynn becomes first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl

      Nicole Lynn becomes first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl

      Young Nigerian Lady sets record, bags Bachelors degree at 19, Masters at 22 and PhD at 25 years old

      Young Nigerian Lady sets record, bags Bachelors degree at 19, Masters at 22 and PhD at 25 years old

      Nigeria: Replacing imported baby foods with local production

      Nigeria: Replacing imported baby foods with local production

      Kenyan company seeks to change the skincare game with Korean technology

      Kenyan company seeks to change the skincare game with Korean technology

      17-year-old genius who graduated from high school at age 11 is on set to bags her doctorate this year

      17-year-old genius who graduated from high school at age 11 is on set to bags her doctorate this year

      Francesca Opoku

      Ghana: Building an export-oriented skincare company

      Amazing story – Meet 23yr old Jessikah Inaba, UK’s first black and blind barrister

      Amazing story – Meet 23yr old Jessikah Inaba, UK’s first black and blind barrister

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        Bristol Myers Squibb One Young World Scholarship 2023 (Fully Funded to attend the 2023 One Young World Summit in Belfast, Northern Ireland)

        Bristol Myers Squibb One Young World Scholarship 2023 (Fully Funded to attend the 2023 One Young World Summit in Belfast, Northern Ireland)

        The Mawazo Institute Fellowship Programme 2023 for African women PhD students

        The Mawazo Institute Fellowship Programme 2023 for African women PhD students

        The Sahara Group 2023 Graduate Management Trainee Program for young graduates.

        The Sahara Group 2023 Graduate Management Trainee Program for young graduates.

        Baker Hughes 12-months Graduate Internship Programme 2023 for young Africans.

        Baker Hughes 12-months Graduate Internship Programme 2023 for young Africans.

        AIMS South Africa/DeepMind AI for Science Master’s Scholarship Program 2023 for young Africans. (Fully Funded)

        AIMS South Africa/DeepMind AI for Science Master’s Scholarship Program 2023 for young Africans. (Fully Funded)

        Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program for women-led tech startups

        Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program for women-led tech startups

        The Jasiri Talent Investor Program 2023 for young East African Entrepreneurs.

        The Jasiri Talent Investor Program 2023 for young East African Entrepreneurs.

        Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships 2023/2024 (for low and middle-income countries) to Study in the United Kingdom (Fully Funded)

        Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships 2023/2024 (for low and middle-income countries) to Study in the United Kingdom (Fully Funded)

        GTCO Kenya Orange Tribe Graduate Trainee Program 2023 for young Kenya graduates.

        GTCO Kenya Orange Tribe Graduate Trainee Program 2023 for young Kenya graduates.

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        Wendy Okolo: 26-year-old Nigerian woman becomes first black woman to obtain PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas, wins US Government award

        Wendy Okolo: 26-year-old Nigerian woman becomes first black woman to obtain PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas, wins US Government award

        32-year-old housemaid bags university degree after 12 years of caring for others

        32-year-old housemaid bags university degree after 12 years of caring for others

        Nicole Lynn becomes first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl

        Nicole Lynn becomes first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl

        Young Nigerian Lady sets record, bags Bachelors degree at 19, Masters at 22 and PhD at 25 years old

        Young Nigerian Lady sets record, bags Bachelors degree at 19, Masters at 22 and PhD at 25 years old

        Nigeria: Replacing imported baby foods with local production

        Nigeria: Replacing imported baby foods with local production

        Kenyan company seeks to change the skincare game with Korean technology

        Kenyan company seeks to change the skincare game with Korean technology

        17-year-old genius who graduated from high school at age 11 is on set to bags her doctorate this year

        17-year-old genius who graduated from high school at age 11 is on set to bags her doctorate this year

        Scrapays co-founder Boluwatife Arewa

        Making money from waste in Nigeria

        Francesca Opoku

        Ghana: Building an export-oriented skincare company

        Trending Tags

        • Yes We Can
          • All
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          • Sheroes of Africa
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          Wendy Okolo: 26-year-old Nigerian woman becomes first black woman to obtain PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas, wins US Government award

          Wendy Okolo: 26-year-old Nigerian woman becomes first black woman to obtain PhD in Aerospace Engineering from University of Texas, wins US Government award

          32-year-old housemaid bags university degree after 12 years of caring for others

          32-year-old housemaid bags university degree after 12 years of caring for others

          Nicole Lynn becomes first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl

          Nicole Lynn becomes first Black woman agent to represent an NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl

          Young Nigerian Lady sets record, bags Bachelors degree at 19, Masters at 22 and PhD at 25 years old

          Young Nigerian Lady sets record, bags Bachelors degree at 19, Masters at 22 and PhD at 25 years old

          Nigeria: Replacing imported baby foods with local production

          Nigeria: Replacing imported baby foods with local production

          Kenyan company seeks to change the skincare game with Korean technology

          Kenyan company seeks to change the skincare game with Korean technology

          17-year-old genius who graduated from high school at age 11 is on set to bags her doctorate this year

          17-year-old genius who graduated from high school at age 11 is on set to bags her doctorate this year

          Francesca Opoku

          Ghana: Building an export-oriented skincare company

          Amazing story – Meet 23yr old Jessikah Inaba, UK’s first black and blind barrister

          Amazing story – Meet 23yr old Jessikah Inaba, UK’s first black and blind barrister

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          Annie Nyaga: I quit my job to farm watermelons, now I’m making millions

          April 7, 2016
          in Agribusiness, East Africa, Entrepreneurship, Kenya, Sheroes of Africa, Stories/Country, Success Stories, Women in Leadership, Yes We Can, Young Achievers
          Reading Time: 3 mins read
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          Annie Nyaga: I quit my job to farm watermelons, now I’m making millions

          The following profile was first published in the Saturday Nation.
          After graduating from Egerton University in 2007 with a degree in biomedical science, Annie Nyaga expected to land a job soon after and scale the ladder in her career.
          She got a job as a purchasing assistant at a firm in Nairobi, but quit after six months because it was boring.
          She turned to farming, which was what her parents had been doing for years at their home in Mbeere, Embu County.
          It has been six years since Annie, 28, went into watermelon farming, a business that has brought her great joy.
          “I settled for watermelons because they do very well in Mbeere. They are high-yielding, mature faster and do well in the market,” says Annie who farms under the trade name Farm2Home.
          She started growing the fruit on her parents’ three-acre farm with a capital outlay of Sh20,000.
          IRRIGATION SYSTEM
          She used the money to buy seeds, but soon realised that she needed more to invest in a proper drip irrigation system.
          “I did trial runs with seeds from different companies before I discovered that hybrid seeds produce the highest yield.”
          She plants the seeds in a nursery before transferring the seedlings to the farm after three weeks.
          “The whole process, from nursery to harvest, takes about three months depending on the climate and the variety of watermelons as some mature early,” she says.
          According to her, watermelons require a lot of water especially at fruit-formation stage.
          The farmer has invested in a drip irrigation system that includes water pumps, hand spraying guns and pipes. She bought the equipment from the profit she made on her first harvest.
          COST OF SEEDS
          “Lack of adequate water leads to low-quality fruit. If one has water problems, then drip irrigation is the best alternative,” she says
          However, installing a proper drip system is costly, particularly for small-scale-farmers.
          “A drip system costs Sh200,000 per acre. This may not be affordable to many farmers,” she says.
          The option for small-scale farmers is to partially irrigate the crop and plan for the fruit-formation stage to coincide with the rainy season.
          “This means you plant seeds two to three weeks before the start of rains,” Annie says with a smile.
          Watermelons, she says, yield high returns. She invests between Sh80,000 and Sh100,000 per acre. This covers cost of seeds, labour, chemicals, irrigation, salaries and fertiliser.
          With good management, one can harvest 30 to 40 tonnes per acre.
          Prices vary according to market forces. This poses a huge challenge to farmers, who find themselves at the mercy of middlemen.
          Depending on the season, a kilo of watermelon goes for between Sh15 and Sh35.
          “Middlemen usually take advantage of desperate farmers, especially those who get high yields but find no market. Lack of ideal market linkages for farmers means brokers dictate farm prices,” she says
          But this does not stop her from dealing with brokers, who buy most of harvest. The trick, she says, lies in knowing the market price.
          During her last harvest, She harvested 30 tonnes and sold to brokers at Sh28 per kilo, making gross sales of Sh840,000 in three months. If you take away expenses, Annie raked in a profit of at least Sh600,000. Her next harvest is in July.
          “I do not know how I would be fairing now if I had stuck to my purchasing job. Going into farming was a good decision,” she notes.
          Annie wants Kenyans to change their attitude towards farming. To many, she says, a farmer is an old and uneducated person.
          “This mental picture has to change. Agriculture is diverse and interesting and young people ought to view it differently if we are to develop.”
          She challenges the government and counties to invest heavily in agriculture to make it a viable option for income generation. Students should be encouraged to see agriculture as a career from a tender age.
          “I am a living proof that farming pays and can be done by anyone. Farming is a profession of hope. To those interested in farming never ever give up,” she concludes.
          Ghanaian millionaire quits Microsoft to build university that Educates young Africans
          Trending
          Ghanaian millionaire quits Microsoft to build university that Educates young Africans

          credit – bizna.co.ke

          Related posts:

          1. Kenya: Meet Nakku Justine, A 25 Year Old Multi-Millionaire Farmer That Gets Things Done Herself!
          2. 22-year-old Agnes Ng’ang’a builds a multi-million business in 6 months
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          4. Charcoal artist Nadia Wamunyu, Kenya’s rising star
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