Nine women replace a petrol pump with solar irrigation. Operating costs drop to near zero.

Kivaa town, Machakos County

Nine women, a petrol pump, and a whole lot of smoke.

Mama Kalondu vividly recalls the day she sat down to figure out their group expenses. KSh 1,100 every irrigation day going to hiring fee and fuel costs, sometimes three times a week. That was more than half of what the group made from selling their vegetables.

They decided to join our training sessions, which focused on irrigation scheduling and managing tank levels. They discovered that watering early in the morning helps reduce water loss from evaporation compared to watering at midday. They learned to read their plants: if the leaves are drooping in the morning, it’s a sign of water stress; drooping leaves in the afternoon? That’s just normal. They also picked up how to clean a solar pump filter, a straightforward maintenance task that helps avoid breakdowns. No complicated bookkeeping; just keen observation and good timing.

After completing the training, they applied for a loan of KES 150,000 at an interest rate of 9.5 percent. With that, they purchased a 5,000-litre water tank and a solar pump. Initially, the tank had a small leak at the base. They emptied it, sealed the crack, and waited three days for the sealant to set.

Irrigation time plummeted from four hours to just forty-five minutes. Their daily costs dropped from KSh 1,100 to zero thanks to the solar pump. They still buy a little petrol for their backup during cloudy weeks, but that’s only a few times a year. While they don’t have a full year of data yet, their market sales have improved because their vegetables are now more consistent in size and quality.

Mama Kalondu has no regrets about the old pump. "We’re not coughing anymore," she says.

Loan: KES 150,000 at 9.5% over 9 months
Green tech: 5,000 litre water tank + solar pump
Circular economy: On farm composting + crop residue collection