MOTHERLAND Impact Report 2025

Foreword

A year of strengthening the foundations for resilient farming.

2025 was a year of consolidation, learning and expansion for MOTHERLAND. The programme continued to work with smallholder bean farmers in Siaya County through an integrated model that combines farmer training, certified seed systems, regenerative agriculture, agronomic support, aggregation and market development, and began building a digital pathway for scalable agricultural advice.

The year also tested the model. Seasonal participation varied, production conditions were not the same across the long-rains and short-rains cycles, and the organisation had to manage working capital needs, seed-loan recovery, and changing market absorption. Rather than treating these variations as exceptions, MOTHERLAND is using them to strengthen how it plans, measures and learns.

Our next step is not simply to reach more farmers. It is to deepen the quality of support, strengthen market absorption, improve climate resilience, strengthen the seed system and build the data systems needed to demonstrate change over time.

We are grateful to the farmers, staff, technical partners, funders, government institutions and market actors who continue to make this work possible. The ambition for 2026 is to turn the lessons of 2025 into a stronger, more measurable and more scalable model.

Catherine Awuor

Community Lead · CEO & Co-Founder, MOTHERLAND CBO

A message from Learning from the Motherland gUG

Looking back on 2025, I feel genuinely grateful for how much we achieved together. It was a year in which we didn't just run programmes, we built real foundations, and I am especially proud of LIMA, our AI-powered agricultural advisory tool, and of the fact that we are now building our own certified seed enterprise.

But what moves me most, as 2025 turns into 2026, is something bigger than any single result. We now stand at a threshold: the chance to scale MOTHERLAND institutionally and grow as an organisation in its own right, not only in what we deliver each season, but in what we are.

I am deeply grateful to the farmers who trust us, season after season, with their land, their seed and their future. I am grateful to our extraordinary team, and to the partners who stood by us through difficult times, not only the good ones. My hope for what we build next is simple to say and hard to build: an organisation strong enough to outlast us, one that keeps serving farming communities in Siaya County long after we are gone.

Diana Beata Krüger

Co-Founder & CEO, Learning from the Motherland gUG

MOTHERLAND farmer with certified Nyota bean seed, Siaya County

Partnership

A partnership built around locally led change.

MOTHERLAND's 2025 work was strengthened by a partnership ecosystem connecting the Kenyan community-based organisation with technical, government, market and international funding partners. The partnership model matters because the programme's results depend on more than one organisation: certified seed production requires regulatory and technical support, farmer learning requires agronomic expertise, aggregation requires working capital and market relationships, and digital extension requires technology and design capacity.

What this partnership is designed to enable

Locally led farmer support and community engagement.
Access to quality and certified seed systems.
Regenerative and climate-smart agricultural knowledge.
Aggregation and market linkages that create opportunities for farmer sales.
Digital innovation through the LIMA agricultural advisory platform.

"Impact is built through partnership. Every contribution, whether financial, technical, strategic or community-led, has helped MOTHERLAND move closer to its vision of resilient and self-sufficient farming communities."

The progress achieved by MOTHERLAND in 2025 was made possible through the commitment of partners who contributed funding, technical expertise, strategic guidance and organisational support.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Chancemaker Foundation for their financial support, which enabled MOTHERLAND to implement and strengthen activities supporting smallholder farmers and the development of sustainable agricultural systems. We are grateful to Peachstone.AI for its technical contribution in constructing the LIMA digital agricultural advisory tool, and we particularly appreciate Cisco, whose funding support made the development of the AI-powered LIMA tool possible.

We also recognise Learning from the Motherland gUG for its continued leadership and partnership in management, sourcing funding opportunities, strategic guidance and connecting MOTHERLAND to broader networks. Above all, we thank the farmers and communities who continue to participate, test new approaches, share their experiences and provide the feedback that helps us learn and improve.

A verified farmer record

William Otieno

43 years old · Farmer, Siaya County

Meet William Otieno, one of the farmers whose experience helps connect MOTHERLAND's programme model to the realities of production. His story is presented here as a combination of farmer testimony and verified production records in the January–June 2025 aggregation.

"I have been farming since I was young, and I was already a farmer when MOTHERLAND was first established. I believed in what the land could give me. But for a long time, what it gave me was far less than it should have been."

The core problem was not effort. It was knowledge and market access. Growing beans and maize together on 1.5 acres, William was left with around KSh 4,000 in net income after input costs and labour: beans selling at KSh 75/kg made it impossible to scale up. Since joining MOTHERLAND in 2023, certified seed, training and a dependable market at KSh 125/kg for beans changed the entire calculation. "My bean yield has grown with only 2 packets of 2kg each; I can harvest 26 to 30 kg of beans in 0.25 acre of land," he says. "I can now plan for the next season before the current one is finished."

Verified indicator	2025 record
Issued seed input	2 packets of 2 kg each
Long-rains area	0.25 acre
Total long-rains harvest	26 kg
Returned as seed	8 kg
Sold	12 kg
Consumed	6 kg

01

Executive Summary

MOTHERLAND is a community-based agricultural organisation working in Siaya County to strengthen rural livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, certified seed systems, regenerative farming practices, digital innovation and inclusive market opportunities.

In 2025, MOTHERLAND continued to build an integrated support model for smallholder bean farmers, linking farmer learning and agronomic support with seed access, production, aggregation, market engagement and reinvestment into the next production cycle. The programme operated across five farming communities and strengthened relationships with technical, government and market partners.

The year recorded 517 farmer participations across the long-rains and short-rains production seasons, with 96 farmers participating in both. Seasonal participation is not equivalent to the number of unique farmers reached: it varied according to local climate conditions, farmer preferences, land availability, production resources, and MOTHERLAND's internal review of previous-season performance.

Production records show 8,946 kg of bean harvest across the two seasons. MOTHERLAND recovered 3,376.5 kg through the seed-loan system and purchased 4,114 kg from farmers: a seed-loan recovery rate of 72.1%. Training records captured 537 attendance instances across topics and sessions; because farmers could attend more than one topic, this is not a count of unique farmers trained.

A progressive survey reached 141 of the 209 farmers active in the long-rains season (67.5% coverage). Among surveyed farmers, 118 (83.7%) reported an increase in income, 110 (78.0%) reported improved household food access, 82 (58.2%) reported changed crop-management practices, and 84 (59.6%) reported taking climate-adaptation measures. These are self-reported findings from the surveyed sample, not programme-wide causal estimates.

The year also demonstrated the importance of financial discipline and stock recycling. A KES 300,000 working-capital facility was repaid at KES 339,000, including KES 39,000 in financing costs. MOTHERLAND also used recovered stock to generate cash for further farmer purchases and issued 1,500 kg as seed for the next production cycle.

The principal lessons from 2025 are clear: seasonal conditions matter, market absorption needs to be strengthened, seed recovery requires continued farmer support, and better longitudinal data are essential for demonstrating change over time. In 2026, MOTHERLAND will build on these lessons through stronger market development, climate resilience, seed systems, digital extension and MEAL.

02

Section 02

2025 Impact at a Glance

Headline indicators from the 2025 production year, drawn from farmer registration, production, aggregation and training records.

517

Farmer participations, across long-rains and short-rains seasons; not 517 unique farmers

96

Farmers who participated in both seasons

141/209

Progressive survey coverage: 67.5% of farmers active in the long-rains season

86

Youth participations: farmers aged 18–35

537

Training attendances: aggregate across topics/sessions, not unique trainees

8,946kg

Bean harvest: combined long-rains and short-rains

3,376.5kg

Recovered through the seed-loan system

4,114kg

Beans purchased from farmers

72.1%

Seed-loan recovery rate: verified programme indicator

30

Soil Health Ambassadors trained on soil-health management and testing

1,390.5kg

Certified Nyota seed produced, programme-reported

5

Farming communities across Siaya County

Vision

Resilient and self-sufficient farming communities where every smallholder household has access to quality seed, sustainable markets, climate-smart knowledge and dignified livelihoods.

Mission

To strengthen rural livelihoods by working with smallholder farmers through sustainable agriculture, certified seed systems, regenerative farming practices, digital innovation and inclusive market opportunities.

Core Values

Integrity: transparency, accountability, responsible stewardship.
Innovation: technology and evidence-based solutions.
Community Ownership: locally led, sustainable solutions.
Inclusion: equitable access for women, youth and vulnerable farmers.
Sustainability: environmentally responsible agriculture.

03

Section 03

The Agricultural Challenge

Why the work matters in Siaya County

Agriculture remains central to rural livelihoods in Siaya County, yet smallholder farmers operate within a set of interconnected constraints: limited access to certified seed, declining soil fertility, erratic rainfall and drought, pest and disease pressure, limited agricultural extension, post-harvest losses, weak bargaining power and price volatility.

Challenge	Why it matters to farmers	MOTHERLAND response
Quality seed access	Poor planting material can constrain production	Certified seed systems and revolving seed-loan model
Climate variability	Seasonal conditions affect planting, participation and yield	Climate-adaptation learning and regenerative practices
Soil health	Declining soil fertility can reduce production potential	Soil-health training, ambassadors and regenerative agriculture
Extension access	Farmers need timely technical information	Training, agronomic support and LIMA digital advisory
Market access	Production does not automatically translate into sales	Aggregation and buyer development
Working capital	Purchasing harvest requires liquidity	Working-capital financing and stock recycling
Post-harvest / enterprise	Stock needs to be managed and moved efficiently	Aggregation, stock management and market linkages

Not only production

A farmer may have land but lack quality seed; may harvest successfully but face weak market absorption; or may receive technical advice without sufficient resources to implement it. Climate variability can also change the relative attractiveness of production seasons.

What the 2025 evidence adds

Seasonal participation varied across the long-rains and short-rains cycles. Production was materially different between seasons, making seasonal analysis more informative than a single annual average. Seed recovery and market absorption need continuous management rather than automatic outcomes.

MOTHERLAND's response

MOTHERLAND works across the value chain rather than treating seed, agronomy, markets and finance as separate issues: helping farmers access quality inputs and knowledge, produce more effectively, participate in aggregation and markets, and contribute to a revolving seed system.

04

Section 04

The MOTHERLAND Model

From quality seed to stronger rural livelihoods. MOTHERLAND's approach is built around a connected agricultural value chain: the objective is not simply to deliver inputs or training, but to create a system in which farmers can access knowledge and quality seed, produce, aggregate, sell and reinvest.

01

Quality seed

Certified seed multiplication and seed-loan access → improved access to quality planting material.

02

Farmer learning

Good Agricultural Practices, regenerative agriculture, soil health → stronger farmer knowledge and decision-making.

03

Agronomic support

Farm monitoring, advisory and production guidance → better management of production risks.

04

Climate and soil resilience

Soil health promotion and climate-smart practices → greater capacity to manage production constraints.

05

Production

Seasonal bean production supported through farmer participation → harvests for food, seed and market use.

06

Aggregation

Purchase and recovery of beans from participating farmers → more organised farmer-market connection.

07

Markets

Offtaker and market relationships → improved opportunities to sell produce.

08

Reinvestment

Seed recovery and re-issue into subsequent cycles → a revolving system supporting future production.

09

Digital extension

Development of LIMA AI-powered agricultural advisory → potential to scale access to agricultural knowledge.

The model is designed to be locally rooted while becoming increasingly scalable. Each link depends on the others: production affects aggregation, aggregation affects cash flow, market absorption affects purchasing capacity, and seed recovery affects the ability to support the next cycle.

What the model does not assume

Training automatically produces higher yields.
Participation automatically produces income growth.
All harvested beans are sold through MOTHERLAND.
A single season proves long-term resilience.

05

Section 05

Theory of Change

How activities are intended to contribute to outcomes. MOTHERLAND's theory of change links the constraints faced by smallholder farmers with a sequence of inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes: distinguishing clearly between what MOTHERLAND delivered and what farmers reported or demonstrated as a result.

Level	MOTHERLAND pathway	2025 evidence / indicator
Problem	Limited quality seed, climate variability, soil constraints, limited extension, market and finance constraints	Baseline / programme evidence describes these constraints
Inputs	Seed, technical expertise, partnerships, working capital, farmer data and digital development	Certified seed initiative; partner network; working-capital facility; LIMA development
Activities	Training, agronomic support, seed multiplication, aggregation, market engagement, soil-health work and digital advisory development	537 training attendance instances; 30 Soil Health Ambassadors formed by RHEA; seed and aggregation records
Outputs	Farmers participate; seed is produced / recovered; beans are harvested and aggregated; knowledge is delivered	517 seasonal participations; 8,946 kg harvest; 3,376.5 kg seed recovered; 4,114 kg purchased
Short-term outcomes	Farmers report changes in knowledge, practices, income and food access	Among 141 surveyed: 118 reported income increase; 110 reported improved food access; 82 reported changed crop management
Medium-term outcomes	More resilient and commercially viable farming and seed systems	Evidence is emerging; longitudinal farmer-level measurement is still being strengthened
Long-term impact	More resilient livelihoods and self-sufficient farming communities	An intended contribution, not a claim that 2025 alone proves attribution

Measurement principle. For every outcome statement in this report, MOTHERLAND specifies what changed, for whom, by how much, during which period, and from which source the evidence comes. Where evidence is sampled or self-reported, the report says so.

06

Section 06

Farmer Reach & Inclusion

517 farmer participations across two production seasons. MOTHERLAND's 2025 farmer engagement was organised around two production cycles: the January–June long-rains season and the September–December short-rains season: 209 participations during the long rains and 308 during the short rains.

MOTHERLAND farmer with certified seed, Siaya County

How to read this section. The 517 figure is a measure of seasonal participation, not unique annual reach. The 96 farmers who participated in both seasons are counted in both seasonal cohorts: this prevents the report from overstating the number of individual farmers reached.

209

Long-rains participation: January–June cycle

308

Short-rains participation: September–December cycle

96

Farmers who participated in both seasons

Geographic reach: participation by community

Long-rains vs. short-rains seasonal participation, 5 communities in Siaya County

Pap Gori

35

37

Malanga

67

38

Boro

25

12

Yala

82

77

North Alego

0

144

Long rains (Jan–Jun)Short rains (Sep–Dec)

MOTHERLAND expanded its programme to North Alego in 2025 in response to demand from local farmers and community leaders. Totals: Pap Gori 72 · Malanga 105 · Boro 37 · Yala 159 · North Alego 144 · combined 517.

Participation by gender

405 female · 112 male participation records across two seasons

Female · 405 (78.3%)Male · 112 (21.7%)

Youth participation (18–35)

86 youth participation records: 62 female, 24 male

Female youth · 62Male youth · 24

Why participation changed between seasons

Participation in smallholder production is influenced by community-level local climate and weather conditions, farmer preferences regarding production seasons, availability of land, production resources, and MOTHERLAND's internal review of farmer performance in the previous season. This internal review considers how well farmers managed MOTHERLAND's production requirements: a programme-management mechanism, not an impact outcome.

Building local agricultural leadership

Recognising that community ownership is fundamental to sustainability, MOTHERLAND continued strengthening a decentralised farmer leadership structure: farmers are subdivided into clusters of ten, each with a lead, and every village has a lead farmer: making it easier for agronomists to reach households through the cluster lead. By strengthening local leadership capacity, MOTHERLAND created an agricultural support system that continues functioning beyond individual project activities.

Community	Long rains (female)	Short rains (female)	Leadership role	Total female
Pap Gori	31	29	4 leads and 1 as supervisor	60
Malanga	48	26	4 leads and 2 as soil health ambassadors	74
Boro	21	11	3 as leads	32
Yala	69	63	3 as leads and 1 as soil health ambassador	132
North Alego	0	107	6 as leads, 3 as soil health ambassadors	107
Total	169	236	20 leads & 6 soil health ambassadors	405

4 of 6 lead farmers were women in Pap Gori village, 4 of 7 in Malanga, 3 of 3 in Boro, 3 of 8 in Yala, and 6 of 14 in North Alego ward: indicating that women are actively participating in leadership roles.

07

Section 07

Farmer Learning & Training

From attendance to application. Training was organised around several topics, including Conservation Agriculture, farmer sensitisation on bean production, farm management for bean production, and RHEA soil-health conservation training.

Training attendance by gender

537 total attendance instances across sessions and topics

Female · 406Male · 131

Attendance instances, not unique trainees: a farmer attending three sessions is counted three times.

Training→ Knowledge→ Practice→ Farm performance→ Farmer outcome

The training programme sought to improve bean-production knowledge, strengthen practical crop-management decisions, support regenerative agriculture and soil-health practices, improve responses to climate and production risks, and connect learning with the wider seed, production and market model.

Connecting training to outcomes

Training attendance is an output. The outcome question is whether farmers applied what they learned. The progressive survey found that 82 of the 141 surveyed farmers (58.2%) reported changing crop-management practices: self-reported evidence, presented separately from attendance.

Delivery evidence	Outcome evidence	What to monitor next
537 attendance instances	82/141 reported practice change	Observed adoption and sustained practice
Training on GAP	84/141 reported adaptation	Specific adaptation practices
Soil-health training	63/141 reported soil conservation	Practice adoption and soil indicators

Soil health

137 farmers requested more soil-health training, recognising soil depletion as a major barrier to yield. MOTHERLAND formed a partnership with RHEA in November 2025 to support farmers on soil-health challenges: fully operational in 2026.

Post-harvest & market access

Farmers requested help handling crops after harvest (98 requests) and navigating market systems (80 requests): leading to a partnership with the Cereal Growers Association (CGA) and an MoU with a private aggregator to purchase farmers' harvests.

08

Section 08

Seed Systems & Climate Resilience

Building a seed system that can serve the next season. MOTHERLAND's seed model combines access to quality bean seed, farmer training, production support, and a revolving seed-loan mechanism, so that seed provided to farmers supports production, part of the harvest is recovered, and recovered seed can support subsequent production.

Seed issued→ Farmer production→ Harvest→ Seed return→ Seed re-issued→ Next cycle

87.7%

Long-rains recovery rate: 1,537 of 1,752 kg expected

62.8%

Short-rains recovery rate: 1,839.5 of 2,930 kg expected

72.1%

Overall 2025 recovery rate: 3,376.5 of 4,682 kg expected

Recovery was substantially stronger during the long rains than during the short rains. The annual 72.1% figure hides an important seasonal difference: continued farmer follow-up, production planning and clear communication of seed-loan requirements remain important.

Seed-loan performance over two years

Actual kg returned (bar) against expected recovery (marker), by season

Jan–Jun 2024

1,115 kg

Sep–Dec 2024

2,203 kg

Jan–Jun 2025

1,537 kg

Sep–Dec 2025

1,839.5 kg

Actual returnedExpected recovery

Jan–Jun 2025 was the strongest season relative to target (12.3% below expected). Sep–Dec 2025 was 37.2% below expected, greatly affected by changes in weather conditions during the short rains. MOTHERLAND continues to strengthen farmer engagement and seed-loan recovery through improved extension support, community accountability mechanisms and farmer education.

Certified Nyota seed multiplication

MOTHERLAND invested approximately KES 252,500 in establishing the certified seed multiplication enterprise, reporting 1,390.5 kg of certified Nyota seed harvested from three acres under KEPHIS supervision: an important step toward strengthening local access to quality seed.

Investment category	Amount (KES)
Land leasing (3 acres)	15,000
Land preparation (ploughing 2x)	27,000
Seeds and inputs	66,000
KEPHIS certification & supervision	27,000
Labor (planting, weeding, harvesting)	36,000
Post-harvest handling & packaging	36,500
Transport & logistics	21,000
Contingency (10%)	24,000
Total investment	252,500

Indicative commercial value

Rainfall distribution across Siaya County became increasingly unpredictable, with prolonged dry spells during flowering, pod formation and grain filling. Despite acceptable compliance with recommended agronomic practices, production came in below the 1,920 kg expected from 3 acres: 1,390.5 kg was harvested and met KEPHIS certification standards.

Projected sales value (300 KES/kg)	KES 417,150 · €2,793.65
Total investment / cost	KES 252,500 · €1,690.99
Indicative gross surplus	KES 164,650 · €1,102.66
Indicative margin	39.46%

These figures represent estimated commercial value at the stated distributor price and should not be interpreted as realised 2025 revenue or profit. The seed remains stored. Conversion to euros per the rate provided 13 August 2026.

Climate resilience

Climate resilience is best presented as a combination of knowledge, production choices and adaptive practices, rather than viewing the reduced short-rains harvest solely as a production loss. MOTHERLAND considers the season an important learning opportunity that reinforced the need to strengthen climate adaptation strategies across the production system.

Diversifying planting windows to reduce climatic risk.
Promoting drought-resilient farming practices.
Increasing soil moisture conservation.
Strengthening seasonal weather forecasting.
Expanding regenerative agriculture techniques.
Improving farmer preparedness before planting seasons.

2025 learning

Seed recovery was stronger during the long rains than during the short rains.
Seasonal production conditions affect farmers' ability to meet seed-loan expectations.
Seed recovery requires ongoing follow-up and production planning.
Future monitoring should record specific adaptation practices rather than using "resilience" as a broad claim.

09

Section 09

Production & Productivity

Two seasons, two production realities. The 2025 aggregation records demonstrate why production should be analysed by season rather than represented through one annual average: the long-rains season generated 5,349 kg from 67.25 acres, while the short-rains season generated 3,597 kg from 94.125 acres.

Hand harvesting Nyota beans, MOTHERLAND field, Siaya County

Beans ready for harvest, one of the five MOTHERLAND CBO communities, 2025.

Production measure	Long rains	Short rains	Combined
Area cultivated	67.25 acres	94.125 acres	161.375 acres
Total harvest	5,349 kg	3,597 kg	8,946 kg
Yield	79.5 kg/acre	38.2 kg/acre	55.4 kg/acre*
Share of total harvest	59.8%	40.2%	100%

* Combined yield = 8,946 kg ÷ 161.375 acres: a portfolio-level indicator, not a farmer-level average. The decline in short-rains yield is mainly attributed to the dramatic change in local climate; seasonal difference should be treated as evidence for programme learning and adaptive planning.

Production overview, last two years

Season	Farmers	Acreage	Seed issued (kg)	Seed-loan expected (kg)	Seed returned (kg)	Purchased (kg)	Consumed (kg)	Total harvest (kg)
Jan–Jun 2024	185	19	956	1,912	1,115	2,294	800	4,209
Sep–Dec 2024	246	76	1,579	3,158	2,203	3,790	880	6,873
Jan–Jun 2025	209	67.25	876	1,752	1,537	2,829	983	5,349
Sep–Dec 2025	308	94.125	1,465	2,930	1,839.50	1,285	472.5	3,597

Acreage under cultivation grew almost fivefold, from 19 acres in Jan–Jun 2024 to 94.125 acres in Sep–Dec 2025. Yield per acre fell over the same period, from 221 kg/acre in the first 2024 season to 38.2 kg/acre in the 2025 short rains, and the 2025 harvest was 19% below 2024. Part of this is weather: the 2025 short rains brought prolonged dry spells. Part of it is growth: many new farmers and new plots entered the programme at once. For 2026, MOTHERLAND is therefore prioritising yield per acre, soil health and farmer follow-up over further expansion of acreage.

10

Section 10

Market Access & Aggregation

Aggregation provides the bridge between farmer production and market opportunity. In 2025, MOTHERLAND purchased 4,114 kg from farmers, representing an average of 46.0% of the recorded 8,946 kg harvest.

Share of harvest purchased, by season

Percentage of total seasonal harvest purchased by MOTHERLAND

Jan–Jun 2024

54.50%

Sep–Dec 2024

55.14%

Jan–Jun 2025

52.89%

Sep–Dec 2025

35.72%

Throughout the first three seasons (Jan–Jun 2024 through Jan–Jun 2025), the organisation maintained a steady purchasing rate of 52.89–55.14%. The Sep–Dec 2025 dip to 35.72% was greatly affected by low production in the short rains: a programme learning point, since market absorption depends on production volumes, timing, working capital and the organisation's ability to purchase and move stock.

Market measure	Long rains	Short rains	Combined
Harvest	5,349 kg	3,597 kg	8,946 kg
Quantity purchased	2,829 kg	1,285 kg	4,114 kg
Share purchased	52.9%	35.7%	46.0%
Recovered through the seed-loan system	1,537 kg	1,839.5 kg	3,376.5 kg

Economic security

The purchasing model provides farmers with a structured market opportunity and may contribute to improved income. In the progressive survey, 118 of 141 farmers surveyed (83.7%) reported an income increase: self-reported evidence of a positive outcome among surveyed farmers, not a programme-wide causal estimate.

The revolving stock model

The stock-management records show how recovered beans could support further farmer purchasing. During the short-rains cycle, 1,236 kg of recovered beans was sold to an offtaker for KES 160,680, with proceeds used to purchase further beans from farmers: demonstrating the practical link between seed recovery, stock management, cash generation and aggregation, not profit.

Transaction	Quantity / value	Meaning
Recovered beans sold to offtaker	1,236 kg	Part of seed-loan recovery; not additional harvest
Cash generated	KES 160,680	1,236 kg × KES 130/kg
Short-rains farmer purchases	1,285 kg	Recorded purchase figure

2025 market learning

Build more predictable buyer relationships.
Strengthen institutional and private offtake channels.
Improve pre-harvest market planning.
Align working capital with expected farmer production.
Use stock records to guide purchasing decisions.

11

Section 11

What Changed for Surveyed Farmers

Evidence from the progressive farmer survey, the clearest 2025 outcome evidence. It covered 141 farmers selected from the 209 farmers active during the long-rains season, representing 67.5% coverage of that seasonal farmer population.

Self-reported outcomes among 141 surveyed farmers

Source: Progressive Survey 2025

Income increase

118/141

Improved food access

110/141

Climate adaptation

84/141

Crop-management change

82/141

Soil conservation

63/141

These results provide important evidence of farmer-reported outcomes, but are not used as programme-wide impact estimates. The 141 respondents are a sample of the 209 farmers active during the long-rains season, not all 517 seasonal participants. The survey captures reported change rather than independently audited household income.

Triangulation opportunity

Survey signal	Related administrative evidence	2026 measurement opportunity
Income increase	Harvest, aggregation, sales records	Link farmer-level survey responses to transactions
Practice change	Training + farm records	Conduct follow-up adoption checks, record on EProd
Climate adaptation	Training + production records	Record specific adaptation practices through more surveys
Soil conservation	Soil-health programme records	Track adoption through survey, later measured over time with the RHEA soil measurement gadget

Farmer stories & voices

The human meaning behind the programme statistics.

Farmer voices captured in videos were transcribed and verified against administrative records, so the report can distinguish what farmers say from what the data demonstrates.

Farmers of MOTHERLAND CBO, Siaya County, 2025.

Liz Akinyi

Lead Farmer · Pap Gori

Age 40Household 10 people, 8 childrenExperience 15+ years farming

The challenge

"Farming is how I take care of my family. I have eight children, and this land is what keeps us going." Buying local bean seed at KSh 250/kg and mixed-farming one acre, Liz harvested only 30 kg of beans and 100 kg of maize, sold at KSh 75 and KSh 50 per kilogram. "The money I made was less than what I had spent to grow the crops. I was farming hard and still falling behind." She could not afford school fees for her children.

What changed

MOTHERLAND's training, certified Nyota seed on loan, and a dependable market at KSh 125/kg doubled her yield to 100–120 kg per acre per season. "I can now confidently pay school fees for my eight children without borrowing from anyone."

"Before MOTHERLAND, I was farming hard and still falling behind. Now I can pay school fees for my eight children without borrowing. I am not just surviving anymore. I am building something."

30 → 100–120kg beans/acre/season

75 → 125KSh/kg bean price

Florence Ochieng, farmer, Siaya County, Kenya

Florence Atieno Ochieng

Lead Farmer · widow, household of 5

Age 49Household Florence & 4 childrenExperience 30+ years farming

The challenge

As a widow, every decision and every cost falls on Florence alone. Certified seed cost up to KSh 800 per packet, available only more than 5 kilometres away in Siaya town: many seasons she simply could not afford it. "There were no dependable buyers and no certainty. I was working hard for very little, with no one to share that weight with."

What changed

MOTHERLAND provided seed on manageable repayment terms, training, and connected 80% of her harvest to a guaranteed buyer at KSh 125/kg, collected in bulk from the farm. Last season she harvested 270 kg of beans (three full bags), expanded from 0.75 to a full acre, and was made a Lead Farmer, now guiding other farmers in her community.

"I have no stress about inputs, and I have no stress about the market. MOTHERLAND has given me both. Now I focus on farming and on leading the farmers around me."

0.75 → 1acre under cultivation

270 kgbeans harvested last season

Willis Ochieng

Farmer · one of the youngest in the MOTHERLAND network

Age 29Income Farming, since joining MOTHERLAND

The challenge

"Every time I looked at it closely, the numbers did not work." Certified seed cost up to KSh 800 per kilogram, while the open market paid just KSh 75/kg for beans. "I had not failed at farming. I had looked at it clearly and decided it was not worth trying."

What changed

One training shifted everything: land preparation, full-season crop management, and farming as a business. MOTHERLAND's fair-priced inputs removed the cost barrier, and a guaranteed market was in place before he even planted.

"I had no interest in agriculture because the inputs were too expensive and the market was too low. One MOTHERLAND training changed all of that. Now I am farming, and I have a market waiting for my harvest."

Joseph Were

Soil Health Ambassador

Age 63Household 7 people, 6 childrenExperience 30 years farming

The challenge

Farming half an acre in mixed production, Joseph's best harvest was around 40–84 kg of beans. Certified seed sold at KSh 820 per 2 kg packet and market prices were as low as KSh 60/kg. "Market access was the wall I had been hitting for decades."

What changed

MOTHERLAND added two vermicompost structures to the one he already had, bringing him to three, enough to nourish his entire acre across all crops season after season. Combined with training and a guaranteed market, his bean yield grew to 150–200 kg on a full acre, guaranteeing at least KES 14,000 per season, with one child now in college.

"I farmed for 30 years battling the same problems: expensive inputs, low yields, and no market that treated me fairly. Since MOTHERLAND came, all three of those problems have been addressed."

84 → 150–200kg beans, half → full acre

1 → 3vermicompost structures

Voice from the field

Ian Owuor, Agronomist

31 years old · 7 years farming experience · 2 years with MOTHERLAND

"Effective agricultural extension is not achieved through training alone. Farmers need knowledge that is practical, repeated, accessible and supported at the right time. When field teams are organised around farmers' needs and supported with appropriate tools and resources, we can reach more farmers and provide better-quality technical support."

12

Section 12

Bean Enterprise: Income, Stock & Financial Stewardship

MOTHERLAND's long-term vision extends beyond implementing development projects. The organisation is intentionally building a financially sustainable agricultural enterprise capable of generating income to continually invest in farmers, expand programme reach, and reduce dependence on grant funding over time: positioning farmers as long-term business partners.

How physical stock moved through the enterprise

Stock position / movement	Quantity (kg)	Value / treatment
Stock carried forward	780.0	KES 101,400 at KES 130/kg
Long-rains stock received (seed-loan returns and purchases)	4,366.0	KES 567,580 at KES 130/kg
Short-rains stock received (seed-loan returns and purchases)	3,124.5	KES 406,185 at KES 130/kg
Total recorded stock available	8,270.5	KES 1,075,165 at KES 130/kg
Seed converted & issued to farmers	1,500.0	Social / revolving seed allocation; not a cash sale
Commercial stock outflows tracked	3,658.0	Balance-reducing commercial sales
Closing stock balance	3,112.5	Physical balance after recorded movements

8,270.5 kg available, less 1,500 kg converted to seed-loans and 3,658 kg of commercial sales, equals 3,112.5 kg closing stock. The stock figures only include beans received into storage, as seed-loan returns or purchases. The rest of the harvest stayed with farmers for household food security, around 20% by design: 983 kg of the 5,349 kg long-rains harvest and 472.5 kg of the 3,597 kg short-rains harvest.

Commercial activity & cash generation

Commercial indicator	2025 recorded result	Interpretation
Commercial stock sold (balance-tracked)	3,658 kg	Physical stock converted through recorded commercial sales
Recorded value of those transactions	KES 485,480	Gross transaction value, not net profit
Separate seed sales to farmers	16 kg	Recorded separately from running stock balance
Value of separate seed sales	KES 7,100	Transaction value
Short-rains offtaker sale	1,236 kg	KES 160,680 at KES 130/kg
Working-capital facility	KES 300,000	Financing, not revenue
Total loan repayment	KES 339,000	100% settled
Finance cost	KES 39,000	Difference between facility and repayment

MOTHERLAND converted part of its bean stock into commercial sales, used working capital to support aggregation, fully repaid the KES 300,000 facility together with KES 39,000 in financing cost, and retained 1,500 kg of beans for seed-loan distribution: linking commercial activity directly to continued farmer support.

2026 financial priorities

Increase internally generated working capital.
Reduce reliance on commercial borrowing and the associated KES 39,000 finance cost.
Strengthen institutional and private offtake agreements.
Improve level of stock sales.
Lock year-end physical inventory and accounting valuation.
Publish a reconciled income statement before claiming net profit.

Partnership stewardship

MOTHERLAND has received Chancemaker Foundation support over three years: EUR 50,000 in each of 2023 and 2024, and EUR 15,000 received in batches during 2025: and received USD 75,000 from Cisco for the AI-powered LIMA tool.

Expense category	2025 (EUR)
FTE / staff-related costs	16,182.00
Transport	4,515.60
Young Earth Guardians / kids programme	426.00
Community meetings / friendly visits	426.00
Office rent & materials	2,300.40
Tech services / office Wi-Fi	426.00
Other running costs	2,400.00
EPROD subscription & seed production	3,276.00
Total documented 2025 expenditure	29,952.00

Documented 2025 expenditure of EUR 29,952 exceeds the EUR 15,000 of Chancemaker Foundation funding received during 2025.

What the partner funding enabled

Partner	Primary contribution to 2025 model	Donor-facing result
Chancemaker Foundation	Core operational and agricultural programme support	Maintained staff, transport, community, technology, EPROD and seed-production capacity
Cisco	Digital innovation grant of USD 75,000	Supported development and implementation pathway for LIMA, including content, pilot and evaluation
Peachstone.AI	Technical construction of LIMA	Digital tool development expertise
Learning from the Motherland gUG	Management, resource mobilisation and strategic guidance	Organisational leadership and partnership support

13

Section 13

Challenges & Lessons Learned

What 2025 taught MOTHERLAND about delivering in a variable farming environment. Seasonal weather variation affected production and participation, while MOTHERLAND simultaneously managed seed recovery, market absorption, working capital and the development of stronger digital and measurement systems.

Challenge experienced	MOTHERLAND's response	Lesson from 2025
Erratic rainfall and climatic variability	Climate-smart and regenerative agriculture, seasonal planning and soil-health work	Climate adaptation needs to be integrated across production, seed and extension
Seasonal differences in farmer participation	Planning around local climate, farmer preferences, land and available resources	Participation is seasonal and should be understood in context, not as a fixed annual cohort
Market absorption and price uncertainty	Aggregation, buyer engagement and working capital support	Production support is strongest when linked to market planning
Seed-loan recovery	Recovery monitoring, extension and the revolving seed model	Recovery performance needs continuous farmer-level follow-up
Longitudinal outcome measurement	Progressive survey, production records and farmer testimonials	Combining evidence sources strengthens understanding of farmer change
Digital extension	Development of LIMA with technical and funding partners	Digital tools can complement field extension and expand future reach

Integrated support matters: seed access has greater value when farmers also receive technical knowledge and market opportunities.
Local leadership remains an important delivery mechanism through lead farmers and Soil Health Ambassadors.
Climate variability must be treated as a core programme consideration: it influences both production and participation.

The year reinforced the role of commercial activity within MOTHERLAND's social enterprise model: agricultural stock can generate market income while a portion is retained within the revolving seed system. The quality of impact reporting depends on the quality of farmer-level evidence: linking participation, production, sales, practice adoption and follow-up will allow MOTHERLAND to demonstrate change with greater confidence.

These lessons are informing the 2026 programme cycle. MOTHERLAND is strengthening farmer-level longitudinal tracking so that seasonal participation and production can be understood alongside income, practice adoption, seed recovery and retention: using better connected evidence to improve programme decisions and demonstrate results.

14

Section 14

LIMA: Digital Agricultural Extension

An emerging digital platform to extend agricultural knowledge. In 2025, MOTHERLAND advanced the development of LIMA as a digital agricultural extension platform, complementing field-based advisory services with a digital channel through which farmers can access agricultural information and support.

2025 development milestones

Platform concept	Progressed as a digital agricultural advisory initiative
Technical development	Peachstone.AI supported construction of the tool
Funding partnership	Cisco supported the development pathway
Agricultural content	Development of a digital advisory content pathway
Extension model	Designed to complement field-based agricultural extension

Why LIMA matters

Traditional agricultural extension depends substantially on physical visits and the availability of extension personnel. Farmers may need information on planting, pests, crop management, fertiliser use or markets at times when a field officer is not immediately available: LIMA is being developed to extend the reach of technical support through a digital channel.

Planned farmer experience

Approved agricultural content: more consistent access to agricultural reference information.
Question answering: support for routine agricultural questions.
Market information: improved awareness of market opportunities.
Extension-team support: a complementary tool for responding to farmer needs.
WhatsApp-based access: a familiar and accessible communication channel.

The road ahead

LIMA's significance will increasingly be demonstrated through actual farmer and Local Impact Team use, quality of responses, and evidence that information received through the platform supports decisions and agricultural practice. As the platform moves into wider use, MOTHERLAND will build an evidence base around reach, interaction, response time, user experience and practical application.

15

Section 15

Partnership & Contribution to the SDGs

MOTHERLAND's 2025 work was supported by a network of funding, technical, regulatory, implementation and market partners, each contributing differently to combine agricultural delivery, digital innovation, seed quality, market access and organisational development.

Partner	Contribution in 2025	Role in the programme
Chancemaker Foundation	Multi-year funding; EUR 15,000 received in 2025, following EUR 50,000 in each of 2023 and 2024	Supported programme operations and agricultural delivery
Cisco	Funding support for LIMA development	Enabled the digital innovation pathway
Peachstone.AI	Construction and technical development of LIMA	Provided digital advisory capability
Learning from the Motherland gUG	Management, resource mobilisation, partnerships and strategic guidance	Connected local implementation with funding and organisational support
KEPHIS	Certification and regulatory oversight	Supported certified seed multiplication and compliance
KALRO / technical actors	Agricultural technical collaboration	Strengthened technical quality and provision of seeds
RHEA Soil Health / community actors	Soil-health learning and peer leadership	Strengthened community capacity
Private and offtaker partners	Market engagement	Supported aggregation and commercial sales

Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

The 2025 evidence is presented as contribution to these goals, rather than as a claim that the organisation has independently achieved them.

SDG 1 · No Poverty

Agricultural enterprise and market-oriented production. 118 of 141 surveyed farmers report an increase in income.

SDG 2 · Zero Hunger

Bean production and household use. A total of 8,946 kg of beans produced from farmers.

SDG 5 · Gender Equality

Women's participation and leadership. 405 female participation records.

SDG 8 · Decent Work

Agricultural enterprise and capacity development. 10 seasonal workers on the 3-acre seed field, 3 MOTHERLAND agents, 2 Local Impact Team members.

SDG 13 · Climate Action

Climate-smart and soil-health practices. 84 of 141 surveyed reported climate-adaptation measures.

SDG 17 · Partnerships

Collaboration across donors, technical actors and markets. MOU signed between MOTHERLAND, RHEA, Peachstone.AI and Learning from the Motherland gUG.

Local implementation and organisational support. Learning from the Motherland gUG is the German nonprofit based in Hamburg that supports resource mobilisation, partnerships and strategic guidance for locally led initiatives. MOTHERLAND CBO is the Kenyan community-based implementation organisation working directly with farming communities in Siaya County. This distinction, and the distinction between funders, technical partners, market partners and implementation actors, provides transparency about how MOTHERLAND's 2025 programme was delivered.

16

Section 16

MEAL, Data Quality & Learning

MOTHERLAND's 2025 monitoring system brought together farmer registration, farm mapping, training attendance, production and aggregation records, inspections, financial and stock records, farmer surveys and recorded testimonials: each strongest when interpreted according to what it can actually demonstrate.

Evidence source	What it demonstrates	How it is interpreted
Registration and farm mapping	Participation, demographics and farm characteristics	Administrative evidence
Training attendance	Training delivered and farmer participation in sessions	Participation evidence; attendance alone does not demonstrate adoption
Production and aggregation	Harvest, acreage, seed recovery and sales/aggregation	Administrative production evidence
Progressive survey	Self-reported income, food access, practice and climate-related outcomes	Sample-based outcome evidence
Farmer testimonials	Experience, perceptions and reported change	Qualitative evidence, cross-checked against records where they exist
Financial and stock records	Funding, stock, transactions and financing	Financial/enterprise evidence; transaction value is distinct from profit

Learning from the evidence

The 2025 evidence demonstrates the value of combining administrative records with farmer voice: production and aggregation records provide measurable quantities, surveys provide a broader view of farmer-reported outcomes, and testimonials explain how farmers experience the changes associated with programme participation. MOTHERLAND is strengthening farmer-level tracking so participation can be followed across seasons and linked to production, sales, practice adoption, seed recovery and retention.

Data quality & accountability

A key principle of the 2025 reporting process is that published figures remain traceable to their source and are labelled according to their evidence status: preventing training attendance from being presented as evidence of adoption, or survey responses from being presented as independently verified outcomes. Income changes should be followed up in subsequent surveys and linked, where possible, to farmer-level administrative records.

17

Section 17

2026 Priorities

From 2025 evidence to a more measurable and scalable next phase. The 2026 agenda builds directly on the lessons and systems established in 2025, centred on farmer reach, certified seed, climate resilience, markets, digital extension, enterprise development and stronger measurement.

Strategic area

2026 direction

Implementation target

Alignment

Strategic areaFarmer reach & training

2026 directionExpand farmer reach while maintaining quality and stronger farmer-level tracking

Implementation target1,000+ farmers on LIMA; 500 to complete all 16 modules by Nov. 2026

AlignmentStrong

Strategic areaCertified seed

2026 directionIncrease multiplication and revolving seed access

Implementation target20-acre seed plot; 14,400 kg KEPHIS-certified seed by Nov. 2026

AlignmentStrong

Strategic areaDemonstration & learning

2026 directionStrengthen practical farmer learning and extension

Implementation targetNew funding from the W.P. Schmitz Stiftung and Biovision to support operations and production

AlignmentStrong

Strategic areaClimate resilience & soil health

2026 directionExpand regenerative agriculture, soil restoration, water conservation

Implementation targetCompost/vermicomposting for every participating household; soil testing by Oct. 2026

AlignmentStrong

Strategic areaDigital agriculture / LIMA

2026 directionMove LIMA from development toward testing and measured use

Implementation targetDigital training; beta test; 75% team use targeted by Oct. 2026

AlignmentStrong

Strategic areaMEAL

2026 directionBuild farmer-level longitudinal measurement

Implementation targetBaseline survey for 1,000 LIMA farmers; 1,000+ verified EProd records

AlignmentStrong

Strategic areaGender & youth inclusion

2026 directionMaintain inclusion as a measurable programme dimension

Implementation targetMinimum 60% women and youth across the 2026 farmer portfolio, tracked in EProd

AlignmentAligned

18

Section 18

Investment Opportunity

Supporting the next stage of locally led agricultural transformation. The case for investment is grounded in what MOTHERLAND has already built, not a claim that all intended impacts have been achieved: a connected model of farmer support, a revolving seed system, certified seed production, aggregation and market activity, community leadership, technical partnerships and digital innovation.

Investment rationale	What 2025 demonstrated	What additional investment can unlock
Farmer services	Active seasonal participation and 537 training attendance instances	More consistent training, agronomy, follow-up and community extension
Seed systems	3,376.5 kg seed recovered and certified seed enterprise established	Higher local seed availability and stronger revolving seed capacity
Climate resilience	Climate-smart and regenerative practices introduced	Wider adoption, soil restoration, water management and seasonal preparedness
Markets	Aggregation and structured purchasing activity	More institutional buyers, stronger agreements and improved market planning
Digital extension	LIMA platform development progressed	Testing, deployment, quality assurance and measured user adoption
MEAL	141 of 209 active long-rains farmers surveyed	Unique IDs, baseline and follow-up systems and farmer-level outcome tracking
Enterprise sustainability	Working-capital facility fully repaid	Stronger internal working capital, financial systems and revenue diversification

An evidence-based investment proposition

This is not simply funding more activities. It is strengthening a connected system.

Farmer knowledge, quality seed, climate resilience, markets, digital extension and evidence reinforce one another. For institutional and corporate partners, this creates the opportunity to support a defined component while contributing to a wider, locally led agricultural model.

Partner with MOTHERLAND →

19

Section 19

Appendix: Sources, Notes & Acknowledgements

A transparent trail behind the 2025 impact report.

Source category	Use in the report
Farmer registration records	Participation, demographics, geographic coverage
Training attendance records	Training delivery and attendance instances by topic/session
Production & aggregation records	Seasonal harvest, quantities recovered/purchased, market activity
Farm inspection & agronomist records	Agronomic observations and field-level verification
Progressive farmer survey, 2025	Self-reported income, food access, practice and climate outcomes
Recorded farmer testimonials	Qualitative evidence, selected stories translated from Kiswahili and Luo
Stock management records	Opening stock, recovered beans, purchases, issues and sales
Financial records	Funding receipts, expenditure, financing and accounting evidence
KEPHIS certification records	Certified seed production and regulatory verification
Partner & project records	Partner contributions, LIMA development and implementation plans

Acknowledgements

MOTHERLAND extends sincere appreciation to the farmers and community leaders whose participation, experience and feedback are at the centre of this report. We also acknowledge the staff, technical actors, regulatory institutions, market partners and development partners who contributed to implementation during 2025.

Special appreciation goes to Chancemaker Foundation for its multi-year partnership, Cisco for supporting the AI development pathway for LIMA, Peachstone.AI for constructing the LIMA tool, and Learning from the Motherland gUG for management, resource mobilisation, strategic guidance and partnership support.

Section 20

Conclusions

MOTHERLAND's 2025 impact story is one of strengthening the foundations for farmer knowledge, seed systems, climate resilience, markets, community leadership, digital innovation and evidence. The next phase is about using those foundations responsibly, reaching more farmers, measuring change better and building systems that can sustain locally led agricultural transformation.

A year of strengthening the foundations for resilient farming.

A partnership built around locally led change.

What this partnership is designed to enable

Executive Summary

2025 Impact at a Glance

Vision

Mission

Core Values

The Agricultural Challenge

Why the work matters in Siaya County

Not only production

What the 2025 evidence adds

MOTHERLAND's response

The MOTHERLAND Model

Quality seed

Farmer learning

Agronomic support

Climate and soil resilience

Production

Aggregation

Markets

Reinvestment

Digital extension

What the model does not assume

Theory of Change

Farmer Reach & Inclusion

Why participation changed between seasons

Building local agricultural leadership

Farmer Learning & Training

Connecting training to outcomes

Seed Systems & Climate Resilience

Certified Nyota seed multiplication

Indicative commercial value

Climate resilience

2025 learning

Production & Productivity

Production overview, last two years

Market Access & Aggregation

The revolving stock model

2025 market learning

What Changed for Surveyed Farmers

Triangulation opportunity

The human meaning behind the programme statistics.

The challenge

What changed

The challenge

What changed

The challenge

What changed

The challenge

What changed

Ian Owuor, Agronomist

Bean Enterprise: Income, Stock & Financial Stewardship

How physical stock moved through the enterprise

Commercial activity & cash generation

2026 financial priorities

Partnership stewardship

What the partner funding enabled

Challenges & Lessons Learned

LIMA: Digital Agricultural Extension

2025 development milestones

Why LIMA matters

Planned farmer experience

The road ahead

Partnership & Contribution to the SDGs

Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

MEAL, Data Quality & Learning

Learning from the evidence

Data quality & accountability

2026 Priorities

Investment Opportunity

This is not simply funding more activities. It is strengthening a connected system.

Appendix: Sources, Notes & Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Conclusions

Stay close to Siaya.