25 Jun Daraja Impact Announces Impact-Linked Funding to Maua Mazuri Tissue Culture Company, Boosting Agricultural Innovation in Tanzania
Dar es Salaam (June 2024) – Maua Mazuri, an agricultural innovation company based in Moshi, has received impact-linked funding, under Daraja Impact. This funding aims to expand Maua Mazuri’s laboratory facilities and enhance training and support for women farmers, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and job creation. Daraja Impact is a 5-year project funded and supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through the Embassy of Switzerland in Tanzania and implemented by SEAF, in partnership with AlphaMundi Foundation. Daraja Impact
Maua Mazuri employees showcasing products
Established in 2020, Maua Mazuri operates a state-of-the-art tissue culture laboratory, providing the best disease-free plantlets for East Africa’s farmers. This innovative approach results in higher yields, reduced chemical use, and improved food safety. With nurseries in Tanzania and Kenya, Maua Mazuri empowers both smallholder and commercial farmers with advanced crop management techniques and essential agricultural skills. Dedicated to enhancing agricultural productivity and food security, Maua Mazuri offers high-quality planting materials and comprehensive training, with a strong emphasis on empowering women. The new funding will enable the company to double its laboratory staff, specifically targeting women under its “women in science” policy, and to encourage women’s groups, cooperatives, and women farmers to utilize Maua Mazuri seedlings.
In addition to financial support, Maua Mazuri will receive technical assistance through Daraja Impact, including participation in Impact Measurement and Management training sessions offered by CEED Tanzania, a SEAF entrepreneurship development program. This comprehensive support will ensure the sustainable growth and long-term impact of Maua Mazuri’s innovative solutions.
Ezra Musoke, SEAF’s Managing Director for Tanzania, commented: “We are thrilled to support Maua Mazuri in its mission to revolutionize agriculture in East Africa. By expanding their laboratory facilities and providing essential training for farmers, the company not only promotes sustainable agricultural practices but also drives economic inclusion and empowerment of women. This collaboration embodies the core commitment of Daraja Impact and represents a significant step towards a more inclusive and sustainable future for the region.”
Maua Mazuri’s CEO, Jack Langworthy, shared their excitement: “This Daraja Impact financing is unlocking the production power of Tanzanian agriculture. At this moment, the vast majority of small holder farmers are unable to access proper planting materials, keeping them in a vicious cycle of poverty. Thanks to Daraja Impact, Maua Mazuri will be hiring a dozen new female scientists in our laboratory, to produce hundreds of thousands more tissue culture seedlings, transforming the lives of small holder farmers and food security in the region. We’ve so enjoyed working with the team, and there is much great work to do together ahead.”
Media Contacts:
For more information on this release, contact: Irene Lyamuya | ilyamuya@ceed-tanzania.org
For more information on Daraja Impact, contact: Peter Righi | prighi@seaf.com
About SEAF:
SEAF is a global impact organization dedicated to improving lives and communities through entrepreneurship and small businesses. We invest in debt and equity capital and provide advisory and mentorship to support SMEs in underserved markets, creating jobs and building sustainable communities. Since 1989, SEAF has made more than 433 investments across 46 funds in over 31 countries globally. https://www.seaf.com/
About Alpha Mundi Foundation:
The AlphaMundi Foundation is a US not-for-profit 501(C)(3), with subsidiary AlphaMundi Foundation Africa, based out of Nairobi. Our mission is to strengthen the long-term commercial viability of SMEs in Africa and Latin America to drive economic transformation, leading to increased job creation, income generation, and improved quality of life. Started in 2016 by the management of the impact investing firm, AlphaMundi Group, AMF has a track record of providing structured blended finance products to SMEs and incorporating a Gender Lens Investing for Climate (GLIC) approach. AMF has provided grants, loans and technical assistance, including GenderSmart programming, to support high impact SMEs in Africa. https://www.alphamundifoundation.org/
