The solar powered bio-fermenter automatizes the fermentation process for preparation of biological inputs. The system comprises two tanks (for fermentation and filtration), a battery-powered motor, and a time controller. The fermenter operates entirely on solar energy and features an automatic slurry stirrer that stirs the mixture six times a day, supplying oxygen at regular intervals to support microbial activity and consistent fermentation. The six-stage filtration process allows the output to be used in different application methods: as slurry for soil application, as a filtered solution for foliar spraying, or through drip irrigation systems.

The bio-fermenter can be adopted at the individual farm level or as part of a shared model. In the community-based approach, one farmer becomes a service provider, preparing natural inputs and supplying them to nearby farmers for a fee. This model supports local entrepreneurship and facilitates broader access to high-quality biological inputs, even for farmers who may not have the time or capacity to operate the fermenter themselves.

Despite the long-term cost-saving potential of the solar-powered bio-fermenters, uptake of the technology is significantly constrained by the initial investment cost, which are often prohibitive especially for smallholder farmers. 

To enable wider access, GIC established a revolving financing model through its partnering Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) KPM and CVA, which now serve as enablers for uptake by smallholder farmers in the region.

The FPOs have secured a 10-year loan to fund the solar-powered bio-fermenters for their member farmers. Rather than distributing equipment for freevia full subsidies or requiring full upfront payments, the FPOs implemented an internal repayment system, allowing farmers to repay the cost gradually over a one-year period.

Each year, a new group of farmers is supported using the repayments collected from the previous cycle. This system allows the same funds to circulate annually, effectively reaching a greater number of beneficiaries without the need for repeated external financing. 

The model reduces financial pressure on individual farmers, encourages responsible repayment, and strengthens the FPOs’ role as financial facilitators for their members. It also ensures that access to equipment is not limited to those who can afford high upfront costs or navigate formal credit systems, making the model far more inclusive and scalable.
 

Successfully establishing and scaling a social enterprise like a pad factory requires careful coordination with government authorities and strict compliance with legal requirements. This building block focuses on creating a strong foundation by building trust, ensuring legality, and protecting the enterprise from future risks.

The first step involves informing local and national government bodies about your project plans and activities. Regular communication not only builds transparency and trust but also makes it easier to gain support when needed. It ensures that the enterprise is seen as a responsible and contributing part of the community's development.

Secondly, it is crucial to coordinate with local or provincial offices to confirm that the factory is located appropriately and meets all zoning, operational, and environmental requirements. Early consultation helps avoid future legal complications and promotes smoother project implementation.

Before any physical construction begins, the enterprise must complete all legal steps, such as securing land use permits, building approvals, and environmental clearances. This process prevents future disputes and ensures that the factory is legally protected at every stage.

If the enterprise plans to import machinery or raw materials from abroad (for example, from India and Chaina), it is essential to follow all import rules, including documentation and tax payments. Compliance with import regulations helps avoid customs delays, penalties, and additional operational costs.

Further, to operate legally in the market, the enterprise must register officially and gain approval to sell its products, such as sanitary pads. Official registration enhances the company’s credibility among customers, partners, and regulatory bodies, opening doors to wider distribution opportunities.

Finally, it is critical to insure the factory, machinery, and assets against potential risks like fire, natural disasters, burglary, or other damages. Having appropriate insurance coverage provides financial protection and ensures business continuity even during unforeseen events.

By following these structured steps, the enterprise not only secures its legal standing but also strengthens its reputation, improves sustainability, and creates a solid platform for growth and social impact.

The model does not only enhance income opportunities for the women entrepreneurs around whom it is centered, but also creates a variety of additional jobs with different qualification levels across the value chain. By addressing all steps from raw produce to the market, the intervention generates employment in transport, processing, logistics, equipment maintenance, and quality control. According to S4S Technologies, more than 200 jobs were created through the project in Maharashtra and Karnataka alone, including field executives, production supervisors, technicians, drivers, porters, machine operators, and factory staff. In addition, 14% of the surveyed women entrepreneurs reported having created at least one job at their solar drying unit.

The simplest and cheapest pollination measure is the protection of bees and other pollinators in orchards, as these insects play an essential role in pollinating fruit trees. To this end, the project promoted a dual approach which combines protective farming practices with the creation of on-farm habitats for pollinators.

Farmers were introduced to integrated pest management (IPM), which emphasizes alternatives to chemical pesticides as well as techniques such as scouting and pruning to reduce pest incidence. They were also encouraged to adopt bee-friendly practices such as avoiding pesticide use during flowering, applying only when necessary, with the right techniques and appropriate dosages, maintaining floral diversity throughout the year, and to closely coordinate with beekeepers. These measures help reduce harm to pollinators, cut input costs, and minimize chemical residues.

Complementing these practices, farmers installed simple, locally made nesting structures such as mud hives and bee hotels to support indigenous honeybees and wild pollinators. These native species are well adapted to local conditions and often remain active under cooler temperatures, making them especially valuable during critical flowering periods.

In addition to supporting farmers’ access to cold storages and value added services, the GIC project conducted awarenessraising trainings for farmers covering not only the operation of the technology itself, but also broader insights on how to avoid post-harvest losses. These trainings were designed as a replicable training module to benefit farmers on a broader scale. The module enables other practitioners and organisations in the enabling environment to learn about the approach and to pass practical knowledge on to farmers, empowering them to appropriately manage their produce and thereby maximising income.

The module includes a variety of topics aimed at giving farmers a comprehensive and actionable overview of the need for cold storage, the technologies and methods available, and how to adopt them effectively, including information on funding and government programs enabling their access. 

In addition to raising awareness, GIC aimed at strengthening farmers’ capacity to make use of cold storages systems in practice and covered topics such as system operation and crop-specific storage needs.

District forestry officers interacted with traditional leaders and communities that live around the targeted forest area. 

FLR is a long-term investment and local communities desire short term benefits to support their households and change behaviour. The support from National Bank enabled communities to get jobs for the completion of silvicultural tasks.  

Community meetings (barazas) were conducted in November 2024 in 7 selected BMUs within the Vanga-Shimoni seascape. These BMUs included Vanga, Jimbo, Majoreni, Kibuyuni, Mkwiro, Shimoni, and Wasini; and were selected based on their general proximity to the Kenya-Tanzania border and their active conservation efforts. 

A total of 175 participants participated in community Barazas; each BMU being represented by 25 participants. The representation in the barazas was based on gender, age, as well as memberships of either BMU or Community Forest Associations (CFAs) in the area. The meeting program included presentations on the TBCA concept, group work, and interactive plenary sessions . Break-out sessions were included to further dig for additional information on threats facing coastal and marine resources within their areas, current interventions, as well as community perceptions of the TBCA concept.