Building Agency in Young People: Shujaaz Centers Youth Voice

Umsizi Fund is proud to support Shujaaz, a venture that aligns directly with the fund's mission to work with organisations that upskill and empower young East Africans through alternative pathways to income generation. Through its innovative platforms, Shujaaz reaches and interacts with millions of young people in Kenya and Tanzania. This media content helps youth develop incomes, support their communities and take care of their well-being.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Shujaaz worked in partnership with the Kenyan government to help understand the attitudes of youth and mobilize them to spread trustworthy public health information to their communities. Umsizi’s unrestricted funding helped Shujaaz pivot quickly to develop this weekly barometer that gave youth voice and information at a vulnerable time.

African Visionary Fund channels unrestricted funding to African social Changemakers

The African Visionary Fund is unleashing breakthrough impact by driving resources to high-impact African founders. The fund has a vision to create a world where African visionaries have the resources they need to accelerate their impact and are recognized by funders as critical drivers of systems change on the continent.

Penda Health – Umsizi Impact Investment

Penda Health is a Kenyan company operating medical clinics delivering high-quality health care services that patients can trust. ​Penda believes a great patient experience is more than just getting timely lab results and quality medicines from an on-site pharmacy. Penda’s first clinic was launched in 2012. Over the succeeding years, Penda has diligently iterated their clinic operations to maximize patient satisfaction and quality of care while managing costs so that Penda care is financially accessible for Kenyans living on modest incomes. Umsizi Fund has provided loan financing with a 5% interest rate to support the expansion of Penda’s clinic network to reach more Kenyans in need of quality primary health care.

Good Nature Agro – Umsizi Impact Investment

In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly half the population are small-holder farmers who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and struggle to emerge from poverty. These farmers are often characterized by a lack of affordable credit, a lack of agronomic information, low-quality inputs, and limited access to markets. Good Nature Agro (GNA) is a Zambian social enterprise that links smallholder farmers to the important market for legume seeds (cowpeas, soybeans, and groundnut). They do so by providing certified seeds and inputs on credit, high-touch technical assistance, and a guaranteed market at the end of the season.

GNA farmers earn on average 3x the income per hectare of typical farmers in their local region. Further, legume seeds are highly resilient, require less water, and have the added benefit of fixing nitrogen to replenish the soil. GNA is supporting their farmers to shift towards farming practices that are more sustainable from both a financial and environmental perspective. In collaboration with the impact investing firms Global Partnerships and Goodwell Investments, Umsizi Fund is an equity investor facilitating GNA’s expansion to work with thousands of farmers in Zambia.

MCE Social Capital – Umsizi Impact Investment

MCE Social Capital is a non-profit impact investing firm that uses a pioneering loan guarantee model to generate economic opportunities for women and families living in poverty throughout the developing world. MCE funds Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) across the globe. The MFIs in MCE’s portfolio help people in rural areas gain access to credit, savings accounts, insurance, health and business education, and technical assistance. The SGBs create reliable jobs in rural economies, help smallholder farmers, and facilitate access to clean water and renewable energy in underserved areas. Umsizi Fund has invested in MCE’s global economic opportunity notes yielding 2.5% interest. MCE has a strong track record with 100% payment of interest and principal to its investors since 2006.