That smile -- the one that starts deep within and lights up when something good is happening -- is instantly recognizable. That distinctive smile graced Mama Naumi Kamau's face as she stood in her maize field in Nakuru, Kenya on a November morning. The ears of maize were plump white grains, glowing. She could tell this harvest would be better than the last, and she says she knows that more harvests like this are to come. "Finally," she said.
The maize in Mama Kamau's field was far from the meagre cobs she was used to. Mama Kamau's 0.75 hectares in Kabatini ward, Nakuru, had always been a source of sustenance --not of meaningful income. Harvests usually yielded two 90-kg maize sacks, barely sustaining her family until the next season.
"With just two bags, it was hard. I could barely feed my family, and everything felt like a struggle. But we had to survive somehow," Mama Kamau recalls. "As the only one providing [for the family], it was scary not knowing if we'd make it to the next season. That harvest was never enough," she adds.
The land demanded everything, she remembers. Before the rains, Mama Kamau gripped the plough, turning the earth for maize. This land meant everything to herself, her children, and her six grandchildren.
Then came the day that changed her life. A young man stood in her yard. He was wearing a dark green T-shirt emblazoned with a small green logo: Apollo Agriculture. Intrigued, Mama Kamau drew closer and returned his greeting. He asked if he could talk to her about what had already caught her attention: a Kiswahili-language flyer in his hand that read, "Msimu wa kupanda - Bidhaa zote unazohitaji" - or "Planting season: All the farming inputs you need." The young man's name was Zacharia "Zack" Rukwaro, and the two got on well. Since then, Mama Kamau and Zack Rukwaro have been a team.
Months later, following Rukwaro's guidance, she selected Apollo Agriculture's full maize bundle -- a complete package designed to maximize yields. It included high-quality, drought-resistant maize seeds, and top-dressing fertilizers. She paid a deposit and collected the products at the Neema Farmers kwa Mirriam shop. The bundle came with a "Lipa Pole Pole" financing plan that allowed her to repay the balance in monthly instalments. But the real benefit was having a dedicated field officer -- Rukwaro. He visited her farm once a month, offering personalized agronomy support, guiding her through the entire growing process.
"He advised me when to plant, helped me through the difficult season, and always checks in. I've learned a lot from him," she said.
Mama Kamau recalls planting six km of Apollo Agriculture's improved maize seed with precision and care, along with 25 kg of fertilizer. Maize typically takes six to seven months to mature. This time, she says she couldn't wait for harvest day - not out of anxiety, but because her farm had already flourished.
Moments like these for smallholder farmers like Mama Kamau fuel the African Development Bank's investments through the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism. The Mechanism's $2 million trade credit guarantee scheme, in partnership with Apollo Agriculture, acts as a bridge, enabling farmers who might otherwise be excluded to access essential inputs like quality fertilizer. Previously, Mama Kamau's only access to credit came through her late husband's pension-backed loan. Apollo Agriculture's flexible Lipa Pole Pole repayment plan made them Mama Kamau's partner, not just a lender. In mid-September, heavy rainfall and strong winds hit her area, flattening much of her crop. However, Apollo's crop insurance payout and Rukwaro's support {enabled} early harvesting, saving Mama Kamau's crop from rot.
As November's maize harvest began, Mama Kamau walked through her field and packed each bag of dried maize grains with a fluttering sense of excitement until she proudly counted 11 90 kg bags - enough for her household. Imagine the ripple effect across the 36,667 farmers on the same program of the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism and Apollo Agriculture Limited.
