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About us

Frustrating rural poverty through AWILI

Quick Pitch

Agwenda Investments is a profit-making organization (limited by shares) providing agro-dealer, trading and veterinary services to smallholder farmers in Malawi. Noticing a gap in accessing quality farm inputs through loans from the bank and Microfinance Institutions by most rural women smallholder farmers, Agwenda Women Input Loan Initiative (AWILI) was established to close that gap. An input loan model developed closely with rural women smallholder farming communities (usually considered "un-bankable" communities) is championing women transformation while attaining business growth. Started in 2014, AWILI operates on 4 strategic business pillars:

  • Agro-dealership

    Selling improved and certified farm inputs and agro-vet products at a competitive price in rural (hard to reach) strategic points for smallholder farmers to easily access.

  • Micro Agro-Input Finance

    Providing improved and certified agro-inputs (fertilizers, inoculant, maize and legume seed) on credit to organized groups (cooperatives, associations, clubs ) targeting women and youth to improve their productivity and take farming as a business under Agwenda Women Input Loan Initiative.

  • Climate Smart Agriculture

    Providing climate smart farming advice to smallholder farmers in a bid to improve their productivity for easy input loan repayment. We also operate a Sugarcane and Mango farm while practicing CSA.

  • Collective Marketing

    Consolidating smallholder farmer produce and engaging reputable off-takers in a bid to improve farmer revenues (incomes).

Agro-dealership

Agro-dealership

Micro Agro-input Finance

Micro Agro-input Finance

Climate Smart Agriculture

Climate Smart Agriculture

Collective Marketing

Collective Marketing

As a leading college in Paris, we look to engage with our student beyond the conventional design and development school relationship, becoming a partner to the people and companies we work with.

Frustrating rural poverty through AWILI

Take advantage of the experiential-learning opportunities built into many programs. You can work in labs on and off

To meet the farmers’ expectation and beyond. 

To be the company that satisfies the product, service and self-fulfillment needs of rural women smallholder farmers through Agribusiness across Malawi.

To contribute towards increasing incomes and improve food security for smallholder (especially women and youth) farming households across Malawi in a profit oriented and sustainable manner.

Why we exist

Frustrating rural poverty through AWILI

The Problem

The main problem of Malawi’s agriculture are low productivity and profitability of smallholder agriculture. Limited access to improved farming inputs has contributed to low productivity leading to most rural household food insecure. Shortage of markets (especially by women) has led to low profitability. Despite women championing farm activities, they are the most marginalized in accessing input finance.

The Solution

We provide improved and certified agro-inputs to rural masses at competitive prices to ensure they access quality inputs in a bid to increase productivity. We deliberately target women by financing them with improved farm inputs on loan paid back in kind.

Our targeted value chains are oil crops, spices, rice and legumes. We provide ready markets under the same value chains.

Diversity and Inclusion

International Partners

Diversity and Inclusion

International Partners

Diversity and Inclusion

International Partners

Diversity and Inclusion

International Partners

Our Team

10,843
Members
4,362
Micro-finance beneficiaries
12,380
Lives changed
We have a vibrant and experienced advisory board

Advisory Board

Jes Colding

Jes Colding

Board Chairperson, Denmark
Marta Stenz

Marta Stenz

Board Member, Denmark
Aubrey Ng’onamo

Aubrey Ng’onamo

Board member. Doncaster, UK