TerraFund for AFR100 Landscapes
Kenya Celebration & Onboarding
January 23-25, 2024 | Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge Hotel | Nakuru County, Kenya
Workshop Agenda
The Onboarding Presentations are Linked in Blue Below:
Celebration & Communications Workshop | January 23
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Welcome and Introduction of Participants - Moderator: Peter Ndunda, Senior Associate, World Resources Institute Africa |
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Remarks from World Resources Institute - Dr. Susan Chomba, Director, Vital Landscapes, World Resources Institute Africa |
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Remarks from the Government of Kenya - George Tarus, Conservation Secretary, State Department of Forestry |
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Recognition of the New Cohort Members - Teresa Muthoni, Project Manager, TerraFund & Moses Kiniti, Portfolio Specialist, TerraFund |
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TerraFund Overview: The Process and Our Impact - Karaya Karugu, Enterprise Manager, TerraFund |
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Panel: Insights from Restoration Champions on their experience with TerraFund and their aspirations for impact in Kenya - Moderator: John Ngahu, Project Manager, TerraFund Panelists:
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Closing Remarks & Adjournment - Caroline Njiru, Landscape Manager, TerraFund |
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Investing in Communications - Susan Onyango, Director of Communications & Engagement, TerraFund |
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How to Talk About TerraFund - Jerin Tan, Communications Manager, TerraFund |
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Internal Communication & Community Coordination - Thacien Munyamahame, Community Coordinator, TerraFund |
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Telling Your Story: Interactive Session - Jerin Tan, Communications Manager, TerraFund |
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Closing Remarks & Agenda for Tomorrow - Karaya Karugu, Enterprise Manager, TerraFund |
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Onboarding: Project Management & Monitoring | January 18
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Introduction & Welcome to the Workshop - Teresa Muthoni, Project Manager, TerraFund & |
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Deep Dive into TerraFund: Funders, Partners, and Responsibilities - Karaya Karugu, Enterprise Manager, TerraFund |
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Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification Requirements - Eric Ng’ang’a, GIS Associate, TerraFund |
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Utilizing TerraMatch for Success - Jubril Juma, Product Manager, TerraFund |
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Presentations from TerraFund Champions - Moderator: John Ngahu, Project Manager, TerraFund Caroline Kariuki, CEO, Green Pot Enterprises |
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Introduction to Project Management - John Ngahu, Project Manager, TerraFund |
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Concluding Remarks & Agenda for Tomorrow - Karaya Karugu, Enterprise Manager, TerraFund |
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Networking Cocktail - Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge Hotel |
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Onboarding: Getting Ready for Implementation | January 25
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2024 TerraFund Timeline & Milestones - Karaya Karugu, Enterprise Manager, TerraFund |
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Quality Assurance: Submitting High-Quality Data - Teresa Muthoni, Project Manager, TerraFund |
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Individual Support Sessions: Understanding Your Project - Each champion will meet with a TerraFund staff member to fill out a standard form and pose any remaining questions. |
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Concluding Remarks & Thanks - Will Anderson, Senior Portfolio Manager, TerraFund |
Workshop Summary
Background
In 2015, Africa embarked on an ambitious journey of restoring 100 million hectares by 2030. As part of this initiative, the government of Kenya has committed to restore 5.1 million hectares. To accelerate the implementation of this ambitious goal, TerraFund for AFR100 was established in 2021. This consortium, consisting of World Resources Institute, One Tree Planted, Realize Impact, and Barka Fund, aims to provide the necessary financing and support to local communities involved in land restoration.
In September 2021, TerraFund for AFR100 opened its first call for proposals for projects and enterprises across Africa, receiving an overwhelming response of 3,200 applicants. From these, the first cohort of 100 projects and enterprises from 27 African countries were selected for funding, including 14 from Kenya.
In April 2023, aligning with WRI’s Restore Local project, TerraFund for AFR100 embarked on a new phase, to finance organizations and enterprises restoring land in three vital African landscapes: the Lake Kivu & Rusizi River Basin spanning Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Greater Rift Valley of Kenya, and the Ghana Cocoa Belt.
TerraFund was thrilled to announce the latest development in this journey: the second cohort of TerraFund, the “Landscapes” cohort. Drawn from these three landscapes, the new cohort comprises 92 projects – 78 non-profits and 14 for-profit organizations. In total these champions will receive $17.8 million USD, disbursed in grants, loans, and equity investments of $50,000-$500,000 USD each. Through 2030, this new investment is projected to make a substantial environmental and socio-economic impact by growing 12.7 million trees, putting under restoration 47,000 hectares of land, creating 52,000 temporary and full-time jobs, and benefiting 586,000 people living in these landscapes.
In Kenya alone, 36 organizations made it to the final selection including 29 non-profit and 7 for-profit. These Kenyan restoration champions will receive $7.5 million USD in investment. This investment is projected to grow 4.5 million trees, put 13,000 hectares of land under restoration, create 21,000 jobs, and improve the livelihoods of 245,000 people.
Day 1 – Cohort Celebration & Communications Workshop
On January 23, TerraFund for AFR100 gathered restoration champions in Naivasha, in the heart of Nakuru County, to celebrate their recent investment and to prepare for the work ahead. Members of the TerraFund staff and Kenyan government officials came together to congratulate this new cohort of Kenyan Restoration champions. Peter Ndunda, a Senior Associate at WRI Africa, served as host of the event. Followed by poignant and animated speech from Dr. Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes at WRI Africa, and George Tarus, Conservation Secretary of the State Department of Forestry. They reminded us of the potential impact that can be made by the people sitting in the room, emphasizing the significance of the investment in Kenya and its restoration movement.
After a nine-month selection process, the audience was officially introduced to TerraFund’s 36 Restoration Champions from Kenya. Each partner was announced one-by-one and recognized by the audience and the dignitaries in attendance. Teresa Muthoni and Moses Kiniti roused the crowd to properly celebrate each Champion. The newly anointed Restoration Champions then heard from Karaya Karugu about the history and impact of TerraFund and the journey that they will embark on together.
Then the audience then had the opportunity to learn from a panel of four restoration champions – Wezesha CBO, Green Pot Enterprises, Paran Women Group, and COPICAD, who offered sage advice about their experience and motivating calls to action for the years ahead. The official close of the ceremony was made by Caroline Njiru, WRI Africa’s landscape manager in the Greater Rift Valley, building excitement about the newly establish Kenyan TerraFund community and the hard work and learning that will happen together over the following six years.
In the afternoon, the champions and the TerraFund communications team gathered for a series of trainings and workshops. The champions received a crash course in communicating about TerraFund, including an inspiring example of easy-to-create communications products, and guidance on leveraging social media to tell their story. A small group of partners participated in a workshop to build the core messaging and branding of the Restore Local project, in collaboration with communications agency Havas. This group explored the values and narratives that are important to champions and communities in Kenya.
Day 2 – The Beginning of Onboarding
On January 24, Teresa Muthoni and Moses Kiniti led champions and TerraFund through an exercise to that allowed the whole community to meet and mingle, building the relationships we will lean on for the next 6 years. After this, Karaya Karugu dove deep into the details of the TerraFund initiative, identifying the roles of each partner in the consortium and explaining in detail how the team whittled down 601 applications to 92 investments in less than nine months. Eric Ng’ang’a then introduced champions to the heart of TerraFund: the Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework. He explained the indicators that champions track and TerraFund verifies – from trees restored to jobs created – and walked them through the information that they report every six months over the next six years. Most crucially, he introduced champions to TerraFund’s leading geospatial data collection system, a skill that will be reinforced during an in-depth training later in the year. This ended with a test of understanding on the differences between concentrated and distributed projects. Jubril Juma then explained how champions can use the TerraMatch platform to create profiles of their projects, report on their progress every six months, and emphasized the importance of asking for support through the TerraMatch Help Center, email communication, or WhatsApp messages.
This message was echoed during John Ngahu’s presentation on TerraFund project management. He enthusiastically explained the importance of trust and remembering that the restoration champions and TerraFund staff are one team, with the same goal. He ended with another reminder for champions to lean on project managers and the entire TerraFund team, further emphasizing the importance of the community we are building.
Two champions from TerraFund’s “Top 100” cohort then presented their progress to their peers and gave advice on how to best succeed in a discussion moderated by John Ngahu. Caroline Kariuki of Green Pot Enterprises, which has received two investments from TerraFund, offered a masterclass on dreaming big. She provided her spin on the secret ingredients of a success business that balances restoration and returns; kissing dozens of frogs before the right opportunity comes along, and most importantly allowing yourself to enjoy the journey. Then, Grace Wacu Nding’uri of Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) offered inspiration and advice for new partners, providing new restoration champions with guidance on KENVO’s biggest barriers throughout the TerraFund process. Both partners emphasized the importance and honor of partaking in this community of champions and creating a restoration movement that outlives us all. To close the evening, everyone gathered by the bonfire for a night of dinner, dancing, and celebration.
Day 3 – The Culmination of the Onboarding and Celebration
Karaya Karugu kicked off the last day of the workshop with what TerraFund expects of champions throughout their first year – from reporting to geospatial data collection – and what support champions can expect from TerraFund. Teresa Muthoni then advised the champions on the qualities of excellent reports – based on TerraFund’s experience working with 100 champions across Africa – and how the team rigorously checks the accuracy and completeness of these reports before issuing payments.
Each partner then had time to meet with a member of the TerraFund staff in a personal support session, where they could ask questions in a more intimate setting and provide additional context. The assembled champions heard one last inspirational speech from Will Anderson, thanking the Kenyan colleagues for their participation and hard work, now and in the future. He ended with a reminder to champions that they have a support system here in Kenya and across the globe.
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