Noah Nasiali, a Kenyan agripreneur has narrated how floods swept away his multimillion investment and how well-wishers helped him recover the loss.
In an interview with the Organic Guy Podcast, Nasiali, the founder and CEO of Afarmers AgriTech & Leadership Centre, recalled the unfortunate incident in 2018, when relentless floods swept through his farm in Athi River, destroying crops and infrastructure.
Given the extent of the loss he believed his years of hard work had been erased overnight.
“We lost everything. Six greenhouses, six acres of crops, water tanks, the training area, everything was carried away by the floods,’’ he recalled.
Rather than retreat in defeat, Nasiali chose to document the setback. He recorded a brief 30-second video informing participants that a scheduled training session at his farm would be postponed due to the damage caused by the heavy rains.
He shared the clip online, unaware that it would resonate far beyond his immediate network. The video quickly gained traction, amassing more than 1.2 million views. But for Nasiali, the true impact was not in the numbers.
“That post got 1.2 million views,” he said. “But what moved me wasn’t the views. It was farmers reaching out, offering help, and even showing up physically to rebuild,” Nasiali narrated.
Within days, about a dozen young volunteers arrived at the farm, ready to support reconstruction efforts. Their solidarity marked the beginning of a new chapter.
Shortly thereafter, Nasiali received an unexpected communication from Facebook. The social media giant invited him to California, informing him that he had been selected for its Community Leaders in Residence programme — an initiative designed to recognise individuals leveraging online platforms to create meaningful social impact.
“I didn’t even understand what it meant at first. Later, I got an email confirming I’d been selected for a Facebook Residency.”
Three months later, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Facebook formally introduced its inaugural cohort of Community Leaders in Residence.
Nasiali represented Africa and the Middle East alongside four other leaders from France, the United States, Latin America and India. At the event, each participant was awarded $1 million to further community-based initiatives.
“They told us we were each being awarded one million dollars to continue our work in our communities,” he recalled.
Since receiving the recognition and funding, Nasiali has significantly scaled up his enterprise, Afarmers AgriTech & Leadership Centre.
The organisation has evolved into a pan-African platform focused on equipping smallholder farmers with digital tools, practical training and innovative agricultural solutions.
Also Read: Livestock expert calls on farmers to invest in Dorper farming as demand for mutton soars
Did you love the story? You can also share YOUR story and get it published on Bizna Click here to get started.
