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SoilCares – Agent model for agri extension services for rural farmers
- Lisanne
- Kenya
- February 1, 2026
Situation
SoilCares developed a handheld device enabling rapid, on-site soil quality assessment—removing the long delays of laboratory testing. But the high device cost made direct farmer adoption unrealistic. Together with Proportion Global, Vijana Reloaded and funder Rabobank, a new service model was needed to train youth as soil-testing agents for farmers in Nakuru and surrounding areas.
Assignment
Proportion Global was tasked with leading a full HCD process—from research to prototyping and piloting—to design a viable agri-extension agent model that could provide soil testing as a youth self-employment opportunity.
Approach
Context mapping and desk research informed the selection of Nakuru as the pilot site. Deep-dive fieldwork with farmers, youth and stakeholders included demonstrations of the SoilCares scanner and co-creation sessions with solution providers. Business-model design explored complementary services, leading to the addition of a spray service. Youth groups in Molo were recruited and trained, followed by iterative pilot cycles launched at the Nakuru Agricultural Fair. Continuous refinement focused on service design, marketing, sales and operational feasibility across five Agri-Vijana groups.
Result
A step-by-step journey of a potato farmer revealed pain points across the agricultural cycle, guiding a diversified portfolio of youth-led services. The resulting Agri-Vijana model offers year-round farmer support and multiple revenue streams for youth—strengthening both rural livelihoods and sustainable agri-extension systems.