Women are vital to agriculture worldwide, yet they often face barriers to resources and markets.
At Hillside Green, empowering women entrepreneurs is at the heart of our mission. We believe
– as the FAO reports – that gender equality is central to building sustainable, productive
agrifood systems. Research shows that if women had equal access to inputs and training,
agricultural productivity could rise dramatically; closing the gender gap in farming could boost
global GDP by an estimated $1 trillion and lift some 45 million people out of hunger. These
compelling facts drive us to ensure our work explicitly includes women.

Our CEO, a woman entrepreneur herself, has made supporting other women a priority. Over the
years, Hillside Green has offered mentorship, workshops, and peer-learning groups specifically
for women-led agribusinesses. For example, we run annual training sessions on farm best
practices and business management tailored for women. These cover topics such as
sustainable farming techniques, post-harvest handling, cooperative business formation, and
financial literacy. We also partner with local organizations to address women’s unique needs –
from land access advice to market linkages.

Through these efforts, we’ve seen inspiring results.

Building confidence and skills: Many participants report feeling more empowered. One Kenyan woman we mentored started her own vegetable brand after our training, entering local supermarkets for the first time.

Networking and growth: We facilitate connections between women producers and buyers. In one case, a
cooperative of women rose from farming only for home use to exporting pulses overseas after
attending a Hillside workshop on export requirements.

Multiplier effect: The support has ripple effects in communities. For instance, a trainee we worked with went on to mentor fellow farmers; in a similar program in Nigeria, a single entrepreneur trained over 1,500 women farmers and processors across six states. This shows what is possible: with guidance and opportunity, women often pay success forward to many others.

Hillside Green’s approach mirrors best practices in women’s empowerment. In neighboring
Kenya, a recent GIZ-supported mentorship initiative reached 16 women agripreneurs across 11
counties – from Eldoret to the Coast – each paired with an expert mentor. Those women
represented diverse value chains (dairy, poultry, honey, vegetables, floriculture, and more).
Similarly, we ensure our programs cover the full spectrum of agriculture. After our trainings, we
follow up with field visits: mentors hold monthly sessions (virtually or in person) to solve
problems the women encounter, just as best-practice models suggest. Many of our mentees
have since expanded into new crops or processing ventures.

These successes encourage us to do more. Hillside Green is continually building on what we
learn. We now engage more female agronomists on staff, and we advocate for inclusive policies
in our networks. We also highlight women’s stories in our outreach, showing how female
leadership in agriculture makes communities stronger. By nurturing women entrepreneurs, we
not only fulfill social responsibility but also strengthen Kenya’s entire agribusiness sector. In the
words of one participant: having a mentor gave her “the confidence to do much more”. We
are proud to help that confidence grow.