News & Events

Growing a Solution to Hunger

July 18. 2006

The founder of an organization devoted to helping poor farm families in Kenya talks about a typical day in the field

Andrew Youn
Founder, One Acre Fund
MBA Class of 2006, Kellogg

I am the founder of One Acre Fund, an organization started in January, 2006, that works to help end hunger in Africa. Our organization helps poor farm families learn how to grow their own way out of hunger. We do this by providing Kenyan families with a small amount of seed and fertilizer, weekly farm training in the farmers' own fields, and market access. We currently serve 110 farm families, reach 500 children, and plan to double in size every six months.

As founder, I set our program goals and strategies to accomplish them. I also hire and develop employees and create relationships with donors. I work first-hand with families in rural western Kenya, but also travel back to the U.S. to raise funds for the program and to check in with the board to make sure the program is running smoothly. The board of One Acre Fund consists of nine Kellogg students, who will raise half of our operating funds over the next three years.

I graduated from Kellogg School of Management in 2006, and my MBA has been quite relevant to this work. The relationships and networks I fostered at Kellogg led to a summer internship in Africa where I managed community-based AIDS work (see BusinessWeek.com, 12/5/05, "AIDS: Education Cuts the Toll"). That experience, combined with the contacts I made at Kellogg, gave me the tools to execute One Acre Fund successfully.

Here's a typical work day:

8:00 a.m.: Wake up, hot. The village in Kenya is on the Equator, and every day the temperature reaches at least 80 degrees. I brush my teeth, eat a nut bar and some raisins, and head out.

8:30 a.m.: Meet my field manager, John, and one of our field officers, Gladys, on the road. They are both Kenyans, and their insight is invaluable to the project.

8:40 a.m.: Hop onto the back of a bicycle, the most common form of transportation in this town. When we are let off, we walk until we arrive at a farmer's field.

9:00 a.m.: Meet a group of women farmers who are assembled and waiting for us. Most of Kenya's farmers are women. They greet us happily...

9:30 a.m.: Begin farm training. We teach the farmers how to use the land, soil, and materials to harvest long-lasting product.

10:30 a.m.: Visit some of the farmers' homes. When I ask what the women plan to feed their families for lunch, the answer is often "nothing." I hope that this will be the last hunger season that they ever experience.

Noon: Eat lunch at a farmer's hut. I feel guilty because this means that the farmer's family might go hungry at our expense. While we eat, John and I discuss our plans to begin a mosquito-net program for malaria control.

2:30 p.m.: Meet someone from the National Cereals Production Board to discuss plans for the farmers to begin selling grain to their company.

4:00 p.m.: Sit down for a cup of chai tea. John prepares the work plan for next week, and I download my e-mail.

6:00 p.m.: Eat dinner with our technical advisor. We eat a full meal, and it is a welcome break. Afterward, we take a walk and admire the night sky.

9:00 p.m.: Spend a few hours writing e-mails to our donors. They always have lots of questions, and I want to make sure they understand our program and their crucial function in keeping it alive.

10:30 p.m.: Relax and prepare to sleep after a long day of physically demanding field work.

I had no idea I wanted to work in Africa before I went to business school, but I discovered my life's passion through the networking I was able to do there. The incredible network at Kellogg helped me to find and interview by phone at least 50 practitioners in Africa, which contributed very quickly to my learning (see BusinessWeek.com, 1/18/06 "How Kellogg Grads Find a Home").

Starting your own unique business or organization like mine right out of business school is challenging but not impossible. I would advise students with nontraditional and entrepreneurial interests to go outside the classroom and make the most of the network at business school. No matter how bizarre your interest, someone can help you with it and will put you in touch with the right people. I drew upon a health professor, an economics professor, the media department, and the nonprofit department for various pieces of advice. An amazing group of individuals at Kellogg wanted to see this organization succeed, and they really catapulted One Acre Fund to the next level.

Business school is very fertile soil from which to harvest your interests, and the networking opportunities are invaluable. Take advantage of the connections you can make. Ask for their help and they will often give it to you. In the words of Margaret Mead, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Business school is a good place to find some of those thoughtful, committed citizens.

Andrew can be reached via email at andrew.youn@oneacrefund.org

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