ChildFund, Barnfonden, and Swedish Greentech Company Spowdi Empower 470 Smallholder Farmers – a First Scalable Rollout for Regenerative Agriculture and Entrepreneurship

In a critical step to support smallholder farmers facing severe effects of climate change, ChildFund International, Barnfonden, and Swedish greentech company Spowdi are partnering to equip 470 farms in Kenya with solar-powered irrigation systems and training in regenerative agriculture. This is the first scalable rollout of its kind – a stepping stone toward a broader transformation where innovation becomes the tool to achieve concrete outcomes in food security, effective water management, and entrepreneurship.

Chege Ngugi, Africa Regional Director for ChildFund International, stresses the urgency:
"We're reaching farmers at a tipping point, struggling to feed their families and protect their land. With the right tools, they can shift from surviving to thriving. These 470 farms show how regenerative agriculture can improve food security, restore degraded land, and strengthen adaptation to environmental stressors."

Most of these farms are located in drought-affected regions, where water is scarce, crop yields are declining, and income insecurity threatens families and communities. This joint investment provides farmers with tangible tools to break fossil fuel dependency, grow more food with dramatically less water, and build the resilience needed for long-term sustainability.

Henrik Johansson, CEO of Spowdi, emphasizes that this is more than a technology deployment – it’s about building an inclusive economy and supporting the global agenda:
“This implementation in Africa is a turning point. The farmers we work with are pioneers. They show that regenerative agriculture is not a distant future – it starts here and now. We firmly believe this investment will carry its own cost, thanks to increased yields, improved margins, and stronger local economies. And this business model is designed to be replicated across East Africa and beyond.”

Spowdi sees itself as part of a broader ecosystem and urges more private stakeholders to invest in communities, climate-smart solutions, and a just agricultural transition that provides food security for all. The small-hold farmers produce one-third of the world’s total output.

One organization already making a meaningful contribution to this transformative and potentially life-changing program is SHL Medical, the pioneering leader in self-injection solutions.

Roger Samuelsson, Founder of SHL Medical, draws strong parallels to the company’s core purpose:
“From the very beginning, SHL Medical has been driven by a vision to enable individuals. Contributing to this initiative is a natural extension of our mission of helping people live more empowered lives, and we’re proud to be part of it.”

Ulrich Faessler, Chairman and CEO of SHL Medical, reflects on the involvement:
“For several years, we’ve supported initiatives that advance opportunities for people. Our engagement with Spowdi over the past few years has been especially inspiring, as we've witnessed remarkable progress and impact. This new collaboration with ChildFund builds on our legacy and commitment to these types of initiatives – a long-standing source of pride for us.”

The initiative is grounded in a successful initial rollout of 50 systems and places the farmer at the center. These 470 farms are not just numbers; they are 470 micro-hubs of change, bringing innovation, training, and economic opportunity where it's most needed. The aim is to scale to tens of thousands of farms in Kenya and beyond by scaling from these first “best practices hubs”.

Martina Hibell, Secretary General of Barnfonden, concludes with the perspective of the children:
“When a family can grow food and secure an income, children can focus on school and learning. This initiative goes beyond farming – it’s about building stability in children’s lives, while also caring for the environment. With reliable access to food and water, they are more likely to attend school and stay healthy. These 470 farms are just the beginning – a foundation for resilience and learning that can scale across borders.”

Contacts
Chege Ngugi, Africa Regional Director, ChildFund International
chege.ngugi@childfund.org

Martina Hibell, Secretary General, Barnfonden
martina.hibell@barnfonden.se | +46 40 12 18 85

Filippa Möller, Marketing and Communications, Spowdi
filippa.moller@spowdi.se | +46 73 537 38 30

Jakob Kiefer, Director Institutional Affairs, Spowdi
jakob.kiefer@spowdi.com | +46 72 715 81 14

Carl Gillblad, Head of Communications & Marketing Operations, SHL Medical

carl.gillblad@shl-medical.com | +41 41 368 00 96

About the Organizations

ChildFund International
Founded in 1938, ChildFund works in 23 countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas – including the U.S. – to ensure children grow up healthy, educated, and safe. Last year, the organization reached over 21 million children and family members, many of them in African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Zambia, and Mozambique.
www.childfund.org

Barnfonden (ChildFund Sweden)
Barnfonden is a Swedish member of the ChildFund Alliance and works to promote children’s rights in climate affected areas with a focus on education, health, and protection. The organization acts as a bridge between Swedish stakeholders and local communities.
www.barnfonden.se

Spowdi
Spowdi is a Swedish green-tech company that develops solar-powered mobile drip irrigation systems for smallholder farmers. With Spowdi’s technology, farmers can increase yields, reduce water use, and lower their dependence on fossil fuels. Spowdi also offers a Smart Farming app for monitoring, training, and data collection.
www.spowdi.com

SHL Medical

As a world-leading solutions provider of advanced drug delivery systems, SHL Medical is the partner of choice for many leading pharma and biotech companies. Driven by its company purpose – Enabling Patients’ Independence – SHL Medical offers patient-centric solutions for the design, development, and manufacturing of autoinjectors, pen injectors, as well as innovative specialty delivery systems for large-volume and high-viscosity formulations. It also offers final assembly, labeling, and packaging solutions for its drug delivery systems.   

www.shl-medical.com