MARKUP Kenya with the European Union have announced a partnership with SemaBOX,a podcast producing company to create and produce a podcast series called Mazao Talks.
The first season of Mazao Talks will focus on agri-business development for the youth in 12 counties of Kenya where the project is implemented. The aim of the podcast is to connect listeners with MARKUP Kenya through stories of ordinary people with whom they can identify.
“We are extremely excited at this fresh opportunity to engage with Kenya’s young people and share research that we have built up at MARKUP Kenya. The future of this country relies on our ability to produce food at scale and this is only possible by getting our youth engaged in agri-business” said Mr. Maina Karuiru, The National Coordinator for the MARKUP Kenya Project. “
Mr Karuiru added “Kenya’s youth have a great appetite for technology and innovation and in agri-business this can enable them to make a lot of money and create millions of jobs. We hope that this podcast series can go a long way in showcasing this opportunity. “
The first season of Mazao Talks will consist of 12 episodes that will cover specific value chains in 12 counties. The content is built around the MARKUP Kenya studies and research results and also features contributions from industry stakeholders such as Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), The Horticulture and Crops Directorate, farmers and The Kenya Ministry of Agriculture.
“Podcasting is the future of media. It’s the best space to curate important conversations and to have them easily distributed online to the people who you want to participate,” said Dan Aceda the Founder and CEO of SemaBOX.
“We are excited to work with MARKUP Kenya on this project and look forward to engaging with the wider Kenyan public about opportunities in agri-business for the youth. We are also looking forward to finding even more innovative ways to create content that can be meaningful to people”
MARKUP Kenya was launched in October 2019 and is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in partnership with the government and private sector. MARKUP aims contribute to the economic development of Kenya by increasing the value of both extra and intra-regional agricultural exports in selected horticulture sub sectors ie. snow peas and peas, mangoes, passion fruit, nuts, chilies, herbs and spices
This Season of the Mazao Talks Podcast will be hosted by Jason Runo and Sheila Kari.
Jason Runo
Jason is a free spirit and self-styled media man at large. Jason has experience in multiple industries from aviation to media. His current work is in bee keeping, work as a corporate MC and as the lead man in the hit improv live event BYSS. He brings his agri-business knowledge to the podcast and will lead conversations targeted towards current practitioners
Sheila Kari
Sheila is a top 50 Kenyan Twitter personality with a skill and charm for people and
products. She’s worked for one of the big 3 media houses in Kenya on one of the
biggest afternoon radio shows. Her ability to communicate in highly relatable ways
has led her to work on campaigns by the biggest brands in East Africa including
Safaricom, EABL and others. She will act as an interlocutor for curious audience members and budding farmers who are interested in starting to farm.
