ReFi Kenya, the annual ReFi festival in Kenya, is back with its second edition.
Scheduled to unfold from September 13th to 15th, 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya, this 3-day festival is set to gather youth, corporations, land stewards, and technology developers, all joining hands to celebrate Kenya’s burgeoning regenerative finance (ReFi) movement.
The festival is being hosted by Shamba Network, sponsored by Filecoin Green, with support from ReFi DAO and Prezenti.
5/ #ReFiKenya2023 is proudly hosted by @shambanetwork for the 2nd year, and sponsored by @filecoingreen, with support from @refidaoist and @prezenti_grants. Secure your spot now and stay tuned for more details to come. 🌍
Get your ticket now! https://t.co/3NQWQ7CGul pic.twitter.com/wEb8JxEbDT
— ReFi Kenya 📅 13-15 Sep. 2023 📍 Nairobi, Kenya (@ReFiKenya) August 17, 2023
Once again, ReFi Kenya 2023 is poised to unite an array of stakeholders, encompassing farmers, industry experts, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders in discussions regarding regeneration. It serves as a dynamic platform for sharing knowledge, honing skills, and rallying communities around the urgency of regeneration and climate change mitigation activities. It also serves as an opportunity to take stock of how far regenerative efforts at the national level have spread by getting participants from across the board to connect and talk.
Understanding ReFi
ReFi, an abbreviation for regenerative finance, refers to a global financial paradigm that puts ecological sustainability at the core of its value structure. Such a system is tailored to channel investments into projects that nurture environmental rejuvenation and underpin a more sustainable and equitable society. Although relatively novel, this concept bears the potential to fundamentally reshape our perception and management of natural capital. Rooted in the principles of regenerative economics, the essence of regenerative finance resonates with an economic system that aspires to restore and elevate the natural world. This paradigm views the economy as an integral facet of the natural ecosystem, emphasizing that genuine sustainability can only be cultivated through investments in initiatives contributing to the regeneration of our ecosystems.
ReFi Kenya 2022
The inaugural installment of ReFi Kenya unfolded in October 2022 and was a resounding success. Hosted by Shamba Network and bolstered by esteemed partners such as Celo, ReFi DAO, Climate Collective, and ReFi Spring, the gathering centered around raising awareness and mobilizing communities around the potential of regenerative finance. Both in improving planetary health as well as in improving the socio-economic status of land stewards.
Participants listened to stimulating keynote speeches, enthusiastically engaged in interactive workshops, learnt about the main pillars of ReFi and web3 technology, and closed the day by participating in tree planting.
It's not a #ReFi event till the trees get in the soil. Wrapping up a great day by planting trees with @kenya_mchuzi. #ReFiKenya was an outstanding success thanks to everyone who made it. pic.twitter.com/Vcdit0laQO
— Kennedy Ng'ang'a (@KennedyWNganga) October 7, 2022
Speakers were drawn from various ReFi projects including:
- The Regen Foundation
- Open Forest Protocol
- Safi Protocol
- JKUAT
- PELUM, and
- The hosts Shamba Network
Participants included land stewards, grassroots organizations working with farmers, entrepreneurs and technology developers as well as university students from local institutions.
Upcoming ReFi Kenya 2023
The 2023 ReFi Kenya festival is poised to unfold from September 13th to 15th, 2023. Each day of the festival is designed to cater to a distinct audience creating a platform that fosters learning and networking opportunities among those passionate about intensifying regeneration within Kenya.
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September 13 2023: Youth and Web3
The opening day is dedicated to youth and Web3 projects.
1/ Calling all #Kenyan youth & students! From Sep 13-15, immerse yourself in a ground-breaking festival that blends your passions. Explore #web3 possibilities, ignite climate action, and empower your future. Don't miss this chance for growth and impact! 🎓🚀🌍 #ReFiKenya pic.twitter.com/LqEe6IEnJj
— ReFi Kenya 📅 13-15 Sep. 2023 📍 Nairobi, Kenya (@ReFiKenya) August 17, 2023
Captivating speakers will share about their ReFi projects that are operational in Kenya and what has so far been achieved. There will also be an engaging panel discussion where participants will explore what web3 and ReFi are and how people new to all this can get involved. There will also be an AMA (ask-me-anything) session where the panelists will answer questions from the audience and share deeper insights.
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September 14 2023 (Main Event): Farmers, Policy Makers and Private Sector
The second day of the festival will host the main event, focusing on farmers, policy makers and corporates.
2/ The second day of #ReFiKenya2023 is the main event day, packed with insightful sessions, panel discussions, invaluable connections, and more. Don't miss out on this impactful festival! 🌟 #ReFiKenya pic.twitter.com/nokEWqpt17
— ReFi Kenya 📅 13-15 Sep. 2023 📍 Nairobi, Kenya (@ReFiKenya) August 17, 2023
A range of participants are expected to be drawn from the government, the private sector, grassroots organizations, small farmer groups, and ReFi startups. The goal of the second day is to get all the stakeholders in a room together to discuss what the future of regeneration in Kenya could look like over the next few years.
From insightful panel discussions and keynote speakers to interactive break-out sessions for participants to brainstorm, the main event is slated to be a melting pot of ideas around ReFi. The discussions will especially explore the potential that regenerative agriculture and other forms of ReFi hold for Kenyan farmers, herders and other land stewards.
This main event will be held at the scenic Thika Greens Golf Resort with breaks being enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the golf course. There will be plenty of food and drink with fun team building activities also planned for the day.
The essence of the main event is to build a thriving community around ReFi in Kenya composed of all the stakeholders. This is integral to achieving alignment and coordination among different efforts to maximize the impact of all the work being done. The inaugural event in 2022 kickstarted the formation of this community, and the 2023 event aims to continue the tradition and build further on it.
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September 15 2023: Field Excursion
The closing day of the ReFi Kenya 2023 festival is a hands-on field excursion to visit ongoing regenerative projects in Central Kenya.
3/ On the final day of #ReFiKenya2023, venture into local farm excursions. Witness the journey of farmers first-hand and learn about sustainable practices. An eye-opening experience awaits! 🌽🚜 pic.twitter.com/tHtc9MAOXB
— ReFi Kenya 📅 13-15 Sep. 2023 📍 Nairobi, Kenya (@ReFiKenya) August 17, 2023
As the saying goes, seeing is believing. Witness firsthand the journey of farmers engaged in regenerative projects and gain insights into their challenges and aspirations. The tour will also explore the work that needs to be done to regenerate Kenyan rivers by visiting a major river where several ReFi projects are working to turn the tide of pollution.
After the field excursion wraps up, an outdoors lunch will be hosted at a nearby national park where participants will get to enjoy a nice afternoon in the great outdoors. This beautiful location is enclosed by trees and offers a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature among people who appreciate it. There will be music and entertainment at this reception site until late in the evening.
The goal of the third day is to both showcase real-life ReFi projects in Kenya and also to provide a networking platform for festival participants to create connections and friendships.
ReFi Kenya 2023 promises to be enlightening and engaging, offering a perspective on the variety of ReFi projects ongoing in Kenya and emphasizing on the role of community building for sustainable regeneration. The 2023 festival will set the pace for an even bigger festival in 2024.
Tickets are now accessible via mTickets.
Come learn about the ReFi revolution, a transformative movement with local action and global impact, and be a part of the festival in September 2023.
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