Christopher Metzger '12 Spent Summer in Kenya as Impact Fellow

This past summer, Christopher Metzger '12 had the opportunity to work as an Impact Fellow for Hello Tractor, an agricultural and technology startup based in Nairobi, Kenya.

"I’ve been interested in visiting Kenya ever since there was a Winterim trip there working with a Maasai community when I was at Heathwood. Much of the news surrounding the continent of Africa tends to be focused on active civil conflicts or humanitarian crises with less attention given to the thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem developing in East, West and Southern Africa. The startup scene in Nairobi has been nicknamed 'Silicon Savannah' and is full of young people looking to start companies that have a positive impact on their communities. Hello Tractor is often referred to as the 'Uber for Tractors' because smallholder farmers are connected with tractors in their area through the app, but its business model is more centered around helping tractor owners monitor their tractor's activity remotely and receive affordable financing to purchase more tractors. Escaping the DC bubble, working directly with Kenyan farmers, and getting to travel to the beach, mountains, and a number of nature reserves throughout Kenya made the summer truly one to remember."