Help Fund Isaac's Business School Tuition

My name is Isaac Sesi and I live in Kumasi, Ghana. I have always been passionate about using technology to solve the biggest and most pressing problems. A little over a year ago, I found my raison d’etre - my purpose;  to help tackle poverty and hunger in Africa using technology.

After graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering, I worked as a research engineer at my university. My research involved locally building a low-cost grain moisture meter as a post-harvest loss mitigation technology to help reduce post-harvest losses in grains. 

With a grain moisture meter, farmers can measure the moisture content in their grains and know whether their grains are okay for storage or have to be dried some more. Smallholder farmers in Africa, most of who make less than $1000 in a whole year currently lose up to 30% of their grains to post-harvest losses. Knowing the moisture in their grains can help cut down these losses.

 Against several odds, my team successfully built the moisture meters. That was when I discovered that I wanted to spend the next few decades of my life building technology which gives African farmers and their families the hope of a brighter tomorrow. 

I started a company to make the moisture meters, which I named GrainMate.  Over the last few months, my team has built about 400 GrainMates, which is currently serving several hundred farmers in Ghana. I have gradually transitioned from being an engineer to an entrepreneur, learning everything I can about running a technology company along the way.
Local farmer in Ghana using GrainMate to measure moisture content in her grains.

However, I recognize that for GrainMate to have a bigger and more sustainable impact, It has to scale beyond the borders of Ghana. This will require a new set of skills that I currently lack: skills in management, strategy innovations, raising funds, operations, finance, etc 

That's why I applied to the MIT Venture Scaling Bootcamp, a high impact business program designed to help me build those skills so I can better position myself to continue to give hope to African farmers. I gained admission into the bootcamp did sadly, I did not get a scholarship. The tuition is worth $6600 but I am unable to afford the amount. To reserve my place, I need to make a deposit of $2000 by 5th August 2019.

My vision is to help 1 million farmers in Africa rise out of poverty, using technology and you can make that happen. I seek your kind donations to help me cover tuition, flight from Ghana and accommodation to participate in the MIT Venture Scaling Bootcamp will ensure that this vision comes to pass. To support me will be putting a smile on the face of a smallholder farmer in Africa.

I want to help shape an Africa where our children and grandchildren never have to go to bed hungry. Will you help make this possible?

I am super grateful for any help I receive. God bless you!



UPDATE:
So if you are on this campaign now, there's a good chance you found my story on Humans of New York about Talia and I. https://www.facebook.com/102099916530784/posts/4220351974705537/

Last year, I started this campaign to raise money to attend a business programme at MIT. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to raise enough money at the time to attend the programme.

Following an outpouring of requests from well-wishers from around the world on ways to support my work, I have decided to re-open the campaign to receive support.

I will put whatever money I raise towards a future business school masters programme so I can better build the skills to help vulnerable farmers through my work at Sesi Technologies.

Thanks so much for your support