About a year ago, Kiva lenders propelled Inka Moss to new heights when they clicked "Lend." Since that time, their loan and the great efforts of the Inka Moss team in partnership with NESsT has enabled Inka Moss to increase their environmental and social impact.
The Kiva lenders' confidence in Inka Moss in 2015 made it possible for the enterprise to attain the funds necessary to strengthen its business. The Kiva loan increased the potential of Inka Moss so much so that the enterprise sought additional funding not because the Kiva loans were insufficient, but because there was a greater perspective of growth. As a result, NESsT supported Inka Moss in securing an additional $234,000+ in new funding.*
Specifically, the loan improved the product quality and doubled the income of families by making solar-powered technology accessible. By transitioning from drying the moss on tarps to drying beds, one-kilogram moss now sells for $1.70 as opposed to $0.80 paid for moss dried on the ground.
In addition to providing sustainable income, a portion of each bag sold supports community services. So far, these funds have been used for the construction of a new school and the repair of roads leading to the communities.
As more updates become available, we encourage you to learn about how Inka Moss came to be, the key aspects behind their success and the enterprise's growth potential. Available in our new publication Beyond the Lab: Changing Lives through Hardware Technology.
* Inka Moss receives financial and capacity-building support from NESsT as a portfolio member.