The Daily Nation: ARC Press Conference

 By Mercy Gakii, Saturday Nation Correspondent for The Daily Nation, December 19, 2009

At first it was just a rabbit-keeping idea. But at the end of the day Mr Jacky Foo is the lucky winner of the $20,000 (Sh1.5 million) for coming up with the business proposal. His idea won the overall grand prize in Africa Rural Connect (ARC), an online contest that had been going on for five months with participants drawn from all over Africa.

Speaking at the awards ceremony yesterday, ARC manager Molly Mattessich said there was huge interest from Kenyans, who recorded 1,500 visitors to the site on any day, the highest traffic outside of the United States.

“The rabbit-keeping idea generated a lot of discussion on the website and the panel of judges was impressed by its nature to be a sustainable, profit-making project that involves the local community,” said Mattessich.

The online contest was made known to many through the Daily Nation in September, and despite Kenyans entering the competition late, four business ideas won start-up money in three rounds of the contest. Known as the Ndekero Challenge, the project will develop a community rabbit-keeping system that can work in partnership with a rabbit agri-business farm.

Source: The Daily Nation (print)