In October, the UN recognises three days that speak to why we do what we do.
“Rural women ensure food security for their communities, build climate resilience and strengthen economies. Yet, gender inequalities, such as discriminatory laws and social norms, combined with a fast-changing economic, technological and environmental landscape restrict their full potential, leaving them far behind men and their urban counterparts.” – UN Women
Worldwide, more than 80% of the extreme poor live in rural areas and many rely on agriculture and natural resources for their living. By aiming for better production, better nutrition, and a better environment we can implement sustainable solutions that consider long-term access and availability of nutritious food for all. *
In Uganda, women face the enormous and disproportionate challenges of accessing resources to provide for their households. Uganda is home to some of the most fertile land in the world. However, in the years following the war, people returning to their land had no resources to farm with.
Cents for Seeds is combatting this situation directly.
Cents for Seeds addresses and supports all of these challenges by providing the resource to empower women – and our social impact surveys over the last few years have reassured us that it is working. On each trip to Uganda, we could see the progression, and staff on the ground in Uganda noted the improvements in communities in a tangible way – households in the program had more food, they could send children to school and begin saving. Our social Impact reports helped us measure this and the outcomes connected to the program, clarifying how the project is impacting individual lives.
In the 2020 Impact Report, the women of Awake Village reported a 13% increase in wellbeing, plus improvement in physical health, resilience, hope, daily life skills, parenting, income, and self-respect.
“Before the program I had nowhere to run from my hardships. Now I can solve them myself.
I have learned agricultural practices that I pass onto my children because they help in the garden.” – Semi
Women of Aminocera reported +5% wellbeing, plus an increase in the same factors as Awake village but also mental wellness. Women in Barr village reported +7% increase in being able to support children to have a good life and +5% increase in having a peaceful home environment.
“Before joining the project it was so difficult to find seeds to plant, and to get food. In my first year, I harvested 1.5 bags of seeds – that is 150kg from just a small 30kg loan.
I used some of the income from my harvest to send my children to school. Other years I harvested 200kgs. I have fed my family and saved enough to buy goats. Once they multiply, I will sell the new goats for some cows.” – Teddy
The 2021 survey reported that the wellbeing of women participating in Cents for Seeds improved by 6.8% despite the impact of the global pandemic. Women reported that they felt +10% more connected to their land, a +10% connection with others in their community, and more respected in their home.
“The project is helping me in many areas of my life. Since I began in Cents for Seeds I have harvested well. The seeds are strong and the land I plant on is very fertile. I have been able to harvest two sacks (200kg) of seeds each year.
I have purchased 3 goats for the land and I have saved some of my income for emergency. I am paying school fees for my remaining young children. One day, with the harvest and money I can save, I hope to build a permanent home for my family.” – Akite Rose from Anyiti
All of this from a $30 seed loan! Cents for Seeds is changing the lives of families in Uganda by empowering women and enabling them to provide for their families.
We’re so grateful for the generosity of our community and partners. This allows us to increase the impact of the Cents for Seeds project to reach more communities in northern Uganda, building rural women’s resilience, creating sustainable food sources and income generation, with the ultimate goal of ending persistent poverty.
Just $30 can empower a woman with a seed loan to star her Cents for Seeds journey. Can you give a seed loan this month?
