Community Knowledge Worker (CKW) initiative

Thank you so much for your support! We are very thankful for the kindness and generosity you show. With your help, Grameen Foundation is continuing to improve the lives of farmers in Uganda with our Community Knowledge Worker (CKW) Project.

Your donations to Grameen Foundation have helped people like Mary and her family of five who live in rural northern Uganda. Despite struggling at times, Mary has always been an honorable and respected member of her community. In 2008, she was nominated by her peers to become a Community Knowledge Worker (CKW) for Grameen Foundation.

Since then, Mary has been trained and equipped with a special smartphone containing a searchable database with agricultural, seasonal, and livestock information. Now Mary visits 6-7 farmers a week to answer their questions about when to plant, how to get the best price for their crop and when to harvest. With the income she makes as a CKW, she has been able to bring her family above the poverty line, as well as help combat poverty in Uganda.

Mary has also seen a change in the roles of female farmers in Uganda, and has been proud to watch her role result in more respects for the women in households. With women playing a bigger role in decision-making, and the information Mary provides, families are able to send their children to school, put food on the table, and save farms from disappearing.

Thanks to your generosity, we have accomplished the following:

• Our CKWs have had more than 2 million interactions with farmers!
• Nearly 1,300 CKWs are currently helping farmers by providing tips on how best to care for their crops and livestock – which they depend on for both their food and their income.
• We’ve now reached 254,000 total farmers helped.
• Our CKW program has reached a total of 21,800 villages!

Thank you for helping Grameen Foundation truly make a difference where it matters most, engaging respected community members to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. We couldn’t do our work without you!

Links:

• Watch our video interview with Mary!