Community-driven Development in Uganda

World Centric + Raising the Village

$112,046.00 from profits from fiscal year 2021

This project supports these U.N. Sustainable Development goals

Ultra-poverty is the most difficult and deepest form of poverty to address. Over 400 million people live in ultra poverty, with 80% living in just 14 countries, including Uganda. Ultra-poor families primarily practice subsistence farming on less than one acre and live in last-mile rural areas. Households in Kyeshero earn an average of $0.87/day, well below the $1.90/day extreme poverty line. On average, only 64% of households in Kyeshero have access to safe water, with some villages as low as 30%. Households take as long as 3 hours to collect water or access health clinics on foot. Low household income, poor infrastructure & agricultural yields, and scarcity barriers have led to families experiencing high levels of food insecurity, low quality of life and the inability to withstand development shocks.

Raising the Village (RTV) focuses on moving last mile, rural communities out of ultra poverty. RTV applies a low-cost, livelihood-based solution to support ultra-poor communities. Programs aim to engage all village members, with an emphasis on women, youth, and vulnerable households in achieving economic self-sufficiency within 24 months.

The RTV model:

• Livelihoods: Develop a diversified portfolio of household income sources to reduce the dependency on household agriculture and optimize the quality of life for families.
• Access: Remove immediate barriers to accessing basic needs and services.
• Guidance: Technical advisory, follow-up and mentorship to ensure communities are able to sustainably manage and own projects over the long-term.

Through RTV’s programs, Kyeshero will increase their household income by addressing immediate scarcity barriers of water, health & sanitation; creating diversified agricultural & livestock income-generating projects, specifically for women and youth, providing trainings, establishing Village Savings and Loans Associations and encouraging community-led projects to empower members to lift themselves out of ultra-poverty. This project includes:

• Installation of latrines, water systems, and waste management systems
• WASH interventions and training
• Financial Literacy & Behavior Change training
• Sustainable Agriculture Training
• Each village will launch at least one self-initiated community project in 12 months and a second within 24 months.
• All women and youth will receive at least 1 pig

Through these projects household incomes will increase from $0.87/day to $1.25/day at 12 months and $2/day at 24 months. Kyeshero has 8 villages with 1631 households. This program benefits a population of 7,903 people!

About Raising the Village

A World Centric partner since 2020.

RTV partners with last-mile, rural communities in Uganda and develops initiatives that pave the pathway out of ultra poverty towards economic self-sufficiency. RTV creates space and invests time to make these partnerships healthy and successful.

Through a one-time investment model of $100 per family, RTV creates a development plan that is low-cost, livelihood based, and community driven. This development plan increases the average daily income of RTV partner families from $0.45 to $2.67 within 36 months