Kakuuto Development Initiative (KADI) is not just an education organization. It’s not just a farmer’s cooperative. It’s not just an advocate for health and wellbeing in the community. KADI in rural Uganda, does all three, plus so much more! Like so many of SIA grassroots grant partners, KADI is a true community development organization. Food security is one of KADI’s top priorities. They are coaching people to start kitchen gardens, which grow food for the family, but also ar

“If you live in a house like this, something good has happened,” McDonald Kajani told us, orienting us to the context of Manyamula Village in northern Malawi. Last June, he proudly showed us around his four-bedroom home, with new wood floors and glass windows. Whereas before he had a thatched roof, now he has corrugated tin sheets. McDonald and his wife in front of their new, fancy home Out front, McDonald has nine cows and four pigs. Each is an investment. The cows help plow

Everything about the Manyamula COMSIP Cooperative in Malawi embodies community spirit in action. They are at once a farmer cooperative, peer counselors, savings and loans providers, a social network, and a vehicle for local economic development and charity. “This cooperative puts people first and strives to meet members’ needs. It helps us do together what we cannot do on our own,” said chairperson Canaan Gondwe during SIA’s visit to Manyamula in June. Read more about the Sma

Slow Food Seed and Food Fair Report from Samuel & Peris Nderitu, Directors of The Grow Biointensive Agriculture Centre of Kenya (G-BIACK) G-BIACK, in partnership with Slow Food Kenya and Seed Savers, held a seed fair event earlier this summer in Muranga County. This event’s purpose was to create awareness among the small-holder farmers on the importance of embracing indigenous local seeds. These local seeds are resilient to the changing climatic conditions and are safer and m

Chicken is the most common source of protein in Kenya, and still it is not available to everyone. Many people eat mostly maize and other carbohydrates in an unbalanced diet. A Spirit in Action Community Grant to the Matungu Community Development Charity will help them address this malnutrition by making chicken more affordable in their community. full meal! Maize, rice, potatoes, kale, banana, and chicken (sources very locally!) Last year when I visited the cooperative in the

Last May, as the last bit of twilight faded, I met with the leaders of the Manyamula COMSIP Cooperative in Malawi. The twelve of us sat around a square of tables, in the newly constructed Cooperative offices. It was still warm, and we left the doors open for airflow and for the dim light still in the big open sky. It wasn’t late. Just south of the equator, the sun sets early all year. These men and women are all dedicated to increasing economic opportunity for everyone in the

“Of course I remain grateful to you and Spirit in Action for your patience with me and the encouragement you have always given to us in our work. Please remember that anytime you will be in need of expert knowledge to support any community-based Moringa project, in any part of the world, you can count on me to offer free voluntary service. It is not an exaggeration to say I can help in any work on Moringa from cultivation, processing and the entire value chain development.” S

The internet is filled with photos of people’s meals. To contribute to the global table I’m adding 5 (technically 6, if you include the top photo of bananas) photos of things I ate in Uganda while visiting the Small Business Fund groups there last summer! Amaranth – Amaranth is a grain that is fighting malnutrition in Uganda. It is high in protein and also has essential fatty acids and micronutrients. We had it ground together with peanuts to make a tasty peanut sauce. Peanut

How’s your garden coming along? In Minnesota, our garden (mostly cared for by our wonderful housemate, EB), is at its best right now. We have tomatoes, kale, carrots, and much more. You may be surprised to know that this is very similar to what you might see in Malawi! “Hungry Season” About 90% of the population in Malawi live in rural areas, so there are farms and “kitchen” gardens everywhere you look. Many of the SIA Small Business Fund grants in Malawi provide families wit