We are Capable
We are Capable
Location.
Northern
Uganda.
Local knowledge and local expertise inspired us to design a model contextualized to where we work. With decades of experience working in the region and sector, our team of 65 in Uganda is the best in the business.
Northern Uganda is the poorest region in the country and is impacted by many challenges: unpredictable growing seasons due to climate change, unpredictable markets due to global instability, and a refugee crisis along the northern border.
We work in some of the most remote parts of this region not because it’s easy, but because it’s where we can have the most impact. The people of Northern Uganda and South Sudan consistently inspire us with their creativity and grit.
Asset based development delivers results because it’s built on the resources available in a given context. In our context, clients have access to an abundance of land and labor, which is why we partner with them to grow their farming capacity as step one on their journey out of extreme poverty.
Our Model.
The Capable Cooperative Accelerator.
Intensive Training
One-On-One Mentorship
Low-Cost Financing
Market Linkage
We partner with subsistence farmers living on less than $0.50 / day. Our goal is to see our clients transition to commercial farming, diversify their income, and consistently live above the extreme poverty line. We operate a two-year, high-touch program that provides intensive training, one-on-one mentorship, individualized counseling, low-cost financing, and market linkage. These comprehensive services meet the unique needs of each family.
Our belief in interdependent outcomes drives us to partner with our clients to address their well-being from an economic, physical, emotional, psychological and social perspective. Our program relies heavily on mentorship and counseling to ensure that clients can heal from trauma and develop the resilience required to remain out of poverty.
After two years, clients transition into formal farming cooperatives and open up membership to the wider community.
Why it Works.
Why it Works.
Precision.
We drive towards one goal: seeing every member of every household exit poverty, as defined by the World Bank, for good. We rigorously measure our outcomes and adjust our activities to reach this goal.
We deploy technology, including tablet based data collection, GPS crop mapping and live impact dashboards. We utilize data to ensure we deliver the most impactful services at the most productive times.
Why it Works.
Proximity.
We have an intimate knowledge of the environment where we operate; it is changing. The impacts of climate change are an ever present threat to our farmers. We are meeting this head on by partnering with leading agro-researchers to develop the seeds that are most resilient in a changing environment, practicing climate-smart agro techniques, and ensuring farmers have a diversified income stream and safety net so they’re OK when the inevitable shock comes their way.
By working closely with the people and the land, our 100% Ugandan team relies on their local knowledge and leverages their expertise to equip our Clients with what they need to thrive.
Our Impact.
Everything we do drives towards one goal.
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to see every member of every family living above the extreme poverty line of $2.15 / day.
The independent evaluation of our impact was led by Gulu University Senior Lecturer Dr. Odongo Walter. He has over 30 research articles published in international peer-reviewed journals, holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from Ghent University (Belgium), and perhaps most importantly grew up in Northern Uganda. He was supported by Dr. Akita Irene who earned a PhD in Agriculture and Applied Bio-Sciences from Gulu University.
Their team assessed every household for Cohort Three 2022-2023 and sampled all previous Cohorts and Cooperatives to assess the durability of our impact.
The data in this report had every potential counterfactual removed, was audited to ensure accuracy, and was winsorized to remove potential outliers. For averages, the actual family size (7.7) was selected vs the typical standard (4.5) size to ensure accuracy and avoid inflating impact. The income data uses the most up-to-date PPP (purchasing power parity) conversation rate.
Results Matter.
This Is Our Impact.
Cohort Three
2022-2023
0
families
0
household members
Daily income per household member (average)
Cohort Three Endline Results
Net Worth
250%
Increase
Cash Savings
330%
Increase
Physical Health
25%
Improvement
Locus of Control
(Agency)
66%
Improvement
Cooperatives.
Ensuring Durable Results.
We invest deeply into a community over two years. But it’s no accident that we call our core program the Capable Cooperative Accelerator. After two years, groups transition into formal farming cooperatives and reap the benefits of economies of scale.
This is where the catalytic nature of our approach takes off: community members that did not participate in our program begin joining cooperatives started by those who did. This creates new opportunities for communities to access markets, receive support, and change their circumstances.
Cooperatives are rapidly expanding and investing to create their best possible future. They’re purchasing tractors, value-addition processing equipment, and building store houses.
The economic impact is significant
new cooperative members are earning above the extreme poverty line and significantly more than their peers.
Cohort One 2018 - 2019
Direct Clients
225
Families
1,620
Household Members
Cohort One 2018 - 2019
Indirect Cooperative Members
363
Families
2,785
Household Members
Our key learning since Cohort One is that strong and stable cooperatives help ensure higher and more durable outcomes. The result of our focus on cooperative strength and stability is displayed in the increased impact over subsequent cohorts.
In 2023 our cooperative support staff helped connect Cohort One cooperatives with our wider cooperative network and the results were significant. Thanks to more market linkage, increased cooperative stability, and consecutive bumper seasons, Cohort One clients and indirect cooperative members bounced back and earned above the extreme poverty line in 2023. Their ability to weather the shock of a tough 2022 is a testament to our durable outcomes.
By adding new members, Cohort One has increased by 161% since 2019.
Cohort Two 2020 - 2021
Direct Clients
600
Families
4,320
Household Members
