Community Transformation Archives

Soil Health

July 10, 2024

From Perception to Precision: How Farmer’s Insights and Soil Science Can Shape the Future of Regenerative Agriculture. How do farmers’ perceptions of the health of their soil compare to laboratory results? How can comparing perceptions and laboratory tests influence the use of regenerative agriculture practices by smallholder farmers? These are some of the questions Postdoctoral Associate Jordan Blekking from the Department of Global Development at Cornell University, and, a recent recipient of a Polson Institute for Global Development grant, wanted

Climate Resilience

DIG’s Farmer Field School

October 26, 2022

DIG's foundational program prioritizes uniquely marginalized people. They learn to grow nutrient-rich gardens using regenerative agriculture as a way of improving theirs and their family's nutrition, food security, and income.

Climate Resilience

For Generations to Come

July 19, 2022

Within the broader field of development, DIG is well positioned to effectively reach some of the world's most uniquely vulnerable and overlooked communities. Through our adaptive program, which is rooted in agroecology, and based on the belief that food and how it's cultivated can have a transformative impact on the world, DIG is ensuring communities are better nourished for generations to come.

Climate Resilience

Growing More Resilient Local Food Systems

November 2, 2021

When the pandemic shut down markets and restaurants, DIG farmers like Fernard and Cecile were prepared to fill in the gaps. Their gardens were no longer just reliable sources of food for their families, they became a critical resource for their entire community.

Climate Resilience

Celebrating the Batwa’s Indigenous Foodways

November 2, 2021

DIG's journey with the Batwa is only beginning. We have so much still to learn from this remarkable community. Together, we are embarking on a discovery project to identify and cultivate the Batwa's indigenous forest fruits and vegetables in their gardens.

Climate Resilience

The Seed Savers of Kenya

November 1, 2021

The work of local seed savers is critical not only for their own household benefit but also for the benefit of their broader communities and the long-term survival of their local plants. These women, all DIG graduates, have become known as expert seed-savers are are a critical link in ensuring their food systems remain resilient and biodiverse.

Community Transformation

When a Garden is Lifesaving

May 5, 2021

At 31 months old, Hannington was diagnosed with severe malnutrition. Learn how DIG worked with Diana, Hannington's mother, and the local hospital to help Hannington recover.

Community Transformation

A Milestone to Celebrate ~ DIG Reaches 50% of all Batwa in Uganda

March 2, 2021

Building trust, confidence, and hope is key to our program’s success; and no where is that more important than with the culturally displaced Batwa of southwest Uganda. DIG has made a long-term commitment to this uniquely marginalized community. The Batwa have experienced terrible poverty and poor health since their eviction from their ancestral lands in the early 1990s. (Read more about DIG’s work with the Batwa here.) After four years of engagement, DIG is celebrating having reached half the Batwa

Community Transformation

“My chicks feed my farm, my farm feeds my family.” Hatching a Farm Business in Western Kenya

March 1, 2021

Lona Abok, a 53-year old grandmother from western Kenya, had exclusively planted maize and beans to feed her family and never gave much attention to growing vegetables. To help her daughter realize her dream of going to college, Lona has been supporting her five grandchildren. After hearing about the DIG program, and the opportunity to earn extra income, Lona got involved. She planted a small vegetable garden near her home, and graduated from DIG’s Farmer Field School program equipped with

Community Transformation

When Garden Diversity Grows Opportunity

February 23, 2021

While it’s blessed with beautiful coastal beaches and a vibrant port of trade, Ziguinchor, the 5th largest city in Senegal, has some of the highest levels of poverty, chronic malnutrition and food-insecurity in all of the country. In Ziguinchor, DIG prioritizes people living with HIV (PLWHA), 90% of whom are food insecure. This means they are more likely to miss their doctors appointments and not take their antiretroviral therapy due to hunger. On top of that, malnutrition lowers CD4 cell

Community Transformation

Serving the Most Vulnerable in Uganda

November 2, 2020

DIG prioritizes uniquely vulnerable populations that are often left out of other development opportunities. The Batwa, and People Living with Disability in Uganda are some of the most vulnerable groups we serve. See how we've adapted our program to restore health, wealth, and a sense of belonging.