Stories From The Field - Page 3 of 11

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

Food Security

Ending Childhood Malnutrition with Seeds in Kenya

November 2, 2020

DIG's Priority Household program works specifically with children under 5 who have been diagnosed as malnourished. Watch how DIG works with families to create gardens that ensure their children grow and thrive.

Income Generation

Growing a Pathway to Market in Kenya

November 2, 2020

DIGs adaptive programs meet farmers where they are. Listen to Rose Odoyo's story of how DIG helped her develop an organic vegetable business that would not only provide her with a steady income, but would enable her to feed her family and the broader community.

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.

Community Transformation

Back to our Roots in Senegal

November 2, 2020

DIG's first seeds were sown in Senegal over a decade ago. Now, we're back, and we've seen those first seeds grow into leaders, businesses, and thriving communities. Learn how DIG continues to adapt the program to serve some of the world's most uniquely vulnerable people. See how they are not only finding household resilience but are contributing to their broader communities as well.

Cocktails and Castoffs

Katrina Brink’s Cocktails & Castoffs AT HOME Sustainable Meal Plan

October 19, 2020

Enjoy a sustainable meal plan designed for DIG's Cocktails & Castoffs AT HOME event by The Empowered Kitchen's Katrina Brink

Community Transformation

Greg Bogdan’s Memorial Garden in Sapla Kenya

August 21, 2020

In the countries where we work, you’re more likely to hear about the DIG program from our graduated farmers than through fancy signs or posted advertisements. Our local reputation is critically important to the success of our work, which is designed to be approachable and community driven. Some of our most successful garden groups have joined DIG through friend recommendations, and that’s just what happened in Sapla Kenya. Lorna, the sister to one of our graduated farmers, was so interested

Community Transformation

Greg Bogdan’s Mkungu Memorial Garden, Uganda

August 18, 2020

Thank you to Greg Bogdan for encouraging DIG to grow and showing us that challenging efforts aren't to be shied away from, rather these are efforts we can work out together. Equally, thank you to the incredible community who loved and cherished Greg and who personally donated to DIG in his memory. May this garden and the gift of his presence in our lives continue to root and grow in us.

Community Transformation

Adapting for Growth

August 4, 2020

In Senegal, DIG is adapting it's program to serve students who are blind, visually impaired and hearing impaired, and the students have cultivated more than we dreamed.

Cocktails and Castoffs

MetroFresh’s 2020 DIG Garden ~ Ziguinchor, Senegal

June 30, 2020

In 2019 at a DIG Cocktails and Castoffs event, MetroFresh, a local Atlanta restaurant, encouraged their community to help sponsor a DIG garden in Senegal. They have previously sponsored a garden in Kenya and Uganda and this year they wanted to spread the seeds of transformation in Senegal. Their support has sustainably equipped 13 uniquely vulnerable families in the city of Ziguinchor, Senegal to become food secure, nutritionally rich, climate resilient, and economically secure. Here are some of the stories

Plant Seeds That Reap Life