One Acre Fund

One acrefund works in my country and they are doing a great job helping our small scale farmers, however complains are that they do not pay salaries that are expected considering they are an NGO.
Barb19 can i please communicate to you in private if you don't mind?

I've been donating to One Acre Fund on a monthly basis for about a year. I'm impressed with their sensible, sustainable, comprehensive and measurable approach to improving food security and income for small-holder farmers. They tackle the problem from all angles: improving seed quality, encouraging appropriate crop rotation and training farmers in better agricultural practices. The organization provides consistent updates on the outcomes of their work, and they are transparent about learning from their mistakes.

I have been donating to the One Acre Fund for several years - almost from the beginning. I read about Andrew in the Minneapolis StarTribune and was very impressed with his plan for the organization. Here are the things I find most impressive about this organization:
1. I receive nothing physical regarding the organization. Everything is virtual. I love this because the costs of fund raising are cut way down. In addition, resources that could be used to benefit the organization are not spent on paper and postage that I would just end up throwing away. I can easily refer many of my friends and family to the website.
2. This is not just about feeding the hungry. This program advances the knowledge of those in poverty to assist them in helping themselves. The beneficiaries are really lending clients and are expected to pay back the funds. This makes One Acre Fund more about teaching a person to fish, rather than giving them the fish.
3. The program does not just feed the hungry person, it feeds the soul of the participants. They become more self-sufficient, their self-esteem is enhanced, and the next generation receives not only the food, but a better, more informed and effective parent. In addition, the more efficient methods of farming and marketing allow the children to attend school (with full bellies).
4. This charity is run like a business. I receive quarterly reports that are both financial and results oriented in nature. You can feel that this is the best of both worlds - giving and teaching at the same time.
5. Beneficiaries of the program become the teachers and mentors. In addition, women participate with other women from their village. They are taught to teach and help each other. The success is much more likely when a group is working together to achieve the same results.
I will continue to donate to One Acre Fund as long as there is a need. I am proud to give each month.

This is a fabulous non-profit, brilliantly and compassionately conceived and beautifully designed and measured. website is www.oneacrefund.org. Go there and give these folks your support! With very simple resources and excellent and committed training, African farmers, mostly women and mothers, are able to double or triple their crop yields. In one group after another, the leap is made from stone age farmer to small businesswoman and with the first profits come schooling for the children, food, medicine, a first livestock investment. A basic kit costs One Acre $250 per family per year and includes improved seed, some fertilizer, knotted string, a hoe. One Acre then helps the women market their excess yields profitably, so the initial investments are paid off and are passed on to others. This effort has grown from 550 farm families in 2007 to 22,000 today. By 2011, One Acre expects that number to grow to 40,000.
I have followed and worked with many different kinds of humanitarian efforts, all valuable. But this one knocks my socks off. Take a look.