CID Speaker Series with Jackson Kaguri, CEO of Nyaka Global

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CID's Friday Speaker Series featured Jackson Kaguri, the founder and CEO of @NyakaGlobal and 2023 Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow. Nyaka, a non-profit organization based in Uganda, has implemented the Grandmother Program across three districts in Southwestern Uganda as part of its mission to collaborate with communities in nurturing and safeguarding children for their optimal learning, growth, and well-being. This innovative program integrates business and social enterprise strategies to empower grandmothers economically, creating a comprehensive support structure for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) and fostering general community development. Notably, the Grandmother Program has significantly narrowed economic and well-being gaps compared to non-participating peers, showcasing its effectiveness in improving the lives of over 20,000 rural grandmother households and more than 88,000 OVCs. By providing microfinance loans, training, technical support, agricultural resources, healthcare services, home construction, and leadership development initiatives, the program elevates household income, enhances livelihoods, improves nutrition, ensures business sustainability, and boosts overall household net wealth. This bottom-up approach not only eliminates the need for traditional orphanages but also results in reduced poverty levels, increased adherence to best practices, and enhanced social cohesion among participating grandmothers. The success of Nyaka's Grandmother Program demonstrates the potential to scale this bottom-up approach in bringing about lasting positive change in more parts of the world