Help 45,830 subsistence farmers and their families permanently grow their way out of starvation poverty with Focusing Philanthropy and One Acre Fund

As always, Focusing Philanthropy covers all overhead costs. 100% of every donation will go to the 2018 Eradicating Hunger Across Africa Campaign.

THE NEED

More than half of all the poorest people in the world are subsistence farmers or their families. In Africa, smallholder farming is the primary livelihood for 70% of the country’s poor, yet the majority of these farmers live in highly remote areas and lack access to basic agricultural tools and training. As a result, most struggle to grow enough to feed their families, finding themselves trapped in a continuous cycle of low yields, hunger, and poverty. One in ten children in these families dies before the age of five, with most deaths due to malnutrition; 40% of those surviving become physically and/or mentally stunted, unable to reach their full potential.

THE GOAL

Focusing Philanthropy has partnered with One Acre Fund on a 2-year initiative to raise $2.2 million to help 45,830 subsistence farmers and their families—comprising 274,980 total farm family members—grow their way out of hunger and build lasting pathways to prosperity.

One Acre Fund is a nonprofit social enterprise that offers farm families asset-based loans, product delivery, training, and market facilitation, consistently resulting in an over 50% gain in farm income on supported activities. Farmers repay their loans over 98% of the time, and every donor dollar leverages nearly $5 of financial gain for One Acre Fund farmers. Families have proven to invest the additional income productively–in nutritious foods, children’s school fees, and new business ventures–which, over time, enables them to break the cycle of starvation poverty. By 2020, One Acre Fund will serve over 1.25 million farm families (7.5 million people) across eight sub-Saharan African countries.

The “Eradicating Hunger Across Africa” campaign will expand One Acre Fund’s proven model in two key growth markets:

  • Nigeria: Establish and scale the first pilot program in West Africa, starting in the country with the largest population and most smallholder famers on the African continent (this market is as large, by itself, as all the other countries where One Acre Fund currently works combined)
  • Kenya: Adapt the core model to serve additional regions in one of the key agricultural nations of Africa, creating the conditions to provide full market impact

THE GIVING MATCH

The first year of “Eradicating Hunger Across Africa” seeks to raise as much of our $2.2 million goal as possible before enrollment begins for the planting season. This will allow us to achieve by year-end our interim target of serving an additional 22,415 farm families (134,490 people) in Kenya and setting the foundation for enormous growth in Nigeria.

Every $1 raised by Focusing Philanthropy will be matched with $2 raised by One Acre Fund. To qualify for the match, donations must be directed to Focusing Philanthropy and a minimum of $1,000. Donations are fully tax deductible and 100% of funds contributed will go to the “Eradicating Hunger Across Africa” campaign. All Focusing Philanthropy costs are covered by its founders.