Are you ready to start a ripple?
Our 2030 plan to reach five million more people
Rural Africa is rich with opportunity: resourceful communities and land which can produce enough food to feed the continent and beyond. But families face poverty that is extreme, unjust and worst of all – unnecessary.
Over three decades, thousands of individuals, companies, groups and organisations, have supported Send a Cow, enabling 2.5 million people in rural Africa to learn more, grow more and sell more. We will continue this vital work in the decade to come.
We have seen how rural Africa can be confident, thriving and sustainable. Families we work alongside tell us how they have been able to learn more, grow more and sell more. They talk proudly of how they have become donors and teachers themselves, sharing what they have and what they know.
We want to see that ripple effect positively impact the natural environment too, with productive land and sustainable resources for future generations. We want to see families and communities working together, deciding their future, and leaving no one behind.
We want to see farmers moving away from subsistence farming to developing profitable co-operatives and agri-businesses and accessing new markets.
The impact we will achieve together
Poverty is not only a lack of money, but also a lack of food, dignity, education, health care and opportunity. It is often a reflection of unfair relationships, limited choices and a poor natural environment. We recognise these complex intersections and whilst our work supports all of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, we have clear areas of expertise and focus.
We aim to increase farm production, diversify diets and improve nutrition for families under a One Health approach addressing health threats at the interface between animals, humans and the environment.
Read more about the One Health approach
Once communities are eating well and earning enough to send their children to school, we encourage them to think bigger: adding value to their produce, establishing businesses and accessing savings and credit services.
Supporting farmers to adapt to and mitigate the effects of the climate crisis has long been part of our work. Farmers work together to restore degraded soils, improve their water retention, and replace topsoils washed away as a result of deforestation and flash flooding. Water harvesting and the use of drought-resistant seeds extend the length of growing seasons that are becoming increasingly unreliable.
Ripple Effect champions inclusive development which promotes awareness of marginalised groups and welcomes the diversity that disability brings. Inclusivity measures include allowances for interpreters, supporting disabled participants to travel to meetings where their participation is encouraged, and practical adaptation of latrines, planting beds and farming equipment.
Our community-based advocacy takes the form of helping family farmers to find a collective voice. Rediscovering local skills and training in new techniques builds confidence. The farmers we work with develop the ability and social standing to protect their natural environment and push for change.
How we'll do it
Focus on our areas of expertise
We will continue to develop and improve quality in our three specialist areas where our expertise and experience create a powerful ripple effect: Farming the land, including everyone and business skills.
Africa Forward approach
We'll work in the most effective, ethical and equitable way possible. This has led us to re-evaluate how our programmes are managed and redress imbalances which are inherent in the development sector.
Partnership to make us more effective
We can't reach our ambitious goal alone. Our partnerships will be purpose-driven, working with other organisations where our values and impact strategy align. Collaboration with regional organisations will also ensure the long-term sustainability of our work and impact.
Grow sustainably
We will scale our work by developing our community approach, in which training, skills and resources are shared and spread beyond those who receive our training directly. This not only delivers the ripple effect but ensures the whole community – including those who are vulnerable or excluded – work and thrive together.
Influence for long-term change
We will continue to build families’ skills and confidence to advocate for change. We stand alongside our farmers to find their collective voice to fight for social and climate justice. We will influence policy and promote best practice in relation to our specialist areas. We will position ourselves as an authoritative voice on effecting change in rural development in Africa and we will review our brand story to ensure we more effectively communicate our impact and expertise.
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