Driving Climate Resilience
We’re partnering with leading conservation nonprofits to protect wildlife and natural habitats, all while equipping our entrepreneurs with the skills they need to adapt to the threats of climate change.
Even though individuals and families living in extreme poverty in Africa have contributed the least to carbon emissions, they are the most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change.
Unpredictable shifts in seasonal weather, decreases in annual rainfall, and increases in severe droughts and floods all have the potential to be catastrophic for families living in extreme poverty.
With 15 years of experience working with conservation organizations, Village Enterprise is partnering to drive climate adaptation among vulnerable populations, mitigate the effects of climate change, and safeguard protected areas and endangered species. Learn more about our work spanning from the arid drylands of northern Kenya to the lowland rainforests of Congo-Brazzaville.
Combating Child Malnutrition in Northern Kenya through Nawiri
Populations living in the arid regions of northern Kenya have experienced decades of acute malnutrition and extreme poverty, and prolonged droughts in the region due to climate change are making resources even more scarce. To address these issues, Village Enterprise is working with Catholic Relief Services on Nawiri, a project funded by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. As part of Nawiri, Village Enterprise has adapted its poverty graduation program for nutrition by layering it with additional components of cash transfers for consumption, health, nutrition education and counseling, and social behavior change.
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Empowering Women through Climate-Smart Agriculture in West Pokot County, Kenya
Female farmers living in extreme poverty in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa are some of the most vulnerable populations facing threats from climate change today. This is why Village Enterprise is partnering with UN Women and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to help women launch sustainable, climate-smart agribusinesses in West Pokot County, Kenya.
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Stopping Human-Wildlife Conflict in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
In Uganda, animal poaching is prevalent due to a lack of alternative livelihoods and conflict between animals and humans. For this reason, Village Enterprise worked alongside the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Uganda Conservation Foundation, and other local nonprofits to reduce human-wildlife conflict and poaching around Murchison Falls National Park in western Uganda.
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Selina’s Story
In the highlands of West Pokot County, Selina struggled to provide for her ten children. But after learning climate-smart farming techniques, her business is taking off.
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Saving East African Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda
Because of the lack of economic opportunities for people living outside of Kibale National Park in Uganda, some have turned to illegal hunting and poaching in order to provide for their families. In response, the Poverty Alleviation and Removal of Kibale Snares (PARKS) Project aims to protect one of the largest remaining populations of East African chimpanzees. The project is reducing hunting in the national park by equipping households living in extreme poverty with the resources to launch businesses.
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Reducing Poaching in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and Okapi Wildlife Reserve
In Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Congo-Brazzaville and Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Village Enterprise and WCS are teaming up to help end extreme poverty and protect our planet. By equipping those living in extreme poverty near protected areas with the tools and resources to start sustainable businesses, our partnership reduces poaching and protects endangered wildlife such as gorillas, okapis, and more. Over the next two years, this partnership will launch 1,000 businesses across the two countries.
Protecting Bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo
To reduce deforestation and protect endangered bonobos from poaching in the Lomako region of the DRC, Village Enterprise worked with the African Wildlife Foundation to support vulnerable populations living near protected areas. Funded by the Arcus Foundation, this project impacted more than 5,000 lives by equipping 780 households to launch sustainable businesses. As a result, many of the new entrepreneurs have voluntarily surrendered their hunting weapons to the park authorities. Monitoring data shows that there has been an increase in bonobo populations and a decrease in snares in the villages the project has targeted.
