There are an estimated 600 million smallholder farmers in the world, producing over 30% of all our food.
Yet this group represents a large proportion of the world’s poor, with many earning less than $2 a day and unable to provide basic needs for their family.
Farming is becoming more unpredictable as the climate changes, leaving an uncertain future for those who feed our world.
Joseph Lukwago was born in rural Uganda in a community of smallholder farmers. He was lucky to have the opportunity to study in good schools and graduated as a software developer.
Joseph met Jack Farren in 2019 after he moved to London, and they both shared a passion for using technology to better the world. Combining their skill sets, they embarked on a journey to uplift rural communities.
In 2021, Jack travelled to Joseph’s home district in Uganda and discovered from our research with 8,395 farmers that many lack access to the skills to become financially literate, start new businesses, make use of technology, and adapt to the effects of climate change.
We later tested different methods of financial education and found that animated videos in local languages could effectively support even the most marginalised communities.
Meet Ostrii. The offline training app for the village champions of local partners directly serving the smallholder farmers that feed our world.
Ostrii contains curriculums of animated videos in local languages, giving farmers the skills to become resilient and thrive.
The app tackles the challenge of misinformation in rural communities and is accessible for those with low literacy levels.
