In 2024, Spark celebrated reaching over one million people since our founding. Now, we’re setting our aims higher with a new strategy to reach an additional one million lives over the next three years. We envision the decentralization of aid to the village level so that every community can determine their own development.

On November 27th, heavy rains triggered devastating mudslides and floods in the upper region of Bulambuli, resulting in significant loss of life, displacement of families, and destruction of homes. 27 communities that Spark works with were affected. In these communities, dozens of lives were lost, and more were hospitalized. Families lost homes, livestock, and vital infrastructure, and many are being relocated to resettlement camps outside of the flood zone.

Jeanne Masengesho is a 47-year-old mother of six residing in the Gishamvu village in the Southern Province of Rwanda. Jeanne, like her neighbors, has relied on farming activities as her primary source of income but has struggled to harvest enough crops for her and her family due to poor soil conditions.

Before 2023, the Bushiyende Community in the Bulambuli District of Uganda faced limited economic opportunities and weak social bonds. The village did not hold regular meetings to discuss community development, lacked savings groups, and struggled to establish pathways for improving livelihoods. The absence of a unified purpose left many community members feeling isolated and trapped in a cycle of poverty.