Two Pillars of Impact

There are two pillars of impact we measure to ensure long term outcomes.  We track the growth in household assets, savings and food security for a decade and more to ensure Durable Livelihoods.

We track the growth in citizen engagement in village meetings, which fosters a growing trust in collective identity and action, ultimately leading to Collective Agency.

What we have learned.

Impact over a decade is not linear, it is circular.  When these two reinforcing pillars of impact begin to repeat, we are confident that every village will have the power to be self-sustaining long after we are gone.

Woman smiling outdoors in front of a building made of clay bricks.

Proven Impact

A woman in colorful attire, wearing a yellow and orange patterned head wrap and dress, points to a large map or diagram on a wall during an outdoor outdoor meeting, with several seated and standing people watching attentively.

》Less than $30 per person

Village planning paired with cash grants lead to impacts that endure for over a decade. Spark’s approach costs less than $30/person, making it scalable nation-wide. Other leading poverty reduction programs cost between $300-$2,000 per person.

Group of people watching pigs on a farm, with villagers and children in the background.

》Generates 2x the income

Households in Spark villages have more than double the annual income than local villages who have not been through the Spark process. Households that participated in Spark 6-9 years ago had higher incomes than those from 4-5 years ago showing sustained improvement as their savings grow and access to financial credit increases.

A large group of people gathered outdoors, celebrating with smiles and raised yellow containers, in front of a building with a sign in Swahili that reads 'Ibirho by Umurenge Wa Mugunga'.

》With 2x the impact

For every project stimulated by the Spark process, villages independently launch another, resulting in a 2x impact multiplier.

Four children standing outdoors with smiles, each with one hand over their chest, in a green and brown natural setting.

》Durable for 10+ years

The Spark process has shown to produce sustained impacts over 10 years and longer. This has surprised economists who compare this to other dominant aid models that last only 2-3 years.

A large group of people gathered outdoors in a rural, hilly area with small houses and terraced fields on the hills in the background. Many are wearing colorful traditional clothing and headscarves, standing around a tree and listening to a few people speak.

》Reaching 1 million and more

To date, Spark has reached over one million lives across Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Malawi and Ghana.