Gargee Ghosh

Exciting news: our #MissionSoil partners at the European Commission have opened a new call for project proposals focusing on soil health. This marks a significant milestone for global soil health efforts and comes as African leaders are convening at #AFSH24 to discuss the role of healthy soils in enhancing agricultural productivity and nutrition. As part of our ongoing cooperation with the European Commission to improve the health of soil, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will complement these efforts by investing in national nutrient roadmaps in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana. We’ll also support climate-smart innovations to address in-country priorities, including the development of new soil information systems. These investments aim to address critical issues such as soil acidity, while ensuring that technology options align with both demand and community preferences. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ejUsp3yi

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Anticipatory action rather than reactive action is critical for any early warning system for member states.My participation in the Great Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum is critical for SNV s work and programmes like CRAFT East Africa work to support context specific adaptation measures given the implications of the OND seasonal forecast.

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🌍 Day 4 #CSOInvestmentForumUganda: The Entebbe Declaration 📢 On the final day of the Civil Society Forum in Entebbe, Uganda, African and European CSOs unveiled the historic Entebbe Declaration - a powerful call to action for global investment frameworks that truly serve people and the planet. 🌱✨ Together, we demand transformative change to put human rights, gender and climate justice, sustainable development, and environmental protection above profit-driven exploitation. 🌟 Why Now? In the face of compounding crises - climate emergencies, soaring debt, economic inequality, and global governance failures #COP29 - we must act decisively. The current investment regime entrenches extractivism, economic dependency, and environmental destruction, hindering Africa and the Global South from achieving inclusive and sustainable development. 🌍 What the Entebbe Declaration Represents: - A bold vision from civil society to replace exploitative systems with fair, green, and accountable investment policies. - A clear demand to align investments with the needs of local economies, the goals of climate action, and sustainable development. - A roadmap for rebuilding trust, where policies center on justice, inclusion, and resilience. The Entebbe Declaration is more than a statement, it’s a movement for change led by African voices for a sustainable and just future. 💪 📄 The Declaration will be published soon, stay tuned for updates! 👀 SEATINI UGANDA SOMO Both ENDS ActionAid Nederland #EntebbeDeclaration #Investment #ClimateJustice #HumanRights #JustTransition #SustainableDevelopment #Africa

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Our latest Aceli Africa learning brief shares data from $200M in Aceli-supported loans to #agriSMEs in #EastAfrica as well as insights from our partnership with Value For Women Ltd. to promote more gender inclusive lending practices. Some highlights: Women-owned businesses still struggle to access finance, but lenders are increasingly motivated to serve them; for example, one Kenyan bank launched a dedicated loan product and scaled up its loans to #womenowned agri-SMEs from three in 2021 to 54 as of mid-2024. Women's ownership does not necessarily correlate with employing more women or purchasing a larger share of produce from women #farmers; in fact, we found that about half of men-owned agri-SMEs meet the 2X Global international standard for gender inclusion and these businesses engage slightly higher percentages of women workers and farmers than their women-owned counterparts. Demand from lenders for capacity building to support their #genderinclusion strategies has doubled in the past year. Commercial banks are leading this market pull – an indication that gender lens investing is moving from niche to mainstream. These trends are encouraging, but sustained interventions are needed to ensure #genderlensinvesting is not a passing fad. Additionally, much more evidence is required to go beyond output metrics (i.e., “counting women”) and address issues such as the quality of working conditions for employees and services offered to farmers. Kudos to Eddah Makinia Nangole for leading Aceli's gender inclusion strategy and thanks to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting this work.  Read the full brief for more insights: https://lnkd.in/eini4j3g.

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🌍 Transforming Crisis Prevention and Response with Data Imagine having timely, accurate, and actionable data at your fingertips during a crisis. In Zambia, Ethiopia, and Niger, National Information Platforms for Nutrition (NIPN) play a crucial role in preparing for and responding to food and nutrition crises. Being informed in advance enables swift and cost-effective solutions. Here are some concrete applications of NIPN within an HDP Nexus approach: ➡️ 🇳🇪 Niger: NIPN supports the implementation of the HDP Nexus roadmap to effectively target aid. ➡️ 🇪🇹 Ethiopia: NIPN collaborates with the Ministry of Health to develop affordable, healthy regional menus for the school feeding program. ➡️ 🇿🇲 Zambia: NIPN fills critical gaps in food security and nutrition data to enhance crisis response efforts. By leveraging data and collaboration, we save lives and money. Let’s continue to prioritize data-driven approaches for sustainable solutions! 💡📊 #HDPNexus #NIPN #FoodSecurity #Nutrition #CrisisResponse #EUwithN4GParis #N4GParis Leonard Mizzi Helena Guarin NIPN Global Coordination NIPN-Ethiopia EPHI Plateforme Nationale d'Information pour la Nutrition PNIN-Niger Plateforme Nationale d’Information pour la Nutrition PNIN Burkina Raphael Hillebrand Archana Sarkar Laura Barrington Waqas Malik Claudia Lormann-Nsengiyumva Kim Clausen Anne-Sophie LE DAIN

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Land Policies for Resilience and Equitable Growth in Africa: What Ethiopia can learn from the recommendations? =========================================== Global evidence suggests that land institutions and policies play a crucial role in ensuring security, formalizing titles, promoting rural entrepreneurship, facilitating urban planning, and fostering overall development. Conversely, weak institutional frameworks and unclear land policies can lead to tenure insecurity, inefficient land transactions, encroachment on common land, corruption, and conflict. Unfortunately, Ethiopia currently lacks both robust institutions and a clear national land policy. World Bank experts Klaus Deininger and Goyal have authored a book titled 'Land Policies for Resilient and Equitable Growth in Africa', which draws on global experiences to provide policy recommendations. It is believed that Ethiopia stands to benefit significantly from implementing these recommendations to improve its land governance and promote sustainable development. Improving land policies for resilience and equitable growth in Africa is crucial for sustainable development. The research by the World Bank team underscores the significance of responsible land governance in fostering equitable growth. Ethiopia stands to gain from adapting its land policies to foster inclusive growth. Land and property play a vital role in African households, representing 40 to 60 percent of their assets, as indicated by the research findings. The rapid urbanization in Africa underscores the urgent need for effective land policies. Additionally, the expansion of agricultural land due to demographic pressures and climate change underscores the necessity for a competitive land policy framework.

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It was a great honour to participate in Advancing Social Participation discussions at the UHC Delivery Lab World Health Assembly Side Event and share preliminary findings of a baseline study on communications and beneficiary engagement for universal health coverage. The study sought to evaluate awareness and demand for the National Health Insurance Fund in Nairobi, Machakos, Kiambu, Kakamega, and Kwale Counties in Kenya. My key takeaways from the discussions are: 1. Social participation is in line with approaches that engage the whole of society or multi-stakeholder engagements in policy design, policy dissemination, implementation and monitoring 2. Social participation builds people's trust and ownership of interventions 3. Feedback mechanisms are key in advancing social participation 4. Close intergovernmental linkages promote effective dissemination and implementation of policies; this should include engagement of political leaders 5. Collaboration with communities and CSOs is part of social participation 6. Methods of conducting social participation can include surveys, interviews, dialogue and public participation meetings, among others 7. Investments in social participation contribute towards attainment of UHC

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The floods in Kenya have led to widespread devastation, displacing families, and disrupting lives and livelihoods. As of 6 May 2024 more than 340,000 people have directly been impacted, and over 30,000 households displaced. Critical infrastructure, including schools, health centers, and sanitation facilities, has been submerged, leaving communities in desperate need. Over two-thirds of flood-affected counties in Kenya are grappling with high levels of food insecurity. The ongoing efforts of the Kenya Red Cross to support flood-affected people nationwide continue. Teams are stockpiling essential supplies, shelter kits and hygiene items. The IFRC emergency appeal launched last November to help those affected by the El Niño Enhanced Floods of 2023, will help scale up the Kenya Red Cross humanitarian response to the recent floods. All crises deserve our attention. I call for global support. http://bit.ly/3xXEk1h

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Pls grab this magazine and read some thoughtful articles. Congratulations Dr Harsha Dayal for such an informative piece!

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Good #data are an invaluable source of information. They are needed to set baselines, goals, and targets, monitor progress, and evaluate impacts. They are also an essential government tool, providing means for people to participate directly in #policy development. In June 2020, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), in collaboration with The World Bank, officially launched the Uganda High Frequency Phone Survey (UHFPS) to track the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the scope of the survey has expanded to monitor economic sentiments and the socioeconomic impact of other shocks, such as the Ebola outbreak, extreme weather events, and the population’s perceptions of different development policies. The 17th round of the survey, conducted in early 2024, shows that about 40% of the population expects weather events to negatively affect their households’ well-being, with the poorest and rural populations expressing the most concern. Learn more about the UHFPS results on the socio-economic well-being of Ugandans: https://bit.ly/3X5cMB5 #EndPoverty

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Great opportunities

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𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲: 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 In August 2024, CABRI brought together 13 African countries’ ministries of #finance, ministries of #health, and #localgovernment representatives, to consider how each stakeholder can contribute to improved health outcomes in their countries by increasing primary #healthcare (#PHC) facility #financial autonomy and flexibility. In this blog, Danielle Serebro, CABRI Programme Manger reflects on key insights from the dialogue. Read more 🔗 👇 Blog from our Q2 newsletter 📰 , 𝗣𝗙𝗠 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮. 🔗 👉 https://lnkd.in/d-ZZXJBz *𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘦

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#UEW2024 For all those in Uganda and elsewhere, this years UEW will be seriously interesting and seriously practical, especially if you are an expert or enthusiast in elements of this years theme “Development with Purpose: Empowering Accountable learning for achieving Development Goals and Enhancing Climate Resilience” - see link to the modest registration costs below: https://lnkd.in/dYUCWBTV

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The Global Fund Board meeting made decisions on many important issues for us to be more targeted to further increase the effectiveness of our work. It was an excellent board with a great sense of unity. Key words I heard repeatedly were innovation (e.g., to revolutionize HIV prevention), integration and sustainability. More work to be done to define priorities and approaches to accelerate these critical themes for the next grant cycle, and for the future of the Fund and fight against HIV, TB and malaria.

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Check out this new video describing USAID's Strategic Religious Engagement Policy

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Testing business models for #UNICEF in Tanzania to collaborate with CRDB Foundation on social and behavior change involves creating innovative financial solutions to address critical societal challenges while promoting sustainable development. This partnership will focus on leveraging CRDB Foundation’s financial expertise to support PWDs to access information on financial literacy. For example, the model will test on how to incentivize school enrollment and retention. The collaboration will define behavior change strategies that align with both UNICEF’s social impact goals and CRDB’s business objectives. Continuous monitoring, stakeholder feedback, and data-driven adjustments will ensure the partnership delivers measurable social outcomes while expanding financial inclusion and fostering trust. #CRDBfoundation #SBCWorks ESAR SBC Alliance Chikondi Khangamwa, Ph.D. mwiru alice Elisha Simon Rachel Maro Stanley Magesa Alice Ijumba Regnihaldah Mpete Jacqueline Namfua Petro Mahuwi

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Cordaid Kenya is currently leading a scoping study for the Rural Kenya Financial Inclusion Facility (RK-FINFA) project, benefiting smallholder farmers in four counties: Kisii, Nandi, Kakamega, and Bungoma. This initiative, funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the National Treasury of Kenya, aims to increase access to affordable finance for women, youth, and vulnerable groups. The focus areas include Business Development Services, Financial Literacy, and Access to Finance. Ensuring access to financial products and services can enable women to save, provide nutrition and education for their children, and support their families. The benefits are real and evident. What do you think can be done to increase financial inclusion in rural Kenya? Share your thoughts, we are happy to learn from you. #RKFINFA #FinancialInclusion #RuralKenya #SupportFarmers #SustainableAgriculture"

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This mapping aimed to establish a national baseline report on the #Maternal & #Newborn #Health (#MNH) landscape in #Tanzania, identifying interventions, gaps, & opportunities in #MNH that will guide planning at all levels. https://lnkd.in/dzCQrQbe paschal lucas Vanessa R. Anyoti Ntuli Kapologwe

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