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They are under women\u0027s control, so sometimes they don\u0027t even have to ask permission or consult anyone else if they want to sell them,\u201d says Immaculate Omondi, a gender research economist at ILRI. \u0026nbsp;\u201cMostly, men don\u2019t pay much attention to chickens.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETypically, though, the chickens kept by rural women have not been particularly productive or resilient. Many die, and these farmers have had difficulty accessing good breeds and vet services\u2014making chickens a low-input, low-output livestock system that in the past has lacked investment or development.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut over the past decade, ILRI and partners\u0027 \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/In many tropical communities, chickens are considered women\u2019s business.  While male herders and farmers more often concern themselves with far-ranging cattle and camels, women and girls care for chickens in and around the home\u2014a division of labour that suits traditional norms about men\u2019s and women\u2019s roles.  \u201cChickens fit into the daily schedules of women, and they can be fed from kitchen leftovers. They are under women\u0026amp;apos;s control, so sometimes they don\u0026amp;apos;t even have to ask permission or consult anyone else if they want to sell them,\u201d says Immaculate Omondi, a gender research economist at ILRI.  \u201cMostly, men don\u2019t pay much attention to chickens.\u201d  Typically, though, the chickens kept by rural women have not been particularly productive or resilient. Many die, and these farmers have had difficulty accessing good breeds and vet services\u2014making chickens a low-input, low-output livestock system that in the past has lacked investment or development.  But over the past decade, ILRI and partners\u2019 African Chicken Genetic Gains project, and its successor Tropical Poultry Genetic Solutions (TPGS) have dramatically improved the livelihoods of smallholders across Africa\u2014and more recently Asia\u2014by identifying vastly more productive chicken breeds that thrive in tropical village conditions\u2014and that farmers love.  Three breeds, Kuroiler Sasso and Noiler, came out on top in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Under local farmers\u2019 management, the new birds grew twice as fast as indigenous breeds. Egg production also doubled, meaning farmers could triple their original income from chicken farming. At the same time, mortality rates fell from 50 percent to just five percent, since the chicks were already vaccinated and well-nourished when the farmers received them at cost.\u0022\u003EAfrican Chicken Genetic Gains\u003C\/a\u003E project, and its successor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/tpgs\u0022\u003ETropical Poultry Genetic Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E (TPGS) have dramatically improved the livelihoods of smallholders across Africa\u2014and more recently Asia\u2014by identifying vastly more productive chicken breeds that thrive in tropical village conditions\u2014and that farmers love.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThree breeds, Kuroiler Sasso and Noiler, came out on top in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Under local farmers\u2019 management, the new birds grew twice as fast as indigenous breeds. Egg production also doubled, meaning farmers could triple their original income from chicken farming. At the same time, mortality rates fell from 50 percent to just five percent, since the chicks were already vaccinated and well-nourished when the farmers received them at cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/inline\/public\/2024-11\/WiB%20Brenda%20Urassa%20vendor%20and%20brooder.jpg.webp?itok=ppzZMrV0\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u00221068\u0022 alt=\u0022Brenda Urassa, Tanzanian poultry farmer\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-inline\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        Brenda Urassa is a brooder in Tanzania who raises day-old Kuroiler chicks to four weeks old, vaccinating and feeding them to ensure they reach farms healthy and ready to thrive.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Stefano Bianco\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                   \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--contacts paragraph--view-mode--default\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Alessandra%20Galie%20photo.jpg.webp?itok=AmiRdpuM\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Alessandra Galie photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Alessandra Gali\u00e8\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Team Leader, Gender\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Tadelle%20Dessie%20headshot.jpeg.webp?itok=91V7yAnr\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Tadelle Dessie photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Tadelle Dessie\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Principal scientist, animal genetics\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Immaculate%20Omondi%20photo.jpeg.webp?itok=5DNFA4ki\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Immaculate Omondi photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Immaculate Omondi\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Gender research economist\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003ECrucially, the program didn\u2019t stop with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cgspace.cgiar.org\/items\/e0315575-ad93-4fa5-a186-ff18a93a2056\u0022\u003Epublished results\u003C\/a\u003E, says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/people\/tadelle-dessie\u0022\u003ETadelle Dessie\u003C\/a\u003E, a geneticist at ILRI and the TPGS program leader. Instead, he and his team partnered with private national and international chicken hatching companies to start multiplying and supplying the preferred breeds at scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, those companies are selling millions of day-old chicks to smallholders across Africa. The massive increases in productivity and resilience has meant traders all along the value chain can boost their profits, Dessie says. \u201cEveryone in the value chain is getting his or her own share.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2020, in partnership with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) the program \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/successful-improved-smallholder-poultry-systems-cambodia-and-vietnam-spur-expansion\u0022\u003Eexpanded into Southeast Asia, with promising results so far\u003C\/a\u003E, Dessie says\u2014four tropically-adapted and productive breeds have now been imported into Vietnam, and an indigenous breed improvement centre established in Cambodia\u2014with eight Pacific Island nations next in line in 2025. ILRI has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10568\/119611\u0022\u003Ealso set up indigenous chicken-breed improvement programs\u003C\/a\u003E in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Nigeria.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEvery country is different,\u201d says Dessie. \u201cWe always provide the countries with different options in different contexts, and then our partners identify their preferred option for their context.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EWOMEN IN BUSINESS \u2014 TOGETHER\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Tanzania, it became clear that women farmers in the more remote areas weren\u2019t always able to access these preferred productive poultry breeds, or markets for their chicken meat and eggs. Gender norms preventing women from interacting with unrelated men also frequently prevented women from buying chickens, or medicines or vaccines for their birds.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--testimonial\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-left\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003ECompanies always smell money. With very strong evidence, we managed to convince big private sector companies to invest millions\u2014in some cases hundreds of millions of dollars\u2014into these new breeds and building facilities for this new smallholder business model.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-right\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n    \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Tadelle%20Dessie%20headshot.jpeg.webp?itok=91V7yAnr\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Tadelle Dessie photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Tadellie Dessie\n\n        \u003Csmall\u003E  Principal scientist, animal genetics\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003ESo in 2019, ILRI researchers, the Tanzanian government, and local industry partners developed the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/women-business-chicken-seed-dissemination-ethiopia-and-tanzania\u0022\u003EWomen in Business project\u003C\/a\u003E, designed to improve access to the better breeds, boost nutrition, and contribute to women\u2019s empowerment by increasing their income and decision-making power\u2014an expansion and amplification of TPGS.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the pilot in Tanzania\u2019s Lindi and Kilimanjaro regions, researchers recruited 20 recent female graduates from the local veterinary school, calling them up one by one on the phone to pitch the idea of a new chicken-centred career path. \u201cAt first they were doubtful, but it wasn\u0027t hard to convince them,\u201d says Omondi.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey all attended a business development incubation by the NGO Tanzania Career Development Consultancy Company (TACADECO) and Sokoine University Graduate Entrepreneurs Cooperative (SUGECO), later a specific poultry industry training with the private chicken hatching company AKM Glitters. Then the brand-new chicken vendors bought stripy month-old black-and-white Kuroiler chicks from brooders\u2014who most were women\u2014then took the birds out into the countryside on motorbike taxis to sell to women farmers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFour to six months later they\u2019d return, buy back the hens, and sell them in town\u2014forging for the farmers an ongoing relationship with a fellow female professional who could connect them to markets and help solve livestock problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new chickens\u2019 rapid growth and superlative egg production turned them a kind of feathered ATM for women, says Omondi\u2014providing them with ready access to their own funds. \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cgspace.cgiar.org\/items\/874d064b-70fb-42ce-9f8b-7ec2350d565d\u0022\u003EThat was the idea\u003C\/a\u003E: vendors make money, brooders make money, farmers make money, and then also families\u2019 nutrition should be improved,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/people\/alessandra-galie\u0022\u003EAlessandra Gali\u00e8\u003C\/a\u003E, ILRI\u2019s Gender team leader and principal scientist.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022align-center\u0022\u003E\n  \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022video-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Ciframe src=\u0022https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/media\/oembed?url=https%3A\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch%3Fv%3DhjyCy-H1zX4\u0026amp;max_width=0\u0026amp;max_height=0\u0026amp;hash=X_nZ4OqN5cr5FZH96y5E5a8AuXOMQ8AnjeuFDUdsXRo\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022113\u0022 class=\u0022media-oembed-content\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 title=\u0022Women in chicken business: Veterinarian Anande Munisi\u0027s story\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EBREAKING FREE\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the early stages of the project, researchers aimed to work within traditional gender norms\u2014a method researchers call a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/four-tools-ilri-using-help-livestock-systems-transform-greater-gender-equality\u0022\u003Egender accommodative approach\u003C\/a\u003E. However, as Gali\u00e8 had suspected, it soon became clear that the program couldn\u2019t succeed without transforming some of those norms.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--image\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-11\/WiB%20Brenda%20Urassa%20buys%20back%20hens%20from%20Debora%20Munisi.jpg.webp?itok=oiY6IiGs\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 alt=\u0022Women poultry farmers, Tanzania\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-large\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        Brenda Urassa buys back hens from her regular customer, Debora Munisi, to sell at the market. Their relationship is built on trust, as Debora exclusively purchases chickens from Brenda.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Stefano Bianco\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003EVendors travelling to remote communities were frequently harassed by men. In addition, sometimes a female farmer would face opposition from men in her family\u2014at first, casting doubt on her chances of success, and if she did succeed, pressuring her to give up the business or taking it over themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo the ILRI team worked with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.shujaazinc.com\/\u0022\u003EShujaaz\u003C\/a\u003E, a youth-focussed social enterprise working in Kenya and Tanzania, to develop a social media campaign\u2014and later, in-person outreach\u2014to try to shift some of the norms. The aim was to \u201cnormalize the idea that women can be successful business people, and to promote the image of men who support women in business\u2014to slowly show the positive sides of breaking some of these restrictive norms and provide new role models for young men,\u201d says Gali\u00e8.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter four years, most of the 20 women vendors involved in the project were still in business and have expanded their operations. Many members of the cohort bonded and continued to support each other after the training ended. Around 60 percent reported increased decision-making power, entrepreneurial skills, and greater inclusion within their households.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome of them were doing extremely well\u2014they had bought a motorbike and had around 300 customers,\u201d says Gali\u00e8. One of them, Upendo Ramadhani Simba, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/knowledge\/podcast\/season-2-boma-international-womens-day-2022\u0022\u003Etold ILRI\u2019s podcast The Boma\u003C\/a\u003E the business development skills she received was one of the most rewarding aspects.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI came to love it so much. You can get the profits in a very short period of time. I was so interested in keeping chickens and helping other people to keep them. Lots of women wanted to keep poultry, but they didn\u2019t have good sources. So after we introduced this, it became easier for them.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers used a standardised tool to measure women\u2019s empowerment among the women farmers. The results showed that women keeping the improved chickens were more empowered than those keeping indigenous breeds\u2014with greater control over their livestock activities, increased asset ownership, improved financial independence, and better family nutrition.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--testimonial\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-left\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003EThere was a local norm in these communities that it\u2019s unacceptable for a woman to earn more than the male head of household.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-right\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n    \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Alessandra%20Galie%20photo.jpg.webp?itok=AmiRdpuM\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Alessandra Galie photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Alessandra Gali\u00e8\n\n        \u003Csmall\u003E  Team leader, Gender\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003EPreliminary results indicate a significant relationship between keeping chickens, empowerment and household nutrition, says Omondi.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe one detail is that it doesn\u0027t speak to causality,\u201d adds Gali\u00e8. \u201cSo we cannot say whether improved chickens support women\u0027s empowerment, or whether women\u0027s empowerment is necessary to purchase improved chickens,\u201d she says. Future research will explore this very question.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022align-center\u0022\u003E\n  \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022video-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Ciframe src=\u0022https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/media\/oembed?url=https%3A\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch%3Fv%3DBBz5CPFgu80\u0026amp;max_width=0\u0026amp;max_height=0\u0026amp;hash=y7F7yAQNuksZR0cj000SUqdpUoWEx7tdFA0Y4eoXPU8\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022113\u0022 class=\u0022media-oembed-content\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 title=\u0022Women in business: Using local chicken breeds to empower African families\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EA REASON TO LIVE\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe analysis revealed a few surprises, too. The social media campaign appeared to do such a good job promoting the chicken industry to young people that some men decided to start their own chicken businesses, Omondi says\u2014a reminder that more equitable norms benefit everyone, says Gali\u00e8. And when it comes to chickens, there\u2019s plenty of work to go around, for men and women alike, she says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe market potential is not quite infinite\u2014but almost.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther men who were initially sceptical of their wives\u2019 business efforts came around and began to support them once they saw how successful they were.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut although overall the chicken farmers were more empowered, their work-life balance worsened. \u201cWomen farmers already have their own roles in the household, and now this also becomes an additional chore,\u201d says Omondi. A new ILRI project is testing ways to reduce women\u2019s drudgery, including labour-saving livestock innovations and child-care provision.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the meantime, USAID is implementing the Women in Business model in two more countries. In Lindi and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, local governments are implementing their own version of the project\u2014and in Kilimanjaro, authorities have changed the eligibility criteria for some public business development funds to make sure women are eligible for financing to start their own businesses. Gali\u00e8 cautions that transforming gender norms is likely crucial to the model\u2019s success\u2014and the safety of the vendors\u2014so will need to be a part of any future scheme.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Dessie, the global success of TPGS is the highlight of his 40-year career.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat is unique here is the linkage with private sector companies to multiply the technology and deliver at scale. The last 10 years, since 2014 when we started this project\u2014I\u2019m the happiest person, I\u2019m telling you. And when you\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Esee a farmer, very poor, in a corner of Africa, who owns 200 birds, and she is telling you that she is sending her kids to school because of this project\u2014it gives you a reason to live.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStory written by Kate Evans, science writer\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--testimonial\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-left\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003EWhen we talk about empowerment, it simply means gaining control over one\u2019s life, being able to make choices that align with one\u0027s values and aspirations\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-right\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n    \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Immaculate%20Omondi%20photo.jpeg.webp?itok=5DNFA4ki\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Immaculate Omondi photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Immaculate Omondi\n\n        \u003Csmall\u003E  Gender research economist\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/article\u003E\n","settings":null}]