FemCare Initiative

PATIENT IDENTIFICATION CHALLENGE; Nigeria

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Cervical cancer screenings

Learn more about the Patient Identification Challenge and why identifying individuals in need of medical treatment and finding ways to make that treatment accessible reduces poverty.  

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

FemCare Initiative is dedicated to ensuring no woman in Nigeria dies of cervical cancer by combining awareness in local dialects, VIA screenings, and follow-up.

The pilot will launch in Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria, where awareness and access to cervical cancer screening remain very low. FemCare Initiative uses a women-to-women model that brings together community health workers, cervical cancer survivors, and medical volunteers. Survivors share their stories in the local dialect, building trust and motivating women to seek screening. Community health workers provide quality VIA screening, mobilize women, and ensure referrals for positive cases, while the team and medical volunteers support with outreach, education, and distribution of culturally appropriate materials. What sets FemCare Initiative apart is how they combine survivors’ voices with medical care, making screening both trusted and accessible.

FemCare Initiative was founded in 2025 by a team of medical doctors, Dr. Victory Ifeanyichukwu Uzoma. Dr. Joan Erhazele, and Dr. Chinonso Arinze, all passionate about women’s health. Dr. Victory serves as Executive Director and Team Lead, Dr. Joan leads Operations, and Dr. Arinze oversees Communications and Patient Navigation. Together, the team combines medical expertise, community project experience, and a shared commitment to reducing cervical cancer deaths in Nigeria.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Conduct awareness and community sensitization on cervical cancer screening to 4,500 women during the pilot.

• Screen 500 women for cervical cancer using VIA, link positive cases to treatment centers and carry out follow-up care.

• Fundraise USD 10,000 during the pilot.

FOUNDING TEAM

Dr. Victory Ifeanyichukwu Uzoma - Executive Director

Dr. Arinze Chinonso Augustus - Head of Communications & Patient Navigation

Dr. Joan Ewanose Erhazele - Operations Officer

Harvest Guard Solutions (HGS)

Post-Harvest Support CHALLENGE; Malawi

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Post-Harvest Support

Learn more about the Post-Harvest Support Challenge and why an evidence-based model that distributes post-harvest loans and improved grain storage bags could reliably boost the standard of living for smallholder farmers.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Harvest Guard Solutions (HGS)’s mission is to empower smallholder farmers with affordable, innovative post-harvest technologies and pre-harvest financial support, reducing food losses, enhancing food security, and increasing household incomes.

HGS’s model combines affordable post-harvest technologies with pre-harvest financial support, delivered through local Village Savings and Loan Associations. Trained village agents manage groups of farmers, ensuring accountability and facilitating payments, while farmers access PICS bags and small loans to protect their harvests. This integrated approach strengthens local distribution networks, reduces post-harvest losses, and increases incomes, providing a scalable framework for expansion beyond the pilot.

The HGS team includes Vanex Kamanga, Charity Manyowa, and Elizabeth Phiri, each playing a key role in the organization. Vanex will lead overall operations, coordinate farmer engagement, and ensure effective distribution of PICS bags. Charity will manage market strategies, farmer training programs, and support VSLAs to strengthen local networks, while Elizabeth will oversee financial management, pre-harvest loans, and repayment systems. Together, they will implement the pilot in Dowa District, directly engaging farmers and building a scalable model to reduce post-harvest losses and improve rural livelihoods.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 500 smallholder farmers within three months.

• Using 4 high-performing distribution agents, distribute 5,000 PICS bags and pre-harvest loans in three months.

• Raise $7800 in additional funding.

FOUNDING TEAM

Vanex Ian Kamanga - Founder

Enkumbi Terimba Aqi Uganda

Quality Inputs CHALLENGE; Uganda

PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED

Quality Agricultural Inputs

Learn more about the Quality Inputs Challenge and why an evidence-based model that distributes high-quality seeds could reliably boost the standard of living for smallholder farmers.

DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION

Enkumbi Terimba Aqi Uganda empowers smallholder farmers in rural Uganda with affordable, high-quality agricultural inputs, training, and cost-effective distribution to boost yields, reduce post-harvest losses, improve market access, and drive food security, income growth, and long-term poverty alleviation.

The distribution model uses a hub-and-spoke system with community-based delivery agents who bring quality maize seeds and fertilizers directly to farmers in Kamuli District, the pilot location, through bulk purchasing and bicycle-powered last-mile delivery. Farmers access inputs on a loan basis, while agricultural extension officers deliver training on modern practices. A unique attribute that sets the venture apart is its integration of peer-to-peer recruitment, where each farmer recruits three more, creating organic growth and strong community ownership of the model, ensuring both rapid scale-up and long-term sustainability.

Enkumbi Terimba Aqi Uganda was founded by Cotilda Khainza and Solomon Springs Mukundane in 2024, and both are full-time founders. Cotilda oversees program implementation, strategic decisions, and partner coordination, while Solomon manages partnerships, farmer outreach, training, and monitoring and evaluation. Together, they bring strong backgrounds in biotechnology, agricultural outreach, and community engagement, ensuring long-term commitment and impact.

PILOT AND SCALING GOALS

• Directly reach 100 farmers during the pilot.

• Distribute two proven interventions, including good-quality maize seeds and fertilizer.

• Fundraise an additional USD 40,000.

FOUNDING TEAM

Cotilda Khainza - Founder

Solomon Springs Mukundane - Founder