Under the banner of Grameen Foundation, we are committed to enabling the poor, especially women, to create a world without poverty and hunger.
I congratulate Grameen Foundation as it continues to strengthen its impact against poverty and hunger. The integration of Freedom From Hunger, which has deep roots in microfinance and women’s empowerment, with Grameen opens new opportunities to empower women’s self-help groups and to build social businesses that benefit the poor.
I have supported Freedom from Hunger for almost twenty years, as they have helped poor women around the world to help themselves. Today, I am proud to congratulate Freedom from Hunger and Grameen Foundation on their union into one combined organization. Through its efforts, we can look forward to more women and children living healthy lives that are rich with opportunity.
Both organizations have roots in the earliest movements for microfinance, and today conduct programs that tackle poverty and hunger from multiple directions. As part of a combined organization, our new Board of Directors draws half its members from each organization, and our new Executive Staff incorporates leaders from both.
The joining of our organizations highlights the opportunities for well-conceived partnerships to accelerate the fight against poverty and hunger during a crucial time in global development.
– Robert Eichfeld, Board Co-Chair, Grameen Foundation (Formerly Board Chair, Grameen Foundation)
For 70 years, Freedom from Hunger has helped the world’s poorest women become self-sustaining. Now with Grameen Foundation, through common mission and complementary skills, we bring more strength to the fight against global poverty.
– Marianne Udow-Phillips, Board Co-Chair, Grameen Foundation (Formerly Board Chair, Freedom from Hunger)
As the founder of Grameen Foundation, I applaud the integration of Freedom from Hunger's exceptional talent and ideas onto our team. No organization has been more aligned with the ideals of Grameen. I know the whole will be greater than the sum of the parts. Bravo!
– Alex Counts, Founder, Grameen Foundation
The combined organization brings together Freedom from Hunger’s focus on providing the world’s poorest women with self-help tools to reduce hunger and poverty, and Grameen Foundation’s expertise in digital innovation to end poverty.
Learn more about our complementary programs, and stay tuned as we continue to innovate, align and grow:
From women who support and move each other forward through their savings groups…
Kotine’s husband unexpectedly died last year. She constantly worries about how she, alone, can keep her family healthy and provide them with good food. But through her women’s savings group, she has the tools to raise herself and her family from poverty.
“When I joined, my life improved and I found peace,”
she said. “We can all help each other and reinforce each other’s lives.”
…To companies who connect with communities to open new routes to financial inclusion and food security…
Life for Anne has never been smooth. Providing for her family as the head of the household is a daily challenge. But manageable loans from microfinance services helped her succeed. In fact, her entire community has benefitted from the programs.
“I believe our community has benefited … we have a number of people from our village who are in [the program] and have been able to grow and expand.”
…And individuals who give back, so that people everywhere can live lives of dignity, opportunity and respect.
Racheal didn’t plan to work in agriculture. She earned a college degree in economics, and thought she would be a banker. But now, she sees things differently.
“I love to meet with people and I love to put the food on people’s table. So when I realized I could help poor producers adopt good agricultural practices in order to produce more, I just become so happy…”