Can technology really make a difference in the lives of the poor? Solimo, a pig farmer from rural Uganda, certainly believes so. When Solimo’s pig gave birth to 15 piglets, all but two piglets died just days after their birth. A major part of the family’s livelihood also slipped away, putting Solimo’s family at risk.
But all hope was not lost. Solimo’s neighbor, Tabitha, is a Grameen Foundation Community Knowledge Worker. Tabitha researched the pig’s illness on the smartphone she received as part of the Community Knowledge Worker program and discovered that the piglets’ deaths were caused by an iron deficiency. Solimo prevented the problem from repeating by feeding his pig iron supplements during her next pregnancy.
Solimo’s pig gave birth again – this time to 12 healthy piglets – and he’s confident that his business and his pigs will thrive for years to come. Solimo is just one of thousands of individuals proving that Grameen Foundation’s innovative technology is changing the daily lives of the hardworking poor around the world.