At Seed Effect, we believe lasting transformation begins from the inside out—both in the communities we serve and within our own organization. As Seed Effect Uganda continues to grow, much of 2025 has been dedicated to strengthening the foundation that makes this impact possible — our staff, systems, structures and strategy.

While this type of work often happens behind the scenes, it’s vital for ensuring that we can continue to serve with excellence, integrity, and faithfulness as we grow.

Strengthening Accountability and Learning

One of the most significant steps our team has taken this year has been to expand our Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) capacity. In June 2025, just in time for the start of our new fiscal year, we added a MEAL Manager to the Seed Effect Uganda team — a role dedicated to strengthening how we collect, analyze, and learn from our data, to allow us to better evaluate the effectiveness of our program.

This new position comes at a crucial point in Seed Effect’s history, following years of exponential program growth. Here’s what Simon Ariba, one of Seed Effect’s Program Coordinators, shared,

“Before Sharon joined Seed Effect Uganda, our teams faced several challenges in data management and reporting. We often experienced errors due to the lack of standardized attendance forms, clear reporting templates, and specific tools to track progress on initiatives like Plan for Better Business and Conservation Agriculture.

Since Sharon came on board, she has introduced several innovations and developed user-friendly tools that have greatly strengthened our monitoring and reporting systems. Her contributions, including the creation of standardized forms, reporting templates, and a bi-weekly work plan, have enhanced accountability, improved accuracy, and simplified data tracking across teams.

As a result, staff can now easily identify and correct errors, track participation among refugees and host members more effectively, and monitor progress with confidence. The field teams have fully adopted these tools, finding them practical, efficient, and instrumental in improving overall program implementation”.

As MEAL Manager, Sharon helps ensure that every story, survey, and statistic reflects the real change happening in the lives of Seed Effect members. Since joining the staff in June, Sharon’s projects have included developing a comprehensive MEAL Plan and Logical Framework, conducting field audits of savings and loan groups, establishing accountability mechanisms, and conducting an assessment of our Plan for a Better Business training. 

“These achievements demonstrate the tangible value of continued donor investment in strengthening MEAL systems. Through your support, Seed Effect Uganda has built a robust evidence and accountability framework that ensures every dollar contributes directly to measurable impact. The improvements in data quality, reporting accuracy, and program learning not only enhance transparency and efficiency but also ensure that interventions are more responsive to the real needs of refugees and host communities. This progress reflects our shared commitment to delivering lasting transformation through stewardship, innovation, and data-driven decision-making.” – Sharon Aol, Seed Effect MEAL Manager 

                                        Seed Effect Uganda, South Sudan, and US Team, Adjumani

Improving Stewardship Through Stronger Systems

Alongside deepening our learning and evaluation, we’ve also strengthened the systems that support our growing operations. To support this next season of growth, we’ve also added new roles focused on accountability and efficiency — including a Systems Administrator, Executive Assistant, HR Administrative Assistant, Risk and Compliance Officer, and Procurement Officer. Together, these roles strengthen the structure behind every savings group meeting, data report, and member story — ensuring that our impact rests on a firm foundation.

Beyond these key hires, we’ve also invested in several other capacity-building initiatives across Seed Effect Uganda and Seed Effect South Sudan, including:

• Leadership development and management training to strengthen supervision, accountability, and team communication.
• Finance and compliance systems improvements to streamline reporting and ensure accuracy across field operations.
• Upgrades to technology and data collection tools to support more efficient monitoring and faster, more reliable results.
• Ongoing coaching and cross-country collaboration between Uganda, South Sudan, and the U.S. teams to align strategy and share best practices.

Building for the Future

These investments may not be glamorous, but they are transformational. Each step we take to build capacity enables Seed Effect to serve more families with excellence and multiply impact with confidence. Every investment in capacity is ultimately an investment in people — our staff, our members, and the communities they serve.

As Luke 16:10 reminds us, ‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.’ By strengthening our foundation, we’re preparing faithfully for what’s next—trusting that God will continue to use this ministry to empower families to know Jesus and provide for their families with dignity. Each new system, role, and skill added today lays the groundwork for greater impact tomorrow.