Fighting Hunger Through SMS

Su Kahumbu, an agriculturalist and social entrepreneur delivered a talk for TED called 'How we can help hungry kids, one text at a time.'

In her speech, Kahumbu states that she breeds "badass cows," a term she uses to refer to well-fed and healthy animals that have all the protein needed to properly feed children who are at risk for having their growth stunted. Most specifically, Kahumbu's efforts are focused on children in certain African countries. In addition to causing a loss in stature, a stunted growth due to a lack of proper nutrition leads to many other health issues, as well as an inability to properly develop cognitively.

Kahumbu states that in Africa, 59 million children are not developing to their potential because of this. As protein is one of the most important dietary requirements, Kahumbu's initiative, dubbed iCow, aims to increase access to the meat, milk, and eggs that help children grow. iCow is described as a simple SMS service, which supports small holder farmers across Africa. In the texts that they receive through the service, farmers learn more about best practices, how to reduce any associated risks, and much more.

In addition to increasing access to a permanent source of quality protein, iCow helps local economies by helping farmers to generate their own business.