On May 2nd, 2024, Harvard's Center for International Development (CID) in partnership with Harvard Kennedy School's Women and Public Policy Program (WAPPP) hosted the Global Empowerment Meeting 2024 (GEM24): Breaking Barriers for Women and Girls.

During Lunch with Grandmothers, we heard from the CEO and Founder of Nyaka, Jackson Kaguri, along with Grandmother Program Representative Jolly Babirukamu. Grandmothers around the world play a critical role in caring for their extended families and communities so that future generations can grow up with more opportunities to fulfill their potential. Grandma Jolly's work through local Ugandan NGO Nyaka in fostering girls so they can safely go to school reveals the many barriers women and girls still face and the opportunities to build a new model for economic empowerment, education, and home-based care.