International development charities Send a Cow and Emerge Poverty Free have merged their operations.

Both organisations operate in east Africa, working with communities to alleviate poverty. Send a Cow has around 250 staff, most of whom are Africans who deliver front line services, whilst Emerge Poverty Free has five staff and delivers its work through partners.

Send a Cow had income of £6.5m in the year to June 2016, according to its most recent accounts filed with the Charity Commission. Emerge Poverty Free generated £532,507 in the year to March 2017.

The two organisations will share management structure, costs, and expertise in fundraising and programme management. Melanie Nightingale, who has been operating as the interim chief executive officer at Emerge Poverty Free, will step down with Paul Stuart becoming chief executive for both charities.

Send a Cow works with rural communities in some of Africa’s poorest regions. Supporting families for up to five years, the charity provides a package of training, tools, seeds and livestock that enables people to feed themselves and work their way out of poverty.

Emerge Poverty Free works in partnerships with grassroots local organisations in east Africa to provide skills, resources and knowledge to enable people to overcome poverty with dignity.

A small London-based team works closely with African partners to deliver projects focusing on improving food security, promoting sustainable livelihoods, investing in clean water, sanitation and hygiene training, and increasing access to reproductive and maternal healthcare.

Stuart said the partnership is a positive step for the organisations, allowing them to support more of Africa’s poorest people.

‘‘By working together, we’ll be helping to secure the long term sustainability of our work,” he said. “Just as we encourage our farmers in Africa to work together, we too must look at how we can collaborate with those who share our passion to end poverty, hunger and inequality.’’

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