Skip to main content
McMaster University
DeGroote School of Business
McMaster University
Search

DSB Main Website Search

McMaster Menu
DeGroote Menu
  • Home
  • Programs
  • About
    • About DeGroote
    • Our Leadership
    • Dean’s Corner
    • McLean Centre for Collaborative Discovery
    • Our Faculty & Research  
    • Strategic Plan 
    • Annual Report 
  • Events
  • Students
    • Student Resources
    • Student Clubs
    • Submit a Student Bulletin
    • Submit your Event
  • Alumni
    • Alumni Resources
    • Wayne C. Fox Distinguished Alumni Award 
    • DeGroote Alumni Social Impact Award
  • Staff
  • Give
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • DeGroote Directory
Search McMaster Menu
  • Home
  • Programs
  • About
    About DeGrooteOur LeadershipDean’s CornerMcLean Centre for Collaborative DiscoveryOur Faculty & Research  Strategic Plan Annual Report 
  • Events
  • Students
    Student ResourcesStudent ClubsSubmit a Student BulletinSubmit your Event
  • Alumni
    Alumni ResourcesWayne C. Fox Distinguished Alumni Award DeGroote Alumni Social Impact Award
  • Staff
  • Give
  • Contact
    Contact UsDeGroote Directory

ALUMNI   SOCIETAL IMPACT   STRATEGIC PLAN | INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE  

Breaking the cycle of ultra-poverty, one village at a time

April 29, 2025 ·

Contributed by: Izabela Shubair, DeGroote Contributor

Share

Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Mail Copy Link
Shawn Cheung smiles broadly, arms folded, dressed in a checkered dress shirt.

Jennifer, a 53-year-old widow and mother of seven, manages a small farm and operates a pancake-making business to support her family. Iver and Barbara have transformed their one-and-a-half-acre farm into a model of climate-resilient agriculture. Boniconcilla, who is 67, runs a coffee plantation. They are among 1.6 million rural Ugandans who have partnered with the non-profit Raising the Village (RTV) to break a chronic cycle of ultra-poverty.

Now, Shawn Cheung, RTV’s CEO and a DeGroote School of Business alum, is being acknowledged for his impact and efforts in Uganda’s remote communities. Cheung is the first recipient of the DeGroote Alumni Social Impact Award, which celebrates alumni who have made an exceptional contribution and commitment to creating positive social change and improving the lives of others.

“When it comes to this recognition, I think it’s exciting that non-profit work is being viewed as a pathway for business students at DeGroote,” says Cheung.

“You don’t get into working with last-mile communities for the recognition, so it’s also humbling to be acknowledged for my contributions. In our first 10 years, we reached 1.6 million participants in the program. But there are about 400 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still living in ultra-poverty. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Building a vision

After graduating from DeGroote with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2005, Cheung joined a grassroots microfinance organization in Uganda. While there, he worked with families living in ultra-poverty, defined as a daily average income of 75 cents per household of five. Cheung also tried to identify gaps in services and opportunities that trapped these communities in the poverty cycle.

Back in North America, Cheung took on a management consultant role and continued his non-profit research. To advance his work, Cheung personally funded pilot programs, developing the model and methodology behind RTV. The non-profit officially launched in 2014.

Today, Cheung leads a team of more than 400 Canadian and Ugandan staff to implement village-directed initiatives.
“In the next 30 years, the world’s population will be close to 10 billion people,” says Cheung.

“When you look at the highest poverty rates in the world, you’re looking at rural places like Sub-Saharan Africa. If we want any chance of being able to end poverty within our lifetime, now is the time to act. And to address that, we need to focus on the areas with the highest poverty rates and the highest rates of growth.”

Despite the statistics, hard-to-reach places like last-mile communities, which lack basic services such as essential infrastructure, transportation and healthcare, continue to be underinvested in the sector. Cheung says logistical complexity, distance and cost-effectiveness factors require innovative solutions to maintain a high level of impact.

Community and data-driven model

To overcome these challenges, RTV runs a 24-month multidimensional program model.

The program drives income by increasing agricultural productivity. It also fosters participation by addressing barriers and creating opportunities. For example, RTV helps establish cooperatives, including village savings and loan associations, and provides financial literacy training. The organization also improves access to water, health and food for vulnerable populations to participate in training and other program activities. The third aspect of the model ensures sustainability by building local capacity and structures, such as community agricultural teams and village livestock teams, which cultivate technical knowledge and expertise.

Each dimension works in tandem to build household incomes year after year as communities transition from subsistence farming to income generation. After the 24 months, RTV hands over the project to partner communities and continues to track their progress for an additional 36 months.

“We aim to provide information directly to communities and the frontline extension workers that serve them with clear, actionable steps to help them increase their food production so they can meet basic needs and have enough income to provide for their families,” says Cheung. “We do that through data analytics and technology. That allows us to take the effective models and make them scalable.”

Being data-informed is one of RTV’s four pillars. The organization collects, analyzes and visualizes over 4,000 data points for program planning, real-time program adjustments, cost optimization and replicating success. The data also informs the remaining pillars: being impact-focused through a low-cost, high-impact and responsible model; being community-driven to address the needs identified by the communities, which approve project designs and lead implementation; and being government-integrated by engaging local and federal governments to maximize programming reach, reduce cost and create systemic change.

“When I was growing up with my family, we had very little,” says Cheung. “If it weren’t for the kindness of others who invested their time and effort into me, I wouldn’t have the opportunities and chances I’ve had. Being able to create opportunities for others – giving them the freedom and agency to choose – is a big motivator, and being able to work alongside the communities we partner with is a real privilege.”

Learn more about the families and communities impacted by Raising the Village.

 

Tags:   ALUMNI PROFILE BCOM RAISING THE VILLAGE SHAWN CHEUNG

Related Stories

Triplets take on campus life together this fall
September 5, 2025 · STUDENT

Triplets take on campus life together this fall

From research to impact: DeGroote undergraduate student research day  
August 20, 2025 · RESEARCH · STRATEGIC PLAN | RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP · STUDENT

From research to impact: DeGroote undergraduate student research day  

An Evening of Accolades 2025: Honouring the past, inspiring the future 
June 17, 2025 · ALUMNI · SOCIETAL IMPACT

An Evening of Accolades 2025: Honouring the past, inspiring the future 

Taking action towards sustainability: DeGroote Greensuits restore campus biodiversity 
May 22, 2025 · STUDENT · STRATEGIC PLAN | ENGAGING COMMUNITIES

Taking action towards sustainability: DeGroote Greensuits restore campus biodiversity 

Breaking the cycle of ultra-poverty, one village at a time
April 29, 2025 · ALUMNI · STRATEGIC PLAN | INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE · SOCIETAL IMPACT

Breaking the cycle of ultra-poverty, one village at a time

Embracing change and inspiring success: David Lazzarato navigates a varied path to DeGroote’s highest honour
April 24, 2025 · ALUMNI · STRATEGIC PLAN | ENGAGING COMMUNITIES

Embracing change and inspiring success: David Lazzarato navigates a varied path to DeGroote’s highest honour

DeGroote Pride Association bridges gap between 2SLGBTQIA+ students and business professionals
March 25, 2025 · STUDENT CLUB · STUDENT · STRATEGIC PLAN | INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE

DeGroote Pride Association bridges gap between 2SLGBTQIA+ students and business professionals

Gender does not define this business leader
March 6, 2025 · ALUMNI · STRATEGIC PLAN | INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE · STUDENT CLUB

Gender does not define this business leader

From challenge to confidence: How DeGroote students transformed under pressure
February 24, 2025 · STUDENT · STRATEGIC PLAN | TEACHING AND LEARNING

From challenge to confidence: How DeGroote students transformed under pressure

An Amazing Friendship
December 13, 2024 · ALUMNI

An Amazing Friendship

Creating a net-zero roadmap
November 27, 2024 · ALUMNI · STRATEGIC PLAN | ENGAGING COMMUNITIES · SOCIETAL IMPACT

Creating a net-zero roadmap

McMaster grad and Boardball founder shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
November 21, 2024 · ALUMNI

McMaster grad and Boardball founder shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

Embracing an entrepreneurial mindset
November 19, 2024 · ALUMNI · DEVELOPMENT · GIVE · MCCD · STRATEGIC PLAN | TEACHING AND LEARNING · STUDENT

Embracing an entrepreneurial mindset

McMaster alumnae, faculty recognized among Canada’s most powerful women
November 1, 2024 · ALUMNI

McMaster alumnae, faculty recognized among Canada’s most powerful women

The lasting impact of MARS Apprentice
October 9, 2024 · ALUMNI · STRATEGIC PLAN | TEACHING AND LEARNING · STUDENT

The lasting impact of MARS Apprentice

DeGroote School of Business DeGroote School of Business Logo
DeGroote Instagram logo DeGroote Linkedin logo DeGroote Facebook logo DeGroote YouTube Logo DeGroote TikTok Logo
DeGroote Menu

  • Programs
  • About DeGroote
  • Events
  • Student Resources
  • Staff Resources
  • Alumni Resources
  • Give
  • DeGroote Directory
  • Contact Us
  • Faculty & Research  
Hamilton Campus

DeGroote School of Business
McMaster University

1280 Main Street West

Hamilton, Ontario
L8S 4M4
Burlington Campus

DeGroote School of Business
Ron Joyce Centre

4350 South Service Road

Burlington, Ontario
L7L 5R8
AACSB Logo

McMaster University is committed to providing websites that are accessible to the widest possible audience.  

If you require any content on this website in an alternate format, please contact dsbweb@mcmaster.ca and we will respond promptly.

DeGroote Online Privacy Policy

McMaster Brighter World Logo McMaster University - Brighter World Logo
Contact McMaster McMaster Terms & Conditions McMaster Privacy Policy
Secret Link