From 17 Goals to One Clear Guide
Instead of asking what can we do to help the SDGs, we ask what can the SDGs do to help us.
The Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, were created by the United Nations in 2015 as a shared plan to make the world fairer, safer and more sustainable by 2030.
There are 17 Goals, 169 targets and 234 unique indicators. Together they form one of the largest global frameworks ever created.
The language around the SDGs is about hitting targets, addressing indicators and striving to achieve the goals. For many, they have become a checklist. Progress is measured through reports and data, yet the world is still far from reaching them. In fact you can read the 2025 Progress Report here: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2025/
At Seeds for Development, we believe the Goals work best when they guide action on the ground. Which is why we don't see them as things to tick off on a to-do list but as a guide to help us in our work.
They have become our Sustainable Development Guide.
Our Sustainable Development Guide (SDG)
Uganda is a country moving forward. The economy is growing, education is improving and development is happening across much of the country. But in the most remote farming villages, progress has not reached everyone. The gap between those who are moving ahead and those still struggling is huge.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created to close these gaps and make sure that no one is left behind. Yet some families are so vulnerable that they are not even on the first step of development. These are the families we support.
At Seeds for Development, we proactively seek out the most vulnerable people in rural northern Uganda. Many are elderly carers, single mothers or people living with disability. All of the families were displaced and are rebuilding their lives after the war.
Our goal is to help them reach the first level of stability where their basic needs are met and life can start to move forward.
We have rearranged the SDGs into a single, connected journey based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Instead of treating them as 17 separate goals, we see them as one clear guide that helps us understand where people are starting from and what they need next.
Once families meet their basic needs, they can plan, grow and thrive. With stability comes hope and with hope comes the ability to look outward and care for others and the land around them.
-
Survive (SDGs 1–7)
Meeting basic needs such as food, water, health, education, gender equality and clean energy.
-
Thrive (SDGs 8–12)
Moving from survival to stability through decent work, innovation, stronger communities and sustainable production.
-
Outward (SDGs 13–17)
Looking beyond ourselves to care for the environment, build peace and create partnerships for the future.
A Guide for Change
The SDGs give the world a shared language for development. Our Sustainable Development Guide makes that language personal and practical.
It helps us see that before a community can thrive, it must first survive. And once people are thriving, they begin to look outward to care for others and the planet we share.
This is what sustainable development looks like to us. It is not a list of targets to be met, but a journey that starts with small steps, growing stronger all the time.
Questions we’re asked
What is your Sustainable Development Guide?
Our Sustainable Development Guide is our way of using the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in real life. We have rearranged them into three simple stages – Survive, Thrive and Outward. This helps us see where a village is starting from and what support it needs next.
Do you work across all of Uganda?
Uganda is making great progress in its development, including in the north. We focus on the remote farming villages that progress has not yet reached. These are the most vulnerable families, often displaced by war or caring for others. Our work starts with them, helping to meet their most basic needs so life can begin to move forward.
How do you use mapping and satellite data?
We use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite data to map food, health and education. This shows where people are still surviving, where they are beginning to thrive and what each village needs next. It helps us plan, track progress and share clear results with our partners.
