Ubuntu Trust is a community social enterprise that helps members break the cycle of poverty through access to resources and affordable financial services to support their entrepreneurship and empower them to become agents of change. The problem
Thousands of refugees enter Uganda each year from the neighboring countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, and
other countries. Unfortunately, refugee populations remain largely excluded from financial services. They are often overlooked by traditional service providers who see them as financially dependent, not having assets, and with no regular income. With no access to financial services, refugees lack a safe place to save, send or receive money, and access loans. This limited access to financial services has proven to be a major hurdle to self-reliance and to building economically sustainable refugee communities. Traditional banks are located in urban areas over 80 miles from Kyangwali refugee settlement located in a remote rural area. Transport charges, time, and security on the way are an important concern for people in Kyangwali refugee settlement camp traveling to town looking for financial services. No easy way existed to withdraw cash, deposit cash, or complete loan processing from the rural area. How Ubuntu Trust is solving the problem
We the refugees in Kyangwali refugee settlement and the host community are working together to build Ubuntu Trust community microfinance offering secured, affordable, efficient competitive financial services. We are an authorized agent for major banks and mobile money telecom in Uganda. We build the capacity of Village Savings and Loans associations and support them with the required resources, encouraging community members to save and use their money productively. We strive to build an innovative model and financial technology to reach over 500,000 refugees in the next 5 years.
