Notes from the Frontier: Could Refugee Populations Be Ripe For Financial Inclusion?

As we approached the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement area, we were met with a calm sense of normalcy. People went about their business as usual, men and women tilling farms, children running around playing in school grounds and traders displaying their products at small designated shopping centres within the settlement.

Financial Inclusion for Refugees: Laying the Foundation for a Business Case for Financial Industry Players in Uganda

On Friday 8^th December, FSD Uganda held a roundtable event in Kampala to provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss Financial Inclusion for Refugees in Uganda. Representatives from financial service providers (FSPs), development partners, donors, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) shared their experiences in providing refugees with access to formal financial services. Stakeholders also discussed the opportunities and challenges in delivering financial services to refugee settlements.

Notes from the Frontier: Spurring Refugee Economic Inclusion in Rwanda through Inclusive Financial Products

Note to reader: For the safety of the refugees and following guidance from UNHCR, no names or pictures have been used in this piece.

Thursday 2^nd November 2017 was the start of a two-day immersion in the Gihembe Refugee camp in Northern Rwanda. Our task – to develop financial services products that are relevant, affordable and accessible to the over 85,000 adult refugees in the country. For many in our party, which included representatives from six leading financial services providers (FSPs) in Rwanda, this was a first visit to a refugee camp. While the previous day’s briefing and clear instructions at the entrance provided some guidance, we really did not know what to expect.

The Regulatory Tweaks That Will Spring Refugees in Uganda To Economic Inclusion

Uganda is home to 1.2 million refugees, with more than 800,000 refugees entering the country since July 2016. Most refugees this year come from South Sudan and others have come from the neighbouring conflict-affected countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia.