Typhoon Haiyan

Our Work in Fragile Contexts

From disaster recovery lending, to providing financial inclusion for refugees, microfinance can play an essential role in building communities so they are resilient to the shocks of an emergency. VisionFund is piloting, scaling, and implementing a number of programs across the world to ensure that families can access credit for long term financial stability.

 

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Webinar Recording: The power of financial inclusion for refugees

World Refugee Day focuses on the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. As financial service providers we seek financial inclusion for all, and know that with the right support, refugees and displaced populations can overcome challenges and rebuild their lives and livelihoods, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

VisionFund, along with partners and donors, has been advocating for the provision of much-needed financial services to IDPs and refugees, who are traditionally considered a financially risky segment. With external support, digital innovation, and an open mind, VisionFund has piloted two products specifically designed for refugees in two very difficult and different contexts – in Uganda and Peru.

Join our panel of speakers as they share their experience of taking formal financial services and products, including microfinance, to refugee communities, and progress made thus far. Also hear from project funders USAID and Financial Sector Deepening Uganda about their partnership with these projects and overall work with refugee communities.

12

countries offering recovery lending

1,000+

children in refugee and host communities supported through microfinance in Uganda

21

branches serving conflict affected areas in Myanmar

When disaster strikes communities experiencing poverty, it can be challenging to rebuild. Without access to insurance, and without savings to rely on, the resilience of families to future disasters can be eroded, and access to income can be cut off entirely. Many microfinance organisations won’t lend to families trying to recover, seeing their lack of assets as too great a risk to take on as clients.

VisionFund knows how important lines of credit can be to families trying to rebuild their lives after a disaster, or trying to resettle as refugees in a new community. We believe that our microfinance programs offer the bridge between serving the immediate needs of the community in a humanitarian response, to enacting long term sustainable development and growth.

By offering loans to affected populations in the aftermath of a crisis, we can help families rebuild their lives, homes and businesses, reduce negative coping behaviours, and help build resilience across the community. And best yet, a larger client portfolio keeps VisionFund branches strong and sustainable, so we are ready to invest in communities for the future, no matter how often disaster strikes.

Recovering Hope

Sometimes, just lending people a little bit of money after a disaster is enough for them to rebuild their lives. This short video explains how microfinance recovery loans bring hope to people who have lost their livelihoods.

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Fragile Contexts

Disaster Recovery Insurance

By restructuring old loans, creating new business plans, and injecting new loans into the market, VisionFund is helping build stronger communities when disaster strikes.

Uganda Pilot 3

Fragile Contexts

Piloting Financial Inclusion For Refugees in Uganda

In an innovative new project, VisionFund Uganda is engaging in product development, capacity building and investment in order to bring financial services to the refugee population and host populations in West Nile.