Agro Capital Fund (ACF)

• Year Founded: 2023
• Location: Pagirinya & Ayilo Refugee Settlements, Adjumani District, Uganda
• Energy Solutions and Services: Clean energy technology, business training, financial inclusion programs
• Thematic Areas of Focus: Financial inclusion, food security and livelihoods
• Number of Employees: 6
• Contact: agrocapitalfund65@gmail.com

Agro Capital Fund's Impact Story

Refugees in East Africa face severe financial hardships, struggling to access basic services and often falling under intense economic pressure, especially when aid funding is reduced. These challenges push families toward harmful coping strategies, such as incurring debt or sending children to work. Most refugee households and small businesses lack reliable electricity, relying instead on expensive and unstable energy sources, which limits their productivity and growth. Access to essential services, including education, remains scarce, further compounding communities’ vulnerability and reducing opportunities for long-term development.

To respond to these challenges, the founders of Agro Capital Fund (ACF) have developed programs aimed at promoting self-reliance and economic empowerment among refugees living in Pagirinya Refugee Settlement in northern Uganda. Through leveraging existing skills, providing access to financial services, and creating opportunities in both urban and rural settings, these initiatives support sustainable livelihoods. ACF has also launched clean energy projects to help refugees establish and grow new businesses in displacement contexts. Key initiatives include business training, facilitating access to savings and solar energy equipment, and offering unconditional business loans to refugee households and enterprises.

With support from partners such as Ashden, ACF has trained village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) and hired staff to manage solar installations and offer lending services for community members. In addition to creating direct jobs through these hiring efforts, ACF has enabled local entrepreneurs and VSLAs to operate smoothly and increase productivity by providing access to reliable solar energy. Through its financial inclusion programs, ACF has strengthened economic empowerment across the community. The organization provides refugees with access to small business loans, helping them start or expand their ventures and achieve financial independence. To date, ACF has empowered over 200 refugee women and youth to lead business initiatives.

Success Factors

ACF designs its programs with the full participation of target community members to ensure that their needs and capacities are taken into account. This inclusive approach has strengthened refugee lives by promoting social inclusion, economic empowerment, food security, and community networking, creating lasting benefits across the settlement.

Future Plans and Support Needs

ACF plans to further improve refugees livelihoods and promote economic inclusion by building out its job training, business development, and financial literacy support offerings. Over time, the organization hopes to reduce community members’ reliance on aid. ACF also aims to provide reliable solar electricity for households and productive use, implement solar water heaters to improve hygiene in the settlement, and explore waste-to-energy solutions, such as biogas for cooking. The organization also hopes to increase access to solar irrigation to support agricultural production. ACF also aims to expand geographically to support other refugee settlements across Adjumani District. To achieve these goals, ACF seeks financial and technical support from humanitarian organisations, private sector partners, and donors, as well as in-kind contributions to effectively address the needs of refugee communities.

About the Founders

ACF is a community-based organization founded in 2023 by a group of South Sudanese refugees under the Women and Youths Community Development Empowerment Services. The founders were forcibly displaced by civil conflict in South Sudan and have spent 10 years living in Pagirinya Refugee Settlement, Adjumani District in Uganda.