What We Do

Ending extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collective action

More than 430 million people in Africa live in extreme poverty—70% of the world’s poorest. And every day, more families in Africa are being pushed into extreme poverty because of climate change, conflict, displacement, and a lack of resources and opportunities. We aim to change that.

Village Enterprise has a proven solution backed by evidence from two independent randomized controlled trials. People who complete our program go on to become successful entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities, building a brighter future for themselves and their families.

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The Village Enterprise Model

We believe in the power of the entrepreneurial spirit to transform lives and build resilience to climate change. Community-based and locally-led, our poverty graduation program equips people living in extreme poverty in rural Africa with cash transfers, training, and mentoring to create climate-smart, sustainable businesses and savings groups, permanently breaking the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. Digital technology and a group-based approach make our model more scalable and cost-effective than traditional approaches. Over 83% of our entrepreneurs are female, ensuring greater gender equity and increased opportunities for women and families. And rigorous evidence shows that our model works!

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Where We Work

We have deep roots in Africa. For over 30 years, we have worked in rural African communities to eradicate poverty, protect the environment, and empower women. We have experience working in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Through partnerships with governments and other NGOs, we plan to continue expanding throughout sub-Saharan Africa with the goal of lifting 20 million people out of extreme poverty by 2030.

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Who We Serve

Scaling through Collective Action and Partnerships

Village Enterprise can’t end extreme poverty on our own—we must do it together. With over 30 years of experience working in rural Africa and strong evidence supporting our program’s effectiveness, we work closely and partner with governments, other international nonprofits, and the private sector to rapidly scale our work.

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Technology and Innovation

We are constantly seeking to evolve and transform our programs to increase our impact and our cost-effectiveness. With our entrepreneurs as our top priority, we use human-centered design to develop and implement digital solutions and innovations which empower our entrepreneurs and revolutionize small business development in Africa.

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Results-Based Funding

We believe that results-based funding has the power to transform poverty alleviation and international development as we know it, ensuring development organizations focus on results and impact. The success of the Village Enterprise Development Impact Bond (DIB) highlights how results-based funding can drive outcomes and innovation, even in the most uncertain environments. Despite the challenges of the sudden onset of the pandemic and lockdowns in 2020, the Village Enterprise DIB exceeded its targets, transforming the lives of more than 95,000 women, men, and children in East Africa.

Learn more about the Village Enterprise DIB and RBF