Rebuilding livelihoods in displacement

This endline report by FSD Africa and FSD Uganda analyzes the financial strategies, income, and expenses of refugees and host communities in Uganda between January 2020 and November 2021. The study focuses on the settlements of Nakivale, Bidi Bidi, and Palorinya, as well as Kampala, evaluating the impact of the Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) project and the COVID-19 pandemic on financial health and service usage.

• Refugee identification ownership increased from 94% at baseline to 99% at endline, though the type of ID significantly impacts financial access. While 47% of those with a National ID could access financial services, only 17% of those with a Family Attestation letter could do so.
• A 2020 policy change allowing refugees to own SIM cards in their own names led to a dramatic increase in mobile money usage, which rose from 29% at baseline to 61% at endline across all study areas.
• Non-employment income, including cash and voucher assistance from organizations like the World Food Programme (WFP), remains the primary income source for 87% of refugees. However, refugees reported significant reductions in aid, citing a 60% reduction in cash-based transfers in Nakivale and a 30% reduction in food rations in West Nile settlements.
• Agricultural income increased from 22% at baseline to 35% at endline, driven largely by the Bidi Bidi settlement (increasing from 6% to 49%) as a response to reduced food rations.
• Gender disparities persist in livelihoods; men are more likely to have regular employment, rental income, and contractual work, and typically have three sources of income compared to two for women. Women-owned businesses tend to be smaller, concentrated in low-margin sectors like vegetable stalls, and are less likely to grow.
• There was a significant increase in refugees keeping cash at home, rising from 29% at baseline to 59% at endline, primarily to cover emergency health expenses due to limited access to medical services in settlements.
• Formal financial service adoption is hindered by high transaction costs, long travel distances to agents, and a lack of understanding of terms and conditions. Some users reported spending up to 15,000 UGX to access their own money via bank-to-mobile transfers and withdrawals.
• Financial health varies significantly by location, with Bidi Bidi (69.7%) and Palorinya (56.7%) showing higher financial health than Nakivale (15.6%) and Kampala (15.4%). Priorities differ by settlement: food is the priority in Bidi Bidi and Palorinya, health in Nakivale, and career/business development in Kampala.
• The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected refugees, with 78% reporting a decrease in income compared to 69% of host communities. Refugees in Nakivale and Kampala were particularly vulnerable, with a median survival time of only one week before needing to sell assets.
• Implementing partners (Equity Bank Uganda Limited, VisionFund Uganda, and RUFI) found that partnerships with NGOs and government bodies were essential for reaching refugees. They also noted that digitizing savings group records helps prevent losses from theft and poor record-keeping.

APA

FSD Africa (2022). Rebuilding livelihoods in displacement. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ENDLINE-REPORT-Rebuilding-livelihoods-in-displacement-eversion-28022022_compressed.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. Rebuilding livelihoods in displacement. 2022. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ENDLINE-REPORT-Rebuilding-livelihoods-in-displacement-eversion-28022022_compressed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=Rebuilding livelihoods in displacement |date=March 2022 |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ENDLINE-REPORT-Rebuilding-livelihoods-in-displacement-eversion-28022022_compressed.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafrica2022rebuilding, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{Rebuilding livelihoods in displacement}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ENDLINE-REPORT-Rebuilding-livelihoods-in-displacement-eversion-28022022_compressed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }