Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Results of baseline survey

The Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) baseline survey analyzes the demographics, income sources, and financial instrument usage of refugees and host communities across several Ugandan settlements, including Nakivale, Bidibidi, and Palorinya. It identifies a high reliance on informal savings and credit mechanisms, such as ASCAs and ROSCAs, and a significant shift toward mobile money usage after displacement. The report also outlines the specific implementation strategies of partner financial service providers—Equity Bank Uganda Limited, VisionFund Uganda, and the Rural Finance Initiative—to increase access to bank accounts, wholesale credit, and digitized savings products for these underserved populations.

• Refugees in the surveyed areas have varying median monthly incomes depending on the location: Kampala (205,000 UGX), Nakivale (199,933 UGX), Bidibidi (160,000 UGX), and Palorinya (90,417 UGX).
• There is a notable shift in financial tool usage after displacement; for example, the percentage of refugees using mobile money increased from 20% before leaving to 38% after, while bank/SACCO usage dropped from 29% to 17%.
• Informal financial instruments are widely used, with 'Borrowing from informal group' and 'Savings in house' appearing as significant tools. In Nakivale, 63% of refugees use mobile money, while 54% use bank/SACCO services.
• Digital access is limited but present, with 71% of refugees owning cell phones. Among these owners, 53% have a basic phone, 20% have a feature phone, and 27% have a smartphone.
• The project involves three primary financial service providers: Equity Bank Uganda Limited (EBUL) focusing on digitized humanitarian payments and agent banking; VisionFund Uganda (VFU) piloting a wholesale credit model for savings groups in the West Nile region; and the Rural Finance Initiative (RUFI) implementing a VSLA model using 'Ledger Links' for digital transactions and credit scoring.

APA

FSD Africa (2020). Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Results of baseline survey. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Financial-Inclusion-for-Refugees-FI4R-in-Uganda-Infographic.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Results of baseline survey. 2020. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Financial-Inclusion-for-Refugees-FI4R-in-Uganda-Infographic.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Results of baseline survey |date=March 2020 |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Financial-Inclusion-for-Refugees-FI4R-in-Uganda-Infographic.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafrica2020financial, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Results of baseline survey}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Financial-Inclusion-for-Refugees-FI4R-in-Uganda-Infographic.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }