Wealth Village
Wealth Village aims to break the cycle of poverty in rural Burundi through entrepreneurship.
Poverty Graduation CHALLENGE; Burundi
PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED
Poverty Graduation Program
Learn more about the Poverty Graduation Challenge and why an evidence-based program that combines cash or asset transfers with mentorship and other forms of financial and social support helps graduate the ultra poor from poverty.
DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION
Wealth Village aims to break the cycle of poverty in rural Burundi through entrepreneurship.
The Wealth Village model ensures that the extremely poor individuals in the community, especially women, are empowered or enabled to graduate out of extreme poverty and achieve economic and social advancement through comprehensive business skills and financial literacy training, dedicated coaching and mentoring, and savings as well as social support.
The founding team is led by a passionate changemaker who grew up in a rural area, where access to basic needs was a daily struggle for many households. This firsthand experience inspired a lifelong commitment to addressing extreme poverty. Now a seasoned Monitoring and Evaluation specialist in the NGO sector, he brings data-driven strategies and community insight to create impactful, sustainable solutions.
PILOT AND SCALING GOALS
Directly reach 30 women within three months
Provide tailored skills training, coaching, and routine mentoring to 30 women for effective management of their business ventures by the end of the pilot and create 15 savings groups.
Raise additional USD 50,000 from new donors within three months.
FOUNDING TEAM
Olivier Mukunzi - Founder and CEO
Jagguza Capital Enterprise
Jagguza Capital Enterprise empowers ultra-poor women in rural communities to escape poverty by building sustainable, climate-smart businesses through seed funding, skills training, and community-based support.
Poverty Graduation CHALLENGE; Uganda
PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED
Poverty Graduation Program
Learn more about the Poverty Graduation Challenge and why an evidence-based program that combines cash or asset transfers with mentorship and other forms of financial and social support helps graduate the ultra poor from poverty.
DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION
Jagguza Capital Enterprise empowers ultra-poor women in rural communities to escape poverty by building sustainable, climate-smart businesses through seed funding, skills training, and community-based support.
Jagguza Capital Enterprise will implement its pilot in Kasanda District, Uganda, using a group-based distribution model where 90 ultra-poor women are organised into 30 micro-business groups of three members each. Each group is paired with a trained local business mentor who delivers skills training, monitors progress, and provides ongoing coaching. Participants receive seed capital in two instalments, join business savings groups (BSGs), and are linked to financial institutions and local markets.
What sets Jagguza Capital Enterprise apart is its scalable, cost-effective model that leverages peer accountability and mentorship within group enterprises, increasing success rates while reducing operational costs.
The founding team is led by Nakabuye Joanitah, Executive Director, with a strong background in strategic leadership and rural development. She is supported by Sserunga Paul, Operations Manager with expertise in community engagement and logistics, and Justine Nanono, Finance Officer and Growth Catalyst with experience in financial planning and grassroots coordination. Together, they bring deep local knowledge, technical expertise, and a shared passion for empowering ultra-poor communities.
PILOT AND SCALING GOALS
Reach 90 beneficiaries within three months.
Distribute 30 proven interventions during the pilot.
Raise an additional USD 25,000 during the pilot.
FOUNDING TEAM
Nakabuye Joanitah - Executive Director
Nanono Justine - Finance Officer and Growth Catalyst
Sserunga Paul - Operations Manager
EmpowerHERVenture
EmpowerHERVenture aims to empower single mothers in rural Kenya by providing them with the skills, resources, and support needed to start or enhance their entrepreneurial ventures, ultimately improving their livelihoods and that of their families.
Poverty Graduation CHALLENGE; Kenya
PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED
Poverty Graduation Program
Learn more about the Poverty Graduation Challenge and why an evidence-based program that combines cash or asset transfers with mentorship and other forms of financial and social support helps graduate the ultra poor from poverty.
DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION
EmpowerHERVenture aims to empower single mothers in rural Kenya by providing them with the skills, resources, and support needed to start or enhance their entrepreneurial ventures, ultimately improving their livelihoods and that of their families.
EmpowerHERVenture’s distribution model centers around empowering single mothers as distribution entrepreneurs, leveraging their existing networks and community ties.
The pilot will be located in Kiambu, Thika and Yatta regions of Kenya, focusing on these areas due to the high population of single mothers in need of economic opportunities.
What sets EmpowerHERVenture apart is its focus on single mothers, including those with children with disabilities and survivors of abuse, a demographic often overlooked in entrepreneurial programs, and their emphasis on creating sustainable, community-driven distribution networks.
PILOT AND SCALING GOALS
Reach 100 single mothers with training and support programs within three months.
Distribute 95 proven interventions to single mothers to enhance their entrepreneurial ventures during the pilot.
Raise an additional $25,000 USD from new donors and investors to support pilot initiatives.
FOUNDING TEAM
Amara Chineme - Founder
Juto
JUTO seeks to equip women and youth living in extreme poverty by providing them with the tools, skills, and resources needed to build lasting livelihoods and escape the cycle of poverty.
POVERTY GRADUATION CHALLENGE; Liberia
PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED
Poverty Graduation Program
Learn more about the Poverty Graduation Challenge and why an evidence-based program that combines cash or asset transfers with mentorship and other forms of financial and social support helps graduate the ultra poor from poverty.
DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION
JUTO seeks to equip women and youth living in extreme poverty by providing them with the tools, skills, and resources needed to build lasting livelihoods and escape the cycle of poverty.
JUTO will equip participants through business skills training, capital transfer, hands-on mentoring/ coaching, savings/ access to credit, and other life skills training to create income-generating, sustainable businesses and access to loans, credits, and savings, thereby breaking the visual cycle of poverty for themselves and their families.
The program is based on the BOMA – Rural Entrepreneur Access Project (REAP) model which is one of the most successful, sustainable, and cost-effective poverty graduation approaches in the world. The program will entail 16 to 24 months of sequenced interventions with a clear exit strategy and rigorous criteria for success.
The founding of JUTO was led by Genesis Sylvester Kolliemene who has over seven years of experience in civic leadership with a focus on youth advancement, social entrepreneurship, community development, and organizational capacity strengthening. Genesis and his co-founders (Otis S. Timothy, Patience D. Tokpah, and Caleb Larry Boimah) are passionate about leading efforts to address extreme poverty and hunger.
PILOT AND SCALING GOALS
Directly reach 50 beneficiaries in 3 months.
Establish 50 new businesses.
Fundraise $10,000 from local donors and government collaboration.
FOUNDING TEAM
Genesis Sylvester Kolliemene - Founder/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Otis S. Timothy - Director of Program Development and Scaling
Patience D. Tokpah - Finance Manager
Caleb Larry Boimah Jr. - Research and Training Lead
GrainAid Agency
GrainAid Agency helps women and youth in Uganda graduate from extreme poverty.
POVERTY GRADUATION; UGANDA
PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED
Poverty Graduation Program
Learn more about the Poverty Graduation Challenge and why an evidence-based program that combines cash or asset transfers with mentorship and other forms of financial and social support helps graduate the ultra poor from poverty.
DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION
GrainAid Agency works with members of the local community especially women and youth, and other national and international organizations to overcome extreme poverty and hunger through creating access, improving, and diversifying livelihoods.
The GrainAid Agency model ensures that the extremely poor individuals in the community especially women and youth are empowered/enabled to graduate out of extreme poverty and achieve economic and social advancement through a combination of asset building, technical skills training, dedicated coaching and mentoring, and savings as well as social support. The focus on poverty alleviation for the extremely poor reflects our clarity of purpose and our approach which involves building implementation units within the communities, including recruitment and training of community facilitators among people based in the same community with a thorough understanding of the community makes our model affordable and acceptable by the entire community. The chosen solution (poverty graduation) is already proven to work around the world and our approach minimizes the chance of failure by over 95%.
GrainAid Agency was started by Emmanuel Curuma Obia and Gertrude Basirika who have over 18 years of experience in poverty eradication initiatives within Africa and are both passionate about efforts to address poverty and hunger. Emmanuel works full-time at GrainAid Agency as the Executive Director while Gertrude serves on the board of directors as the Treasurer.
PILOT AND SCALING GOALS
Provide productive livelihood assets to 30 female heads of households thus impacting 120 members of their households, especially children by end of the pilot.
Provide tailored skills training, coaching, and routine mentoring to 30 female heads of households for effective management of their livelihood initiatives by end of the pilot.
Raise additional $50,000 by end of the first year
Scale to serve 600 participants by year 2
FOUNDING TEAM
Emmanuel Curuma Obia - Executive Director
Gertrude Basirika - Board Member
Growth Pathways
Growth Pathways will implement a 12-month poverty graduation program focused on microenterprise development to help the ultra-poor develop sustainable livelihoods.
POVERTY GRADUATION; UGANDA
PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED
Poverty Graduation Program
Learn more about the Poverty Graduation Challenge and why an evidence-based program that combines cash or asset transfers with mentorship and other forms of financial and social support helps graduate the ultra poor from poverty.
DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION
Growth Pathways will implement a 12-month poverty graduation program focused on microenterprise development to help the ultra-poor develop sustainable livelihoods.
Growth Pathways uses a micro enterprise development program with six sequenced interventions: Targeting, business skills training, Conditional Cash Transfer, business savings group, mentoring and social integration. The program is implemented through a network of of Business Mentors and local leaders. The pilot is located in Kamuli District.
Growth Pathways is started in 2022 by Ssempebwa Joseph and Adur Joyce. Joseph serves as Growth Pathways program director.
PILOT AND SCALING GOALS
Equip 60 participants with business and group saving training, seed capital and mentorship to increase income and savings
Launch 20 sustainable enterprises within the community
Fundraise an additional $20,000
Scale to serve 345 participants by year 2
FOUNDING TEAM
Ssempebwa Joseph - Program Director
Adur Joyce - Partnership Manager
Ssemugooma Fred - Field Coordinator
Rising Roots
Rising Roots empowers last mile marginal households to access resilient and sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship.
POVERTY GRADUATION; UGANDA
PROVEN INTERVENTION TO BE DISTRIBUTED
Gender focused poverty graduation program to ultra-poor women with resources to create sustainable businesses and permanently break the poverty cycle.
Learn more about the Poverty Graduation Challenge and why an evidence-based program that combines cash or asset transfers with mentorship and other forms of financial and social support helps graduate the ultra poor from poverty.
DISTRIBUTION MODEL INNOVATION
Rising Roots empowers last mile marginal households to access resilient and sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship.
Rising Roots uses a one year gender focused poverty graduation program to ultra-poor women with resources to create sustainable businesses and permanently break the poverty cycle. The program has six sequenced components: Targeting, Technical Business Training, Seed Capital, Business Savings Groups, Mentoring and Social Integration. The pilot program is implemented in Mayuge District.
PILOT AND SCALING GOALS
Enroll 60 ultra poor women into the poverty graduation program
Launch 20 group based businesses within the community
Raise an additional $15,000
FOUNDING TEAM
Nganda Ben - Program Director
Achen Grace - Field Coordinator
Balyebuga Kelvin - Strategic Partnership and Development Manager
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