Entrepreneurship to
End Extreme Poverty

Ending extreme poverty. Building a sustainable future for all.

We believe it is possible to end extreme poverty. And we have a proven solution that is backed by rigorous evidence. But we can’t do it alone.

Partnering with governments, nonprofits, United Nations agencies, conservation organizations, and private sector companies, Village Enterprise equips first-time entrepreneurs in Africa with resources and skills to start climate-smart businesses and savings groups.

We work with the most vulnerable women, refugees, and youth in rural Africa and equip them to adapt to the shocks of climate change, displacement, the pandemic, and conflict. Join us as we build resilience and alleviate poverty by igniting the entrepreneurial spirit.

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Breaking the cycle of poverty

Meet tata Margaret. Entrepreneurship not only changed her life, but altered the trajectory for her daughter and granddaughter. Village Enterprise has impacted the lives of over 1 million women and children like Margaret and her family. Help us transform the lives of millions more!

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Our Impact to Date

Results from two independent randomized controlled trials of the Village Enterprise program demonstrate that it is possible to sustainably and cost-effectively increase income, savings, assets, food consumption, and overall well-being of the most vulnerable populations in Africa.

58000

Businesses started

214000

First-time entrepreneurs trained

1240000

Lives changed

45%

Increase in income

275%

Increase in savings

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Recognition for Impact and Innovation

Village Enterprise is the only nonprofit in the world to be recognized at the highest level by all nine of these respected organizations.

How We Will Lift Millions More Out of Poverty

Our goal is to end extreme poverty for 20 million Africans by 2030. We believe this is possible through bold decision-making, innovation, collective action, and advocacy.

Collective Action to End Poverty

We are partnering with governments, other nonprofits, funders, and private sector companies to scale up our entrepreneurship-driven and climate-smart approach to poverty alleviation and drive advocacy efforts to end extreme poverty in Africa. DREAMS for refugees, USAID Nawiri to reduce malnutrition, World Bank Kenya Social and Economic Inclusion Project, and UNWomen Economic Empowerment through Climate-Smart Agriculture are just some of the exciting collective action initiatives that Village Enterprise is working on. We go farther together.

Partnerships for Scale

Replicating Our Climate-Smart Poverty Graduation Model

Based on rigorous, independent RCT evidence, Village Enterprise’s cost-effective poverty graduation model reduces poverty, promotes gender-equity, and ensures minimal environmental impact. We are rapidly expanding by both growing our organization to replicate our cost-effective model as well as providing technical assistance to partners that also deliver our model. Partner with us to end extreme poverty!

What We Do

Digital Solutions to Revolutionize Small Business Development in Africa

We are working with partners to develop and distribute digital tools to first-time entrepreneurs in rural Africa to achieve impact.

Digital Solutions and Innovation

Funding to Drive Impact and Scale

Building on our leadership and experience with launching the Village Enterprise Development Impact Bond (DIB)—the first in poverty alleviation—we are unlocking new, results-based funding for impact and scale throughout Africa.

Development Impact Bond

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Africa’s First Development Impact Bond in Poverty Alleviation

The Village Enterprise Development Impact Bond (DIB) cost-effectively reduced poverty for 91,500 women and children in Kenya and Uganda during the pandemic and helped them build resilience to future shocks. Funded by USAID DIV and UKAID/FCDO and backed by an independent RCT, the Village Enterprise DIB was a successful demonstration of outcome-based financing for poverty reduction in Africa with $21 million estimated lifetime benefits for participating households, more than 4 times the cost of the project.

DIB Results

World-Class African Team

Passionate, talented, and committed to our mission, our team is the heartbeat of Village Enterprise. Each team member—95% of whom are African—exemplifies our core values of ubuntu, integrity, innovation, passion, and sustainability. We go far because we go together.

About Us

Let our entrepreneurs inspire you.

Working in partnership with UN Women and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Village Enterprise is helping women farmers build resilience to climate change. Learn how Roserlyne, Faith, and Eliza are adopting climate-smart agricultural practices and building a sustainable agribusiness.

Read Stories from the Field

Entrepreneurship to End Extreme Poverty