Social Finance Brief: VisionFund's journey in serving refugees and host communities in Uganda

In this brief, focusing on “Making Finance Work for Refugees”, the Social Finance Programme documents the experience of VisionFund Uganda in expanding financial services to refugees in northern Uganda. While VisionFund was already present in Gulu district serving host community groups and micro-enterprises, its move north was a deliberate strategy to reach refugee communities, initially marked by concerns over risk and remoteness. The brief examines the establishment of the Moyo branch serving the Palorinya refugee settlement, the rapid growth of its clientele and the institution’s approach to piloting tailored products while comparing the performance and financial behaviours of refugee and host communities.