Community Savings & Microfinance

Refugees earning income in Nakivale’s markets can save safely through the UCF account. Savings go toward important family costs such as education, income that would otherwise drain away in daily expenditure. The program has more than 200 savings members and is growing.

Small commissions on savings fund staff wages and community support, such as helping families meet funeral costs. The Rotary Club of Mareeba, in North Queensland, funded finance education for women working as marketers and streamlined enrolment as growing numbers of men and women join.

UCF’s ambition is to grow the program into a full microfinance institution serving the settlement.