LAST MILE BUSINESS, ENTREPRENUERSHIP AND FINANCIAL LITERACY
SKILLS ARE ENABLING YOUTH TO REFINE THEIR FUTURE-A CASE OF
KATAFARI TRF GROUP
Akatafari is a rural village located near the Oruchinga Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District. It is one of the underserved communities where a significant number of adolescent girl mothers reside. These young girls entered motherhood at an early age, often after dropping out of school, without the skills or opportunities needed to secure sustainable livelihoods. In many cases, they become the sole breadwinners for their families after their husbands abandon them and their
children, frequently due to chronic alcoholism.
During our visit to Akatafari, we encountered groups of young women whose greatest fear in joining savings groups was the risk of losing their hard-earned savings to defaulting members. Their most urgent need was access to work and reliable sources of income. Many of these adolescent mothers dreamed of starting small businesses to supplement their drought-affected subsistence farming. Despite their strong willingness to work, most lacked basic business skills and access to capital, trapping them in cycles of low income, vulnerability, and uncertainty
With support from the #AU-EU Youth Action Lab, our Upskilling and Promoting Sustainable Economic Transformation for Adolescent Mothers (UPSTREAM) project intervened to address these challenges. We initially identified three adolescent mothers from Akatafari to participate in Tayinu’s Transformative Business and Entrepreneurship Skills Training (BEST) program. Upon completing the training, these three women mobilized 14 other adolescent mothers in their community to form a Tayinu Revolving Fund (TRF) Group.
Through continued training in financial literacy and risk management, the group gained the confidence and skills to collectively mobilize capital from within their own savings. Within just two months, the group grew its capital base to UGX 1.27 million. This pooled fund now enables members to access affordable loans to start or expand small businesses.
One notable success story is Damster Happiness, whose business scaled as a direct result of the TRF Group. Damster borrowed from the revolving fund to start a mobile retail shop selling essential household goods. Her vision is to grow the business into a wholesale outlet, bringing commonly needed products closer to the community and reducing the cost and time residents spend traveling to distant towns. Through collective action, skills development, and access to affordable capital, adolescent mothers in Akatafari are beginning to transform their livelihoods and reclaim their economic dignity.
We believe that lasting impact is built through collaboration. We are always looking to connect with like-minded organizations, institutions, & communities who share our commitment to improve education & employment outcomes amongst youth in Uganda
Rwamurunga, Oruchinga Refugee Settlement. Located 32 miles on Mbarara–Kikagati Road
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