Accion receives grant to support refugee women in Ethiopia and Uganda

Addis Ababa, February 1, 2023 (FBC) – Accion, a global non-profit organization, today announced a $1 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to increase access to financial services and entrepreneurship opportunities for refugee women in Ethiopia and Uganda.

Accion’s official statement indicates that it will partner with local financial service providers to better understand the needs of refugees and their host communities, while expanding access to income-generating opportunities, working capital, and training to refugee women.

Through partnerships with financial service providers and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, Accion will expand access to business opportunities, such as e-commerce, for income generation, as well as training and access to affordable capital to provide new opportunities for women to start their own businesses.

Accion will also work with local financial service providers to develop new solutions tailored to the needs of refugee women and their families and promote financial resilience and well-being.

“We are excited to partner with the Hilton Foundation to provide women refugees with access to financial services, enabling them to build economic resilience by setting up small businesses that serve their communities,” said Michael Schlein, President and CEO of Accion.

“We are proud to support Accion’s work to improve the lives of refugee and host community women in Ethiopia and Uganda,” said Barri Shorey, Senior Program Officer for the Refugees initiative at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. “Ensuring women’s access to employment, entrepreneurship, and financial services is crucial not only for their family’s livelihoods and well-being but also for local and national economies.”

In Ethiopia, Accion is working with several partners across the ecosystem to develop, pilot, and scale a micro-retailer distributorship program, which will provide credit products to refugee women to start their own businesses, as well as additional logistics support and training.

New partnerships with local financial service providers, corporates, technology companies, and humanitarian organizations operating in these communities will be developed over the course of the program, providing new products and services that meet the needs of refugee women and their communities, ensuring a pathway to sustainable and scalable solutions.