Project Kuinua: Digital livelihoods and business intelligence for displaced economies
Challenge
In Kakuma and Nakivale refugee settlements, refugees and hosts face economic isolation due to several digital access barriers. Limited affordable internet restricts education, work, and finance, while a lack of digital tools and market data drives inefficiencies, wasted capital, and dependency, undermining self-reliance for communities.
Solution
Kakuma Ventures is developing a mobile-first toolkit for refugee business owners that integrates inventory and sales tracking, customer messaging, and anonymized market insights. Building on a successful prior initiative to build connectivity infrastructure, the project includes digital literacy training for refugee and host entrepreneurs.
Impact
Improved refugee-led business efficiency. The platform will generate hyper-local market data, enabling data-driven decisions and fostering economic resilience. Indicators include 500 SMEs using the platform, 70% adoption of tools, and measurable improvements in business operations.