Thank you! Together we made IFIL happen 🫶🏽Dear friends, partners, supporters and colleagues,
As we prepare to close the pilot phase of the Innovative Finance for Improved Livelihood (IFIL) project at the end of the year, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who has walked with us these past years – farmer organisations, government representatives, financial institutions, civil society partners, and the many individuals who have contributed along the way.
This newsletter is both a thank you and a look forward. |
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The Challenge We Set Out to Address
Across East Africa, countless farmer organisations remain excluded from the finance they need to grow. This limits productivity, investment and resilience, particularly among women and youth, who form the backbone of agricultural labour.
IFIL was designed to respond to this gap with a new, practical, and scalable approach, combining access to finance, capacity building, market linkages, and a strong focus on women’s empowerment. |
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What the Pilot Achieved (2021–2025)
Over the past five years, IFIL has worked with 30 farmer-based organisations in Kenya and Uganda, strengthening their business capacity, improving governance, and opening doors to financial services that were previously out of reach.
We’ve reached 362,191 farmers, including 86,706 women and more than 84,000 young people. We disbursed 110,000 EUR through the Small Credit Facility and 4 FBOs leveraged their strengthened creditworthiness to secure USD 6.4 million in commercial loans for expansion and value-chain development. We’ve also seen women’s representation on FBO boards increased to 40%.
Some of the results we celebrate together:
- Strengthened institutions: improved governance, digital recordkeeping, clearer policies and more responsive financial management.
- Access to finance: small credit facilities disbursed to emerging cooperatives; several organisations leveraging IFIL support to secure large-scale commercial loans.
- Empowered farmers: increased production, better prices, and growing confidence in financial decision-making.
- Women and youth leading change: more women in management and on boards, more young people entering agri-business and governance roles.
- Climate resilience in practice: early warning systems, drought-resistant crops and sustainable farming methods.
- Stronger links to markets: cooperatives negotiating better contracts with off-takers, reducing reliance on middlemen.
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What Did the Farmers Think?
Throughout the pilot, farmers and cooperative leaders have consistently told us how access to finance, combined with training and organisational strengthening, has changed what is possible for them. One of them is Olivier Biira from the Kirembe Farmers Cooperative Society:
“There’s been a clear improvement in our agricultural practices thanks to this project, which has boosted both production and livelihoods. But we’ve also strengthened our social capital: more women and youth are joining the cooperative, taking up leadership roles, and exercising their rights.
Please, don’t forget what you started! This is a great model, and farmers in East Africa need it to continue!”
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What Comes Next?
Although the pilot phase ends early, partners remain committed to building on the momentum.
A possible next phase could focus on:
- replenishing and growing the IFIL credit facility
- supporting more FBOs across East Africa
- deepening climate adaptation and gender-transformative approaches
- fostering stronger partnerships with financial institutions and private sector actors
- strengthening value chains that improve incomes at household level
As we explore opportunities to continue, we warmly invite new and existing partners to join the next phase of this journey. |
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| We are excited to share a short film that shows the IFIL journey. Please feel free to share the video widely within your networks. |
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Finally – A Big Thank You!
To everyone who has partnered with us, shared knowledge, offered feedback, attended learning sessions, supported and believed in the potential of innovative finance: Thank you!
Together, we can take it further and support more farmers, strengthen more cooperatives, and help build more resilient rural communities across East Africa.
Wishing you all a peaceful holiday season and a bright, hopeful New Year – and looking forward to continuing this journey together.
Warmest regards,
The IFIL Team
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