The "Graduating to Resilience" Activity in Uganda is an initiative that has uplifted over 13,000 households. This effort is supported by the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and has been recognized by USAID Administrator Samantha Power for its effectiveness and potential scalability during her recent testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.
Administrator Power, on April 9th in Washington, DC, highlighted the Activity as a pioneering model for poverty alleviation. "They identified a poverty reduction program in the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, which is being piloted in Uganda, providing a sequenced set of supports like training and financial services that help refugees transition from dependency on humanitarian aid to self-sustaining livelihoods.
"For every dollar we invest there, households are seeing over four times the return in economic benefits." This impressive outcome has spurred USAID to consider extending this model to additional countries to help more communities achieve economic independence and resilience. AVSI has recently initiated a new collaboration in the Democratic Republic of Congo to adapt the model to a new context.
AVSI is dedicated to further refining and expanding the Graduation model to bolster food security and resilience in both Uganda and the broader region. This strategy is particularly vital for organizations such as UNHCR which benefit from cost-effective methods to meet growing humanitarian needs, combat extreme poverty and advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
