The Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project works with 14,000 households (extremely poor refugee and host community) comprising 70,000 individuals in Kyaka II and Kyangwali Refugee Settlements in Western Uganda with the aim of supporting them to become resilient.
The project delivers a graduation model integrated with a Market System Development approach, targeting women, youth, and their household members. Key sectors include livelihoods, agriculture, food security, protection, energy, and the environment.
Project activities
Coaching
A regular, structured, group-based coaching with customised individual support.
Consumption Support
Monthly cash stipend to households via their mobile money account for basic needs including food.
Core Technical Skills Training
Training in agronomy, financial literacy, business management (selection, planning and management), digital-financial and digital literacy.
Village Saving and Loans Associations (VSLA)
297 groups of 15-30 people who save together and take loans from those savings. The activities of the group run in ‘cycles’ of 8-12 months after which the accumulated savings and profits are shared out among members accordingly.
Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS)
297 groups of people involved in the programme to learn the methods of agro-ecology through direct experience, and to promote community development. Topics of interest range from pest management to animal husbandry to organic farming.
Asset Transfer
A ‘one-off’ monetary disbursement to households for business start-up/expansion.
Business Coaching
Customised to specific needs of individual and group-based businesses.
Referral to Critical Services
Health, nutrition, education, protection and legal support.
Linkage to Markets
Input and output markets, financial services, energy solutions.
SMILES Project Approach
- Graduation and Market Systems Development approach.
- Apply the “woman/youth-plus household” approach.
- Target extremely poor, economically active (or potentially economically active) households.
- Participatory community targeting strategy (participatory poverty-wealth ranking).
- Operational research through a randomised control trial and routine monitoring.
- Multi-sectoral approach (integrated and sequenced delivery).
- Adherence to Uganda Government’s refugee response strategic policies (Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework).
Geographical Coverage
- Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, Kyegegwa District, Uganda.
- Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Kikuube District, Uganda.
About the Project
The SMILES project is implemented by AVSI Foundation in partnership with DAI Global LLC (DAI), Renewable Energy, Powering Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Enhancement (REPARLE), Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), and Makerere University Kampala (MAK).
Consortium Partners
Renewable Energy Powering Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Enhancement
REPARLE is a Ugandan company delivering sustainable, reliable, and affordable clean energy, and value-added services for sustainable economic development in rural farming, and urban communities mitigating climate change and alleviating poverty.
DAI
A global leader in market systems development (MSD), provides technical, training and advisory support during the delivery of the SMILES project with regard to incorporating and facilitating market actors to engage in the graduation model’s activities.
