📋 Tender Overview
The AECF is a leading African development organization that supports innovative enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors to reduce rural poverty, promote resilient communities, and create jobs. AECF has raised over US$ 400 million to provide catalytic funding and technical advisory support to enterprises that struggle to meet traditional risk-return standards for commercial investors. In just over a decade, we have supported 510 enterprises in 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacted more than 30 million lives, created over 35,000 direct jobs, and leveraged US $838 million in matching funds.
We surface and commercialize new ideas, business models, and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change while also addressing the crosscutting themes of women, youth, and fragility. AECF is committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go. In 2021, the AECF launched a refreshed strategy of building resilience and sustainable incomes for rural and marginalized communities in Africa.
2.0 About Kakuma Kalobeyei Challenge Fund (KKCF)
The KKCF applies a competitive financing mechanism for disbursing donor funding to incentivize for-profit companies, social enterprises, and local and refugee entrepreneurs to start or scale existing operations in the Kakuma-Kalobeyei area. Attracting the private sector to the area and supporting local entrepreneurs can expand job opportunities, improve services, provide more choices, and reduce prices. This will, in turn, enhance the self-reliance and socioeconomic integration of refugee and host communities while also contributing to the development of Turkana County. KKCF is a program of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and AECF is the implementing partner. For more information, visit https://kkcfke.org/
Despite operating in challenging environments like rural communities and refugee camps, businesses often face gender-related issues such as gender-based violence, unequal pay, staffing difficulties, and limited access to financing and permits. KKCF supports established companies, social enterprises, and local entrepreneurs to address these challenges. This collaborative project focuses on building commercially viable and sustainable businesses that can:
a. Increase incomes for both refugees and host communities.
b. Provide essential goods and services.
c. Create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
d. Improve living standards for those in the refugee camp and surrounding communities.
e. Supporting Strategies to Mitigate Gender-Based Violence (GBV) building a Safe and Equitable Business Landscape.
The KKCF program fosters socioeconomic integration and self-sufficiency for displaced populations and host communities within Kakuma/Kalobeyei. This is achieved by supporting the development of 120 commercially viable and sustainable Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across diverse agribusiness value chains. This targeted approach promotes sustainable business growth and improves access to essential goods and services, empowering displaced populations and host communities.
3.0 Rationale for this consultancy
This assignment aims to document the impact, success stories, and lessons learned from KKCF's integration of businesses into refugee camps and ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) communities. It tackles key challenges like poverty, limited opportunities for women, and lack of basic resources. The storytelling approach will emphasize human stories, using testimonials and case studies of KKCF program beneficiaries to illustrate the impact on their lives. These narratives will be complemented by clear and concise data visualizations, and voices from refugees, host communities, business owners, and KKCF/AECF staff are included to present a well-rounded picture. The documentation will focus on the following Impact metrics.
Measurable Impacts:
Poverty Alleviation: Testimonials from a beneficiary highlighting how the KKCF program improved their financial situation. Showcase how the program has fostered economic growth in refugee and host communities, creating jobs and increasing incomes. Highlight the increase in household income for refugees and host communities participating in the program.
Women's Economic Empowerment: Highlight the journey of female entrepreneurs who attained financial independence through the KKCF program. Highlight how integrating gender-smart solutions empowered women to participate in the economy, leading to increased economic involvement through business ownership, employment, and leadership roles.
Job Creation: Share stories of individuals from both refugee and host communities who found employment through program-supported businesses, including pre-program and post-program comparisons for participating households.
Climate-Smart Agriculture: Farmers' testimonials illustrate how the KKCF program's approach has enhanced food security and environmental management. Highlight the impact of sustainable agricultural practices on food security and environmental protection within ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) communities, such as increased crop yields, improved agricultural productivity, and enhanced nutrition for women and children.
Social Impact: Include a testimonial highlighting how increased business activities within Kakuma have improved access to essential services, education, and healthcare within the refugee and host communities due to heightened economic activity.
