Jeff Olson

Village Enterprise

We believe it is possible to end extreme poverty. But climate change, conflict, and other shocks are threatening the progress that has been made. Backed by rigorous evidence, we have a solution that lifts families in rural Africa out of extreme poverty, improves their well-being and resiliency, and ensures a brighter future for generations to come. Partnering with governments, nonprofits, United Nations agencies, conservation organizations, and private sector companies, Village Enterprise equips women, refugees, and youth living in extreme poverty with the resources and skills to become first-time entrepreneurs and start climate-smart businesses and savings groups. For over 30 years, we have worked in rural African communities where most people live on $2.15 a day or less. Over 97% of our team is African, and more than 82% of our entrepreneurs are female. To date, we have impacted the lives of more than 1.5 million people in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Mozambique. To learn more about our work to eradicate extreme poverty and how our model empowers women, youth, and refugees, cultivates resilience against climate change, and protects the environment and endangered species, visit our website.