- Published by
- U-Learn in partnership with Uganda MSD Network
This compendium profiles eight programmes implementing market systems development approaches in Uganda's refugee response from 2018 onwards, operating across settlements in northern and southwestern regions.
The programmes primarily target agricultural markets including maize, sesame, beans, soya, coffee and poultry, with some extending to energy solutions and financial services. Featured programmes include Uthabiti, DREAMS, BRIDGE, NU-TEC MD, SMILES, Feed the Future IAM, and Climate Smart Jobs, collectively reaching hundreds of thousands of refugee and host community households.
Common interventions include village agent networks, private sector partnerships, quality seed distribution systems, financial service linkages, and clean energy access. Several programmes layer MSD over graduation approaches, whilst others pioneer innovations such as catalytic grant funds and digital farmer profiling.
The document synthesises key implementation challenges - including refugees' limited land access, climate change impacts and market distortion from humanitarian aid distributions -alongside lessons on building sustainable private sector engagement, preventing market distortion and establishing trusted relationships between market actors in displacement contexts.