Social enterprise firm extends financial support to clients

As the world at large continues to reel in the wake of this COVID-19 crisis, communities everywhere are standing up to offer support in every small or big way they can. Tugende, a social enterprise that provides asset financing to informal sector entrepreneurs and MSMEs, has extended a package of support for its clients as they tackle the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The package includes a one-time unconditional cash transfer of UGX25,000 / KES 700 that is being disbursed out to all of its 23,000+ active clients in both Uganda and Kenya and also includes a 2-month suspension of all penalties till May 25th, along with full-time support from Tugende’s over 460 staff, who are actively working from home.

Michael Wilkerson, the CEO Tugende said that the support aims at helping the Tugende community overcome the economic hardships they are facing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Tugende exists to help informal sector entrepreneurs grow, thrive and own their future. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that our clients are struggling to take care of their families. When they suffer, we suffer too. This support is to let our clients know that we are together with them and together we shall pull through,” he said.

“Tugende is itself facing dire challenges. However, we are committed to being with our clients during the best and worst of times and we want to help our clients, their communities and our employees in Uganda and Kenya during this difficult period,” he added.

Wilkerson further stated that Tugende would continue to look for more ways to help their clients during this period.

Across Uganda and many other emerging markets, motorcycles help drive the economy, mitigating traffic jams and bad roads, while offering hundreds of thousands of jobs for those with little formal education. As a result, Tugende has empowered customers unable to access formal credit and has financed over 30,000 customers in Uganda and Kenya.