International Foundation for Recovery and Development (IFRAD) is an economic development organization dedicated to empowering youth, women, and vulnerable communities through market-driven, sustainable development solutions. We support early stage entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses while promoting food security and resilient livelihoods in both refugee and host communities. Founded in 2009 in response to post-conflict recovery needs in Northern Uganda, IFRAD has evolved into a leading facilitator of inclusive economic development, specializing in youth skilling, enterprise development, and market systems strengthening.
IFRAD works at the intersection of livelihoods, climate resilience, and social equity, equipping individuals and groups, especially young women with the tools, resources, and connections to start businesses, access markets, and build resilient livelihoods. Through partnerships with communities, the private sector, and development agencies, IFRAD has supported over 50,000 youth and continues to scale its impact across Uganda.
IFRAD has empowered over 50,000 youth across Uganda through innovative, community-led development models that prioritize women and youth in entrepreneurship and agribusiness. This has been achieved through various approaches such as; training in entrepreneurship and agribusiness skills, provision of tailored transitional business support services e.g. incubation, apprenticeships, access to finance and market facilitation. Our trainings are module based, practical, highly effective and convenient for the youth to participate. With over 75% business transition rate, IFRAD has implemented major projects with Irish Aid, European Union, Norad, UNDP Small Grants Program and Oxfam, focusing on vocational skills trainings, climate-resilient agriculture, enterprise development and agricultural market systems development. As a pioneer in local government-based informal private sector organizing, IFRAD brings deep expertise in market systems development, youth skilling, and building sustainable business ecosystems positioning itself as a strong partner for inclusive and scalable youth employment programming. IFRAD’s proven track record in livelihood improvement, skills building and agriculture aligns well with the objectives of LEAD and contributes to the project’s collective impact.
In the LEAD Uganda program, IFRAD is implementing the “Locally-led Inclusive Economic Development for Youth and Entrepreneurs in Refugee and Host Communities (LIFT)” project in Kiryandongo district. IFRAD’s role focuses on promoting inclusive economic development and job creation for 300 vulnerable youth, including young women, PWDs, and refugees. Through a private sector-led and demand-driven approach, IFRAD is supporting SMEs and youth-led enterprises across key agricultural value chains such as horticulture and cereals by delivering climate-resilient agricultural training, extension service support and tailored Business Development Services (BDS). IFRAD is organizing youth in agricultural production groups to increase farm-based production and productivity, supporting farmer cooperatives to organize local capital through savings and credit schemes, facilitating access to markets while promoting peaceful coexistence and gender-transformative approaches that amplifies the role of women and youth in agribusiness. By harnessing the potential of young women, youth and Persons with Disability, IFRAD contributes to the LEAD Uganda Objective 3: Economic Development and Job Opportunities, enabling dignified and sustainable livelihoods in refugee and host communities.
IFRAD will be contributing to a broad set of youth-focused, community-based development activities. This includes mobilizing young people into inclusive Youth Producer Groups (YPGs) and leading planning sessions at both district and sub-county levels. IFRAD will support capacity building through training on group dynamics, youth agency, savings methodologies like VSLA, and participatory tools such as GALS. In addition, IFRAD will facilitate technical and entrepreneurial skills development in areas like climate-smart agriculture, good agronomic practices, and business management. Together with extension workers and private sector partners, IFRAD will help establish demonstration gardens to provide hands-on learning. Vulnerable youth, especially young women and persons with disabilities, will receive start-up kits and productive inputs to enhance their livelihoods. IFRAD’s role also involves ongoing coaching in enterprise development and facilitating strong market linkages between YPGs and formal actors like input suppliers, cooperatives, and SMEs.
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