FINCA International has been awarded a $1.6 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to expand a sustainable financing model for early childhood development (ECD) centers in refugee-hosting communities across Uganda. Building on a successful 24-month pilot, this next phase will deepen support in Nakivale, Kampala, and Kiryandongo, while exploring opportunities in Rwamwanja and Kyaka II.
At the core of the program is a two-generation approach, which recognizes that quality ECD services flourish when both children and their caregivers have the tools to succeed. The model blends investment in ECD centers with income-generating support for families and community-driven governance, creating a pathway to long-term resilience.
“This investment is a tremendous opportunity to transform how we think about financing education in vulnerable communities,” said FINCA’s Global CEO Andrée Simon. “By putting community-led solutions at the center, we’re building a model that is sustainable, scalable, and responsive to the real needs of children, families, and educators.”
FINCA Uganda CEO James Onyutta noted that local centers are showing they can attract investment, manage finances, and grow, without losing sight of their mission to serve. “By equipping development centers with the tools and training to become self-sufficient, we’re not just supporting education, we’re helping to build viable enterprises that anchor communities.”
This effort fits squarely within the Hilton Foundation’s mission. “FINCA’s model aligns with our commitment to holistic, community-led solutions,” said Barri Shorey, senior program officer, Refugees initiative at the Hilton Foundation. “We are proud to support an initiative that advances early learning, economic inclusion, and long-term resilience in refugee settings.”
Through this grant, FINCA and its partners will continue to demonstrate that community-led solutions, grounded in economic empowerment and shared accountability, can deliver lasting change for generations to come.
About Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
International hotelier Conrad N. Hilton established the grantmaking foundation that bears his name in 1944 to help people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. Today, the work continues, concentrating on efforts to ensure healthy early childhood development and sustainable livelihoods for youth, support young people transitioning out of foster care, improve access to housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness, identify solutions to safe water access, and lift the work of Catholic sisters. Additionally, following selection by an independent, international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $2.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to an organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. The Foundation is one of the world’s largest, with approximately $6.7 billion in assets. It has awarded grants to date totaling more than $3 billion, $435 million worldwide in 2022. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information.
