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EBO SACCO was founded in 2008 by a group of individuals who shared a dream of transforming the economic well-being of their community. It started with just 36 members, operating under a tree, based on the cooperative principles of mutual aid, democratic control by members and open membership. The savings and credit cooperative was officially registered in 2010 with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives. By 2023, EBO SACCO’s membership had exceeded 10,000, with strong representation from young people, women and informal sector businesses.
With a population of 48 million, Uganda is East Africa’s third-largest economy after Kenya and Tanzania. After going through a difficult period until the 1980s, the country has achieved remarkable economic performance in recent decades. Uganda has managed the post-pandemic recovery well and remained resilient in the face of global economic challenges. Agriculture remains the backbone of the Ugandan economy, employing 66% of the population, with coffee being one of the main export commodities. Despite this positive trend, poverty persists, with 60% of the population living below the global threshold of £3 PPP/day.
EBO SACCO’s impact has spread beyond the founding village to other parts of the district. Its financial education, agricultural financing and women’s empowerment programmes have been praised by the government and NGOs. The cooperative has embraced technology by digitising its savings and credit systems. The integration of mobile financial services and the digitisation of member records have improved transparency and convenience for members, particularly in remote areas.
