NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Over 75 percent of Ugandans are employed in the agricultural sector – which only accounts for 26 percent of the nation’s GDP. This demonstrates that poverty in Uganda was, and is, mainly rural-based. In order to promote meaningful financial inclusion, UNCDF understood that it needed to directly address the rural population, particularly farmers and other players in the agricultural value chain.

In the context of rural digital finance, the concept of a “booster team” is a dedicated team that supports one or several organizations to distribute their products and services to the last mile population. These products can range from financial services, energy products, digital and financial literacy content, or any other service. The booster teams are deployed to rural areas to simultaneously register customers, sell mobile handsets, recruit agents, educate value-chain stakeholders on the benefits of a digital payment ecosystem, and train users on the operation of a mobile phone and mobile money. The basic structure of a booster team is detailed in the report.

Photo courtesy of Random Institute.