Poverty Alleviation Program

Project Title: Poverty Alleviation Program: Economic Empowerment for Vulnerable Communities in Sudan

Organization: Oxfam

Project Overview:

In the poorest communities of Sudan—from the sprawling suburbs of Khartoum to the conflict-affected villages of Darfur—families trapped in poverty are not lacking in ambition, determination, or ideas. They lack opportunity. A small loan, a sewing machine, a vegetable stall, or a few chickens can be the difference between watching children go hungry and sending them to school. Between dependence on aid and the dignity of self-reliance. Between despair and hope.

"In poor communities, when people have ideas and determination, just a little bit of help can have an enormous impact," says Salwa Marhoum, an Oxfam Project Officer in Khartoum. "Through microfinance—giving small loans—we aim to create the opportunity for them to lift themselves out of poverty" .

Oxfam has worked in Sudan for decades, delivering humanitarian assistance and long-term development programming across the country. With over 30 years of presence in Sudan, Oxfam has developed deep relationships with communities and a proven understanding of what works in poverty alleviation . Our Poverty Alleviation Program combines microfinance, savings groups, business training, and livelihood support to equip vulnerable families with the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to earn sustainable incomes and build better lives.

The Context: Poverty Amidst Crisis

Sudan faces one of the world's worst humanitarian and economic crises. Over 30 million people need humanitarian assistance. More than 10.7 million are displaced. Conflict, economic collapse, and climate shocks have devastated livelihoods and pushed millions into extreme poverty .

In Khartoum's poorest suburbs, there are few opportunities to earn an income, no regular supply of electricity or water, and limited access to basic services such as healthcare and education . In Darfur, families who once farmed and herded now live in displacement camps, their livelihoods destroyed by years of conflict . Women and girls bear the heaviest burden, facing restricted mobility, limited economic opportunities, and heightened protection risks.

Yet even in this context of crisis, people find ways to dream, to innovate, to build.

"Many people come up with interesting ideas for small businesses to help them make a living—but they do not have the capital to get them started," explains Salwa Marhoum. "That's where we come in. They can apply to the local community group for a loan, and if we think it's a good idea then they receive in-kind equipment and support—usually worth just a few hundred dollars. Gradually the business grows, they can repay the loan, and they make the profits that they need to send their children to school, build a new home, or put food on the table" .

Oxfam's Poverty Alleviation Approach

Oxfam's Poverty Alleviation Program in Sudan integrates multiple proven interventions to create pathways out of poverty:

Success Stories: Poverty Alleviation in Action

Fatima Hamid: From $250 Loan to Thriving Business and Education

Fatima Hamid, a divorced single mother living in one of Khartoum's poorest suburbs, took her first loan of $250 two years ago. She set up a small shop selling credit for mobile phones—capitalizing on a booming new technology.

"There has been a lot of growth in the mobile phone industry here over the past couple of years. Now so many people have a mobile—even in poor communities. I have a lot of potential customers. I sell credit for all the major phone companies. I buy them in bulk so that I get a discount from the company, and then I make a small commission on every card I sell. It's only a few pennies per card but I can sell hundreds of cards" .

Her business has grown steadily. "I've taken three loans over the past two years, and repaid them all. It's growing—the first loan was 500 Sudanese pounds ($250) and the most recent was 1,500 pounds ($750). I think mobile phones are going to keep getting more popular, and I want to keep expanding the business" .

Establishing a successful business has helped Fatima look after her eight-year-old daughter. Most of the money she makes goes on providing food, clothes, and housing.

But perhaps most inspiring, Fatima has returned to school. "I always regretted not finishing school. So now I have gone back to study again. I am going to sit my Higher Secondary School exams this year. If I do well, maybe I will go to university. The busiest time for my shop is in the evenings—so I can study in the daytime and run the shop at night" .

"Education will help give me more ideas. This is a poor area, and I have to be innovative and find new ways of meeting the needs of my customers. The big companies sell phone cards for 10 pounds ($5)—but lots of people here cannot afford to pay so much in one go. So I also offer a service called Mobile Money Transfer, where we transfer credit from one phone to another. This way people only have to pay 2 pounds a time and it's more affordable" .

Fatima from Darfur: From Displaced Girl to Businesswoman and Trainer

Two years ago, 16-year-old Fatima and her family were forced to flee their home in Kass village in Sudan's Darfur region due to deadly fighting. Before the war broke out, Fatima had dreamed of becoming a doctor. Suddenly, those dreams seemed gone .

"I thought I lived in the safest village on earth. I was in my final year of primary school and dreamt to become a doctor someday. But suddenly the war began. Blood was everywhere but my dreams were gone" .

Two years later, after returning home, her father died. As her mother did not have enough to provide for her three younger siblings and herself, Fatima was forced to look for an alternative. At just 14, she married, hoping for stability .

Then Oxfam came to her village. Through a livelihoods training program, Fatima learned business skills and started planning.

"I started planning on a business I could engage in and because I didn't have a lot of capital, decided to try selling vegetables. I used the little money I had to buy a handful of onions and tomatoes and resell at a profit. In the beginning, the returns were little but after a short while, I started seeing my income increasing" .

This success snowballed. Soon she set up another business, selling bed linen and curtains. She finally achieved the stable income she had been waiting for and was better able to provide for her mother and siblings.

Most importantly, she is preparing to go back to school and ultimately realize her childhood dream of being a doctor.

"Having seen the great change this training made in my life, I dedicated myself to training other people in my village. I now help people start their saving groups and give them advice on how to start a business. I'm seeing lives being changed!" .

Saving for Change: Women Lifting Each Other Up in Darfur

In North and South Darfur, Oxfam and partners have launched Saving for Change groups that train women to save money in weekly increments, pool their resources, and invest in one another's small businesses. Members take out small loans to buy livestock, or goods to sell in the market, generating income and paying back on terms the group itself has set .

"The Saving for Change group enables us to pay school fees, and buy healthy food and medicines for our children," says Kubra Ahmed, the president of a savings group in Golo, a village in North Darfur .

Musaya Yahaya, who helps launch new savings groups through the Jebel Marra Charitable Organization, an Oxfam partner, points to a big success in the South Darfur villages where we work: "Every single woman has achieved her financial goal" .

But the impact goes beyond money. Becoming a successful breadwinner and an active member of a lending institution can change the way a woman feels about herself.

"Now, we feel confident," says Ahmed. "Sometimes we think we are stronger than men because we not only have money—we are well organized. We can run a meeting in a professional way. We can solve problems. We think there will come a time when we will be called on to solve the problems of men" .

And there's more. "Through our savings group, we have built strong relationships. If a member has a problem, we try to help. We are like a family" .

"We are seeing important changes in the lives of women in the Saving for Change groups," says Raja Khalil, who supports savings groups through another partner, the Volunteer Network for Rural Helping and Development. "These women used to dream about what they wanted to do. Now, they have a way of making at least some of those dreams reality" .

The GALS Methodology: Better Planning, Better Results

Since 2003, Oxfam has been working in the conflict-affected Darfur region to respond to urgent needs, while also contributing to longer-term solutions. Through a range of livelihood programs, Oxfam works with vulnerable families, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and tools that they need to be able to earn or diversify their income and better rely on themselves .

In this work, Oxfam uses a gender-focused learning methodology called the Gender Accountability and Learning System (GALS). Through this, we support communities and individuals to improve their action planning when thinking about their livelihood activities. It helps them to clarify their goals and vision; analyze their current situation and achievements; identify opportunities and ways of addressing challenges, and ultimately develop an achievable time-bound action plan .

This is the same knowledge that helped Fatima to ultimately be able to start and grow her own businesses. GALS also enables people and organizations to monitor ongoing action learning processes informing community-led gender advocacy .

Target Beneficiaries

The Poverty Alleviation Program prioritizes Sudan's most vulnerable populations:

• Women, particularly widows, single mothers, and female-headed households, who face the greatest barriers to economic participation 

• Internally displaced persons (IDPs) seeking to rebuild livelihoods after losing everything 

• Youth at risk of unemployment, providing skills and pathways to productive livelihoods 

• Conflict-affected communities in Darfur, Kordofan, and other regions where livelihoods have been destroyed 

• Urban poor in Khartoum's poorest suburbs, where opportunities for income generation are limited 

• Rural communities with few economic opportunities and limited access to markets

Geographic Focus

Building on Oxfam's established presence and partnerships, the program targets:

• Khartoum state: Poorest suburbs where Oxfam has worked with women's groups and microfinance programs 

• North and South Darfur: Saving for Change groups and livelihood programs for conflict-affected communities 

• Other regions where needs are identified through ongoing humanitarian coordination

Expected Outcomes

• Sustainable income generation for thousands of vulnerable households

• Increased financial literacy and business management skills among participants

• Enhanced confidence and social capital, particularly among women entrepreneurs

• Reduced dependence on humanitarian aid

• Intergenerational impact through improved education, nutrition, and housing for entrepreneurs' families

• Strengthened community networks through savings groups and peer support

• Multiplication of impact as successful entrepreneurs train others in their communities

Sustainability

Oxfam's Poverty Alleviation Program is designed for long-term sustainability:

• Training builds knowledge that stays with participants forever

• Savings groups continue long after project support ends, with women managing their own funds and lending

• Peer-to-peer training where successful entrepreneurs train others, creating ripple effects 

• Community ownership of groups and activities

• Integration with local partners and community-based organizations

Why This Approach Works

"Nearly all of the people who receive loans make a profit," says Salwa Marhoum. "Sometimes it is a lot, other times it is just enough to provide food for their family. But it is always amazing to see how a fairly small amount of money can really make a difference to people's lives" .

The microfinance and savings group model works because it:

• Builds on people's own ideas and initiative, not imposing external solutions

• Provides capital, not charity, preserving dignity and creating ownership

• Creates community, as women support each other through savings groups

• Generates knowledge that multiplies through peer training

• Empowers women, transforming not just incomes but confidence and social standing 

Call to Action

In Sudan, where conflict and crisis have stripped so many of their livelihoods, your support can help families rebuild—not with handouts, but with opportunity.

"When people have ideas and determination, just a little bit of help can have an enormous impact" .

Your Contribution:

• $50 - Business skills training for one aspiring entrepreneur

• $100 - Start-up supplies for a small business (vegetables, goods, materials)

• $250 - Micro-loan for one entrepreneur to launch or expand a business

• $500 - Support a Saving for Change group of 20 women

• $1,000 - Comprehensive livelihood package for 5 families (training + start-up capital)

• $2,500 - Train 10 community members to become peer trainers, multiplying impact

• $5,000 - Establish a Saving for Change network reaching 100+ women

Join Oxfam today. Help us turn small loans into big dreams, and big dreams into lasting change for Sudan's most vulnerable families.