Across Uganda, millions are "credit unworthy" not for squandering cash, but simply because they lack such traditional financial records or collateral. Just 10% of Ugandans use formal credit, with the rest, over 70%, still resorting to traditional means like SACCOs, friends or family, or neighborhood moneylenders. This outdated credit model excludes many families from potential business growth, education, or homeownership imply because they lack a bank statement or title to property.

In Ugandan households, establishing a culture of savings is not merely a personal financial strategy it's a pillar upon which the country as a whole can rest. Uganda's savings-to-GDP ratio is only 11%, far from the 25% threshold considered needed for long-term economic expansion. The example of countries like Vietnam is an apt one to follow. Late in the 1980s, Vietnam's economic condition was identical to Uganda's, but after it had crossed the 25% savings barrier, it soared. Vietnam today boasts a 35% savings rate and a GDP of USD 550 billion ten times Uganda's USD 55 billion.

Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of Uganda's economy, most especially for the youth. As over 78% of the population is aged below 30 years, several young Ugandans are looking to small business as an exit from unemployment. But for most would-be entrepreneurs, access to finance is an all-too-real stumbling block. A paltry 15% of Uganda's micro and small enterprises get finance from formal institutions, typically because they are not collateralized, are informal enterprises, or have a bad credit record.