The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) supports victims in situations before the ICC as they rebuild their livelihoods and recover from the material and socio-economic harm they have suffered. This work takes several forms, shaped together with the communities involved:

  • Income-generating activities (IGAs)
  • Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)
  • Agricultural practices that build on local knowledge
  • Vocational training
  • Small business development

Victims are the drivers of this work. Their initiatives strengthen not only their own economic independence but also that of their families and households, bringing gains in food security and agricultural productivity. They also create space for women, girls and persons with disabilities to take a full part in community life on their own terms.

VSLAs build on long-standing traditions of collective saving found in many of the communities where the TFV works. Through workshops, the TFV supports community members who choose to become VSLA mentors. These mentors then form and guide new groups in their own communities, so skills pass from neighbour to neighbour. Members pool their savings and lend to one another, which lets them raise the capital to start or grow their own businesses. Groups receive ongoing support with bookkeeping and governance.

Many members also run agri-businesses, growing crops such as soya beans, green beans, sunflowers, cotton and cereals for local markets to add to their income and savings. VSLAs have proved effective in improving members’ economic circumstances and in strengthening peaceful coexistence within communities.