COVID-19 Response

Standing with the Poor on the Front Lines
of Crisis

For nearly 20 years, Acumen has invested in social entrepreneurs addressing critical issues impacting some of the poorest, most vulnerable communities on earth. Now, the dual health and economic threat of the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting those communities. 

Immediately, our community responded to COVID-19 with bold and concrete solutions. But they need our support. With investees and Fellows in 18 countries around the world, Acumen is taking action to ensure that low-income people continue to get the goods and services they need to weather the crisis.

Acumen Global Emergency Facility

Acumen’s Global Emergency Facility is designed to support our network of portfolio companies and Fellows serving low-income communities in 18 countries through the COVID-19 crisis. The Facility will provide funds for the urgent needs of our companies, while building long-term pathways towards a brighter future for these communities.

Acumen America Emergency Fund

Acumen America’s Emergency Fund is targeted to support its portfolio of more than 20 companies serving nearly 25 million Americans in diverse, low-income communities across the U.S. These companies are now on the front lines of providing critical services to the Americans most affected by COVID-19.

Our Response at a Glance

$7M

IN EMERGENCY FUNDING

96

ENTREPRENEURS SUPPORTED

$5K-$250K

LOAN & GRANTS AVAILABLE

Featured COVID Relief Enterprises

Esusu
United States | Financial Inclusion

Esusu helps low-income Americans access better financial services by building credit through its rent reporting platform.

Esusu is offering emergency rent relief to families facing financial challenges due to the pandemic.

GREEN AFRO-PALMS
WEST AFRICA | AGRICULTURE

Fellow Kwame Ababio is CEO of Green Afro-Palms (GAP), a company producing vegetables and palm oil sourced from Ghana’s smallholder farmers.

GAP developed an e-commerce platform to enable 500 retailers—who sell GAP’s vegetables and palm oil in Ghana’s markets—to conduct online sales.

KEEP
West Africa | Education

Fellow Brenda Brewer Moore is the Founder and CEO of Kids’ Educational Engagement Project (KEEP), a nonprofit increasing literacy in Liberia where only 48% of the population can read and write.

With schools shut down due to COVID-19, KEEP is conducting read-aloud sessions online with over 30,000 viewers weekly as well as providing free mobile phones to 250 students, enabling them to participate in both KEEP’s and the Liberian government’s virtual programming.

LabourNet
India | Workforce Development

Investee LabourNet‘s skill-building and job placement programs have trained over 1 million informal workers in India.

LabourNet is now repurposing its 100-person staff of trainers to serve free food and sanitation products for nearly 300,000 migrant workers who are now stranded in cities without any source of income due to COVID-19.

Sehat Kahani
PAKISTAN | HEALTHCARE

Acumen Fellow Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sehat Kahani, an all-female medical team providing low-cost, virtual care to low-income communities via video conference and a mobile application.

Sehat Kahani is offering COVID-19 telemedicine services free of charge, enabling patients to access care quickly while also reducing their risk of contagion.

Village Energy
EAST AFRICA | ENERGY

Fellow Waringa Matindi is CEO of Village Energy, a last-mile solar energy distribution and installation company for enterprises in underserved areas of Uganda.

Village Energy is providing free installation and maintenance of solar street lights, home systems and lanterns privately donated to four Uganda Ministry of Health facilities—including two health centers previously serving up to 70 patients per day without electricity.

Our COVID Affiliations

ENERGY ACCESS RELIEF FUND

A sector-wide relief effort to provide bridge loans to off-grid energy companies facing emergency funding needs.

LEARN MORE

COVID RESPONSE ALLIANCE FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS

A group of over 50 leading global organizations mobilized to support social entrepreneurs during the pandemic.

LEARN MORE

Our Partners

How You Can Help

If you share our urgency to stand with the low-income communities on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, please consider joining us as a Partner.

Acumen has committed financial support to subsidize the implementation of these initiatives so that all funds donated go directly to our investees and Fellows for COVID-19 relief.

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