Shared Action Africa equipped 50 refugee women and girls in Nakivale Refugee Settlement with business skills and financial literacy, customer care, marketing, records keeping as well as tailoring skills.

38-year-old Bijou Shala a participant was able to set up a tailoring business after the training from which she an average daily income of UGX 26,000.

“On completing this course, I purchased a sewing machine using my savings of UGX 600,000. I set up a workshop at my home to reduce the walking distance as well as rent fees. I am able to sew women’s clothes and shorts for males using African fabrics from DRC and Tanzania which I get cheaply. I also do one-off jobs such as repairing torn clothes.

I also get to teach people especially the young girls how to sew. I believe it is important for young refugee girls to have a skill that they can use to attain income anywhere they go. I have trained five girls and 3 older women in making dresses and making cloth repairs.

I feel so proud to be able to take care of my family of five. Though our needs are still many, I am able to meet the critical or basic needs. Moreover, having a certificate from the training makes me happy and I feel a sense of accomplishment. Before the training, I did the petty business of selling small items like sweets which earned very little in that in the day I could get only UGX 3,000 on average.

My business needs more capital to grow as I want to get more fabrics and expand my space to reach more clients as well as provide training to more people at a small cost. I also want to use social media to market my products.

I am respected in my community by both men and women because they see the positive change I am contributing to.

Thank you Shared Action Africa for changing my life.”