Help women become financially independent

Provide Business Skills Training to Ugandan Locals and Refugee Women


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On the traditional and isolated Buyiga Island in Uganda, there are few resources to go around. Refugees that enter Uganda from Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi are often sent to the island to create a new life, stretching resources even further.

Girls on the island are often held back from school as they need to work for the family. This leads to high illiteracy rates among women, making it difficult to earn a living. Without a steady income, some girls are forced to sell sex, resulting in teenage pregnancies and instances of HIV/AIDS. As girl children are taught to find a man to marry to look after them, they have no way to support themselves and their children when they become single mothers. This perpetuates cycles of poverty and vulnerable women.

This project aims to alleviate the burden on women and girls by providing an opportunity to learn sewing skills and get them ready to start their own tailoring businesses. Ugandan and refugee women and girls will be trained to use sewing machines and taught how to make traditional African-print clothing called kitenge. Following their skills training they will learn financial literacy and basic business skills so they can sell the clothes in local markets and earn a living.

This project serves multiple purposes:

1 - Provides an economic opportunity for women with no formal education or skills.

2 - Enhances social cohesion between Ugandans and refugees as they work together towards shared goals

3 - Improves the overall status of women and single mothers who are seen to train, work and become self-sufficient.


To learn more about supporting this project, reach out to Johanna on +61 474 977 140 or By EMAIL: jo@justpeoples.org