A bold warning about unseen obstacles in refugee empowerment: many women refugees still struggle to access the money and support they need to turn entrepreneurial ideas into sustainable livelihoods, but real progress is being made. Here’s how a focused effort is changing the game and what remains controversial about the approach.
What’s happening now
Solomon Osaka, who oversees refugee affairs at the Office of the Prime Minister in Hoima, notes that the latest training sessions are already showing tangible results. Refugee women are being encouraged to apply for funds from the Generating Growth Opportunities and Wealth for Women (GROW) project, a program designed to empower women entrepreneurs and expand their economic participation.
Fridah Mboni, a refugee specialist for GROW with the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, explains that while refugees qualify for GROW, practical barriers persisted. One major hurdle was the collateral requirement, which refugees often cannot meet due to limited property ownership. After consultations with private sector partners and project teams, new strategies have been developed to lower the entry threshold, enabling refugee women to access loans at a minimum value. In addition, on-the-ground support during the application process—especially for those in rural areas or within refugee settlements—has proven crucial.
This message came during a Saturday training in Hoima City, organized by the ministry in partnership with Enterprise Uganda, aimed at refugee women and other Ugandan women from the Bunyoro Sub-region. Mboni stressed the importance of ongoing mentorship and direct assistance for both refugee and rural female entrepreneurs. The goal isn’t just loan access or online sign-ups; it’s about verifying details with local government and settlement officers and offering continuous guidance so participants can benefit fully from GROW.
Impact and experiences
The event reunited 450 women from the Kiryandongo and Kyangwali refugee settlements, focusing on soft skills, financial literacy, business management, and mindset shifts that boost enterprise performance and readiness for growing markets.
Osaka reiterated that the training’s effects are already visible. Women have started applying for access to shared facilities—like grinding machines—to add value to their products. With electricity now available in settlements, value-adding activities can move from concept to market-ready products that reach consumers beyond camp borders.
The effort is designed to help refugee women compete more effectively and build sustainable livelihoods, with an emphasis on practical skills that translate into real business improvements.
Enterprise Uganda’s executive director, Charles Ocici, highlighted the synergy created by mixing refugee and local women in the training. The combined cohort fosters a dynamic learning environment. He noted that refugees, often without land, language advantages, or established networks, are proving capable of becoming solid business operators, while local participants witness these newcomers making strides in entrepreneurship. This serves as a wake-up call for all stakeholders to rethink assumptions about who can succeed in business.
Crucial practical lessons emphasized during the sessions include efficiency, time management, and proper contract handling—key competencies for competing in fast-growing markets tied to oil-related industries. Hoima’s evolving role as an international hub is evident, with demand for goods such as chicken, eggs, goat meat, and pork extending beyond local customers to those drawn by the oil sector. The message is clear: the opportunities in Bunyoro are vast, and aligning to international consumer standards is essential now.
Why this matters
The GROW project not only targets financial access but also addresses structural barriers that have historically blocked refugee women from fully participating in the economy. Earlier attempts to offer loans faced friction due to collateral requirements, which refugees often cannot satisfy. By rethinking eligibility and providing physical support during applications, the program seeks to integrate refugee women into broader economic activity and unlock their latent potential.
This initiative fits into a wider trend—nationally and globally—toward economic inclusion for refugees. Beyond training, it delivers technical know-how, financial access, and business guidance to strengthen self-reliance and smooth integration into mainstream markets. As Ocici remarks, refugees can be reoriented toward entrepreneurship when information is clear and trustworthy, and the experience of refugee and local participants learning side by side strengthens competitiveness and collaboration across the community.
Looking ahead
With GROW, thousands of refugee women across Uganda are expected to gain new skills, access to markets, and financial resources that had previously been out of reach. Ocici urges both refugee and local women entrepreneurs to seize the moment: the market is expanding, opportunities are proliferating, and those who prepare themselves today stand to reap long-term benefits. But the direction of this progress isn’t without questions. Do collateral concessions risk generating new kinds of inequities, or do they represent a practical bridge to inclusion? How can programs maintain safeguards while expanding access?
What do you think?
Should refugee inclusion be accelerated through easier access to funding even if it means relaxing some traditional safeguards? Or should there be tighter risk controls that might slow down entry but protect both investors and beneficiaries? Share your perspective in the comments.
