Beatrice Ajonye is a refugee from South Sudan. She lives in Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Arua-Uganda, where she once tried to make ends meet by selling aggregates or small stones. Life was difficult as the income she earned was hardly enough for her to survive. Today, she stands confidently behind a sewing machine—not just as a tailor, but as a trainer and mentor, surrounded by other women she has helped to empower.  

It was during the COVID-19 period when she was assessed and later recommended by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) to Enabel for upskilling training through the Support Programme for Refugee settlements and Host communities in Northern Uganda, funded by the European Union Trust Fund. Beatrice received upskilling in tailoring and her potential quickly stood out. She was identified as a potential trainer—a role she now embraces with pride.

“I used to run my business blindly,” she recalls. “But after the upskilling, I became more organized and I have even started expanding. Now, I’m passionate about guiding other youth so they can also start their own businesses,” Beatrice says.

Among those she has trained is Hellen Dugu, another South Sudanese refugee and a single mother of three. “I didn’t know many things,” Hellen says. “But now, I can do more than I ever imagined—like marketing through WhatsApp and keeping records.”                                                                                   

Hellen has since received an order from a school in Juba, South Sudan to make school uniforms. Furthermore, she now earns up to UGX 80,000 on a good day (up from UGX 30,000) and has learned to tailor products like pillows and doormats from leftover fabric, because of the skilling she received from Beatrice.

“After losing my husband, I was stressed and struggling. But the support I got has empowered me to feed my children and pay their school fees in a school in Koboko", says Hellen with tears running down her cheeks. 

The impact Beatrice has created is stitched into the stories of women like Hellen, who are now confident, capable, and creating new futures for their families.  

Enabel is also collaborating with WHH through the WeWork-green and decent jobs for youth project to empower youth and women in West Nile through upskilling. Successful youth like Beatrice are expected to get further opportunities to train more youth and help create decent jobs within the region.

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