Featured Post, Africa, Uganda

Helping Refugee Women in Uganda Sew Brighter Roads Ahead

June 2, 2026

In honor of World Refugee Day on June 20, this month, we’re directing your Project of the Month Club donations to programs that are helping refugee women in Uganda build their independence and get a fresh start.

Uganda has one of the world’s most “open door” policies for accepting refugees. It currently hosts more than 2 million people who have fled their homes in South Sudan and the DR Congo, among other countries. But even as more and more people arrive each day in search of safety, support from the international community has only declined. As a result, resources are strained, and economic opportunities are limited.

Women are among the most vulnerable. Many are highly dependent on aid programs that have been reduced or cut altogether, and sexual and gender-based violence have been on the rise. So Peace Winds is helping women living in and around several of Uganda’s refugee camps gain the skills they need to become more self-reliant.

One vocational program is helping women become auto mechanics. Women like Elina Iraguha refuse to be deterred by the fact that it is a male-dominated field.

“My dream in 10 years is to have my own workshop where I can repair people’s cars and train others in the community,” she says. “It would be a big workshop that could accommodate up to 50 learners, mostly women. Many women overlook this job because they think it is only for men. And yet it is just a skill. Anyone can learn it.”

In another program, women are learning sewing and tailoring alongside marketing, computer skills, and entrepreneurship.

“I want to be able to market the sewing products I’ve made,” said one student. 

For this, we are partnering with a women’s community-based organization, Bukere. The group was established as part of a 2021-2024 Peace Winds program, and it took over running the women’s community center that was also built through the program. Now, its members are earning a living teaching other women skills like sewing, cosmetology, and soap making, and we’re so glad to be working with them again.

Training goes beyond just helping women build skills for jobs; they offer a place for women to build communities and gain confidence in expressing themselves. Many refugees who participate report that it’s their first time making friends with local Ugandan women, and vice versa. This sense of belonging can go a long way for those who have been forced to uproot their lives and begin again in a new country.