In the Kawaala neighborhood of Kampala, Fatuma Kongolo tidies and restyles wigs on display in her salon. The 23-year-old entrepreneur runs FF Quality Salon, where she braids hair and makes and sells wigs and beaded bags. Her business provides a stable foundation after a disruptive and dangerous early life.

Seven years ago, Fatuma fled war in her home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, becoming one of millions of refugees seeking safety in Uganda. “I came here in 2018 with two of my sisters,” she says. “We came here, and we stayed in a church before getting somewhere to stay. After that, we started working. We got some money, and we paid rent.” After a few years in her new home, she got married and had a child, a one-year-old daughter.

Fatuma is one of millions of refugees and displaced people around the world who discovered that running a business is a means to rebuild their lives in their new home. “In Uganda, my life is not so bad because we have security, which we did not have in Congo,” she says. “We have a secure life here, and we are getting something to eat, something to pay rent. Life is better.”

For refugees like Fatuma to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavors, they need responsible digital financial services, access to capital, and tailored support for their fledgling businesses. To provide this support, we’ve partnered with Soko Uganda and UGAFODE Microfinance Limited (MDI), with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, to help women refugees start and grow small businesses in their new communities. The program aims to help refugee women build self-reliance and overcome barriers to earning a living.

Soko Uganda is an online marketplace for refugees and local makers to market and sell their products to reach a wider audience. Accion Advisory has partnered with Soko Uganda to offer technical support to sellers and expert advice on how to best serve refugee women who could benefit from the platform. Participating entrepreneurs can also open and link bank accounts from our longtime partner UGAFODE Microfinance Limited (MDI) to their Soko Uganda online store, allowing them to receive payments and access working capital loans. “I’m saving my money on UGAFODE to help me grow my business in the future,” notes Fatuma.

Soko Uganda also leads training sessions tailored to meet refugee women where they are and address their specific challenges. Fatuma has participated in these trainings, learning how to grow and promote her business, how to get customers, and how to best use her account. She is applying those lessons to her Soko Uganda storefront and social media marketing, and now uses Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok to attract new customers. “When I have my product here inside, other people don’t know about it. But when it is on the Soko platform, other people can see it and can contact me,” she says.

Custom wigs are her most popular item online. She’s even begun teaching other young women in her community how to make them. “I want my business to become like a big school or training school,” she says. “I’m training some women and youth. I’m teaching them how to make wigs, to make bags, and how to plait hair. I feel very happy when I’m training them because it is like my vocation.”

Around the world, nearly two billion people lack access to essential financial services, such as credit, insurance, and savings, or are poorly served by current providers. On top of this, they face the most severe effects of worsening environmental and economic threats, including inflation, instability, climate change, conflict, and migration. By developing innovative solutions and partnerships with local providers, we can build and scale inclusive products and services that support underserved populations across the globe.

“I’m hoping for something better in Uganda for my family. With Soko Uganda, I know that when we are selling so many things, we can get a better life,” says Fatuma.

Watch how refugee women are rebuilding their lives by opening and growing small businesses with inclusive digital tools, financial resources, and supportive training.