My journey to Uganda started in November 2016, when I was 18. I walked for two straight days with my mother, my aunt, my cousins, and my siblings to escape the civil war in South Sudan.
The conflict had already claimed countless lives and displaced millions. The violence had come to our village, and every day there was gunfire. The death of my uncle pushed my father to make a difficult decision: we had to leave. He stayed behind to protect our property while we set out for safety.
The trek to safety in Uganda pushed us to our limits. We made the five-day journey in just two days, our feet swollen and blistered from our relentless pace. Luggage balanced on our heads, my cousin Eva and I took turns carrying our young siblings on our backs. At five and six years old, they couldn’t understand why we were leaving our home behind, and they couldn’t stop crying.
I hoped that upon arrival at the settlement in Uganda, we would find a welcoming environment with adequate shelter and food. As an 18-year-old, I imagined a well-organized camp and the chance to make new friends. Instead, we were met with disappointment. There were no houses, water, or food waiting for us. After registering at the reception, all we received was a spot to build our temporary hut. We spent our first nights outside. Even water to drink was hard to come by.
Starting this new life away from home was hard. Several other families had already arrived ahead of us. Each spoke of the loss of their family members and friends to the war. For me, the killing of my uncle haunted me. To this day, I still don’t know if he was buried well, but I plan to one day travel back there to pay my last respects. I miss him dearly.
Gradually, life in the Bidi Bidi refugee camp became more manageable. With food rations and non-food items provided by humanitarian partners, and a job to support my family, we began to rebuild our lives.
In early 2018, I saw an advert that would change my life forever. Dream, a joint initiative by Village Enterprise and Mercy Corps, was looking for business mentors. Their mission captivated me instantly: empowering refugees to break free from extreme poverty through entrepreneurship.
Muna Hellen
I hesitated but applied on the last day. The following week, I was interviewed and, soon after, I got the job. The opportunity has been transformative. Not only has it allowed me to support my family better—through improved pay and the ability to build better housing and cover school fees for five of my siblings—but it has also deepened my connections within the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement.
Working with my fellow South Sudanese community has been the most rewarding aspect of this role. I train them in entrepreneurship and help them form business groups to launch micro-businesses. Watching them succeed and grow as business owners brings me great joy. Together, we’re not just starting businesses, we’re ending the cycle of poverty for good. In their success, I’ve found my purpose.
I’ve surprised myself with how much I’ve grown. Things I once thought were beyond my reach are now part of my everyday life. Public speaking, for instance, used to terrify me. Now, I confidently address community members and even government officials. It’s incredible to realize how much we’re capable of when we push ourselves.
Most refugees entering Uganda from South Sudan are women and children. I am deeply committed to empowering these women and their families through my work. It’s been incredible to see them gain leadership skills, run their own businesses, and contribute to their families’ incomes.
Everyone deserves to be able to pay for their children to go to school, purchase healthy meals, and secure health care for their families. This is what happens when you give refugees the training and seed capital to grow on their own and create long-term solutions to end the cycle of poverty.
Muna Hellen is a South Sudanese refugee living in Uganda’s Bidi Bidi refugee settlement who works as Business Mentor under the DREAMS project from Village Enterprise and Mercy Corps.
All views expressed in this article are the authors’ own.
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