Nakivale (Uganda) : the World Bank supports the empowerment of single refugee mothers

SOS Médias Burundi

Nakivale, May 8, 2025—The World Bank has launched a project in Nakivale camp, Uganda, to support single refugee mothers, considered particularly vulnerable. The initiative aims to strengthen the income-generating activities of those who struggle daily to feed their families.

In the vast Nakivale refugee camp, located in the Isingiro district of southwest Uganda, single mothers are finding a glimmer of hope. A new empowerment project, supported by the World Bank, specifically targets widows and single mothers trying to rebuild their lives through small businesses.

“We want to help these vulnerable women expand their small businesses. Those who haven’t yet started don’t have much of a chance because they lack experience,” confides an official from the Prime Minister’s Office, the government body responsible for refugee management in Uganda.

These women, representing more than 25% of the camp’s population, live in precarious conditions. “Some of them end up in debauchery after dropping out of school following unwanted pregnancies,” laments a community leader in the camp. For him, this initiative could transform their daily lives : “If they can’t go back to school, they will at least be able to pay their children’s school fees.”

The project doesn’t stop at the camp. It could also be extended to host communities around Nakivale, which often also face persistent poverty.

Beneficiaries are invited to fill out forms to apply for grants in the form of interest-free loans. They can expect to receive up to two million Uganda shillings (approximately USD 500), depending on the type of activity and growth projection.

Nakivale camp is home to more than 140,000 refugees, including some 33,000 Burundians. Women represent more than 60% of this population.

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Part of the Nakivale camp where the World Bank project is being implemented (SOS Médias Burundi)