Pathways to prosperity
The main objective of this project is to equip young female adolescents and women, aged 16–25, from the South Sudanese, Ugandan, and Congolese refugee community in Kampala, Uganda, with skills and resources to create a way out of poverty and foster sustainable development. It aims to equip 100 young refugee women with business, leadership, and financial skills to build sustainable livelihoods and achieve economic independence, support the launch of 16 businesses that address local challenges, create income opportunities, and strengthen community resilience. Additionally, the project seeks to foster community-led transformation and scalable impact by championing female and refugee-driven action, integrate environmental sustainability into ventures by using eco-friendly materials, promoting recycling, and reducing waste, establish a mentorship and peer-support network to provide guidance and support for participants, and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress and inform future improvements.
Founded in 2017, Amala is a British charity that aims to address the critical gap in access to quality education and training opportunities for refugee youth, particularly for those facing systemic barriers such as women and girls. It also aims to support pioneering transformative education to equip young refugees with the skills needed to pursue further education, secure livelihoods, and drive change in their communities.
Type
Education / EnvironmentDuration
June 2025 - April 2026Location
Kampala / UgandaWith whom
Amala and United South Sudan Urban Refugees Community
Website
Uganda
Population
42.9 million (2017)
Per Capita Income
USD 600/year (2017)
Poverty rate *
21% (2016)
Literacy rate
70% (2016)
Human Development Index
162nd out of 189 countries (2018)
Uganda’s economy has continued to post strong growth, by many developing country standards. It nevertheless remains a very poor country and far from the middle-income status it aspires to. Although the poverty rate has greatly declined from 39% in 2002 to 19% in 2012, the strong population growth has meant that the absolute number of poor people has remained the same. One in three children has no food to eat during the school day and 27% of children under five are stunted. Agriculture accounts for 25% of the country’s GDP and employs 77% of the adult population. However, the productivity of smallholder farmers remains low due to lack of access to services such as credit and insurance and reliance on traditional farming methods.
Sources: World Food Program, UNICEF, World Bank, 2016 Human Development Report, Human Development Indices and Indicators (2018 Statistical Update)
*The percentage of the population living below the national poverty line.