Meet Emelda Modong, a South Sudanese refugee rebuilding her life through business
She was poor and left with no income source when she arrived in Uganda in December, 2016, but, Emelda Modong now brags rich. Modong is one of the women refugees considered financially independent in Zone II of Palorinya settlement, Moyo district.
Braced with zeal to work hard and regain financial independence, Modong didn’t waste time in looking out for employment and business opportunities as soon as she arrived in Uganda. “I sold some of my food ratio, and acquired some capital to venture in bakery.” Explains Modong who baked and sold bread for 18 months to meet her family’s financial demands.
However, the mother of 5 could hardly earn enough from her baking business to meet her house hold demands as her target consumers who were fellow refugees could hardly afford it.
Being a single mother with many dependents, Modong was identified by the Lutheran World Federation’s (LWF) staff as a person with special needs like decent shelter and a cash grant to venture in a better income generating activity to sustain her family.
The 40-year-old mother received a decent complete shelter with a sanitary facility from LWF with funds from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM). “I was also offered a cash grant worth UGX 1,500,000.” Says Modong who explains that she invested the money in a cloth business.
“I invested UGX 700,000 in second hand cloth bales and within a period of three months, I had sold it all and acquired a profit of UGX 300,000. Passionate about tailoring and having practiced the business for a living while in South Sudan, Modong used her profits to purchase a tailoring machine and cloth pieces to start making and selling her own clothes. The income from her tailoring business would supplement that from her cloth selling business.
Since she makes her own clothes for sell, they are cheaper and therefor more affordable and demanded by her target consumers. “The more sales I make; the more the profits. I use my profits to buy my family food, pay my children’s school fees, medical bills, clothes among other household demands. I have also saved at least UGX 340,000 of my earnings in God Care Village Savings and Loan Association.” Adds a happy Modong who brags of self – reliance.
Modong is just one of the 99 South Sudanese refugees and host community residents who have been supported with cash grants to establish income generating activities for an income, self – reliance and development. The beneficiaries have been supported under a project implemented by LWF with funds from PRM.
The project funded by PRM and implemented by LWF strengthens community structures to respond to and prevent protection issues. To support vulnerable individuals and households, 100 persons with disabilities have received cash grants and medical assistance; 120 households with special needs have received fully constructed shelters and sanitary facilities; and 99 vulnerable people have been trained in backyard farming, specific enterprise management to venture in income generating activities.
