Akonkwa Ariane is 31 years old, a single mother, and a refugee. She crossed into Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo after political instability forced her family to flee their home. They settled in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in Kyegegwa District and for years, life there meant uncertainty, scarce work, and the daily weight of providing for a young daughter with very little to lean on.
She had always carried a love for fashion quietly within her. But without resources, without opportunity, that passion had nowhere to go until she discovered the Entrepreneurship and Skilling program at YIDA Youth Initiative, implemented under the Institutional Strengthening of YIDA project in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
The training gave Ariane a changed mindset, skills and a startup capital grant of USD 100 to launch her own business. She put both to use immediately building a client base, refining her craft, and slowly but steadily growing an enterprise from the ground up.
Today, Ariane earns UGX 400,000 every month. She pays her daughter’s school fees and provides for her family.
But what defines Ariane is not just what she has built for herself. It is who she carries with her. She now mentors 4 young women inside the settlement, single mothers, orphans, and other vulnerable girls teaching them the very tailoring skills that reshaped her own life. Despite the financial strain of running a small enterprise, she provides their meals and walks with them through every stage of their training. Two of her graduates have already launched their own businesses.
Her approach is intentional. She actively seeks out the most vulnerable young women in the community, because she understands from experience what it costs to be overlooked, and what it means to be given a real chance. She believes that even those who cannot start their own businesses will find employment, because they carry the skill.
Ariane’s vision stretches further still. She wants to expand her training, reduce unemployment across the settlement, and continue championing economic independence for women in the refugee community. Her gratitude to YIDA Youth Initiative and the Mastercard Foundation is deep and her call to keep reaching more young people, because they are the promise of the future.