Just a few weeks ago, LHI Founder/CEO Hayley joined Tara and Roman from our operations team in northern Uganda’s Bweyale refugee settlement for a historic milestone: the grand opening of our very first Community Center in Uganda!
The community’s desire for a dedicated space to learn, grow, and build new careers inspired the vision of the center back in 2025. Local community members have been the driving force behind every single step of the construction process, from sourcing the raw materials to physically raising the structure. The day to day operations are also led by local community members—they’re planning the curriculum, teaching the sessions, and ensuring everything is tailored to what people truly need.
In isolated refugee camps like Bweyale, job opportunities are incredibly scarce, forcing families to rely on aid despite their deep desire to provide for themselves. This tuition-free education hands the reins back to the community, equipping women with the skills and tools they need to build independent, brighter futures.
On opening day, the energy was electric. Surrounded by colorful balloons, crowds of excited students, teachers, and local supporters packed the space. Hayley delivered speeches in both Arabic and English, with community leaders translating the message to their peers. There was music, dancing, and a profound sense of collective pride—after months of hard work, a shared dream had finally come to life.
Moving forward, the center will host two parallel, six-month vocational tracks: 30 students in tailoring and 30 in hairdressing. Over the next year alone, 120 women from the South Sudanese and Sudanese refugee communities will graduate with the skills needed to launch their own businesses.
Martha Chuol, a South Sudanese student in the tailoring track, said:
"This vocational training facility addresses a critical gap in our community. Previously, accessing affordable, quality technical education was a significant challenge. By providing localized, tuition-free training, this initiative has created a viable pathway for professional development. I am confident that mastering these tailoring skills will enable me to get a job or start my own business, then secure a sustainable livelihood."
Rebecca Buk, one of our hairdressing students, was ecstatic about being selected for the cohort.
“We thank you very much, may God bless you for thinking of us. We are going to gain skills that will help us create our own jobs. It was my dream, but I didn’t have a way to start.”
The impact of this Center also stretches far beyond financial independence. The women are from Sudan and South Sudan, which have a long, tumultuous history of conflict. For many of the women, this is the first time they’re sitting side-by-side with people from another nationality. Teachers and students alike were deeply appreciative of the chance to come together and learn, no matter where they came from.
Days after celebrating in Bweyale, the team traveled south for the grand opening of our very first Community Center in Burundi’s Musasa refugee camp!
The team was blown away by the festivities in Bweyale, and Musasa’s community refused to be outshined. The air came alive with rhythms from traditional Burundian drummers and a Congolese music group. Hayley, who’s also an avid drummer, was handed a pair of drumsticks and pulled right into the circle to play along.
Once the ribbons were cut, the doors to our second Center officially opened. Much like the Center in Uganda, this space will also host parallel, six-month tracks in tailoring and hairdressing for cohorts of 30 students. In Musasa, we’ll be serving both Congolese refugees living inside the camp and Burundian women from the surrounding host community, weaving strong ties between people from different backgrounds.
Though separated by borders, both centers share the same powerful mission: to empower displaced women with the space and skills to rebuild on their own terms.
