Digitalize Your Business: Expanding Market Access for Refugee Entrepreneurs in Nakivale
Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda
UMOJA for Peace and Resilience, with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), is implementing the “Digitalize Your Business” training program to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in Nakivale Refugee Settlement to adopt digital tools and access online markets.
The initiative responds to a key challenge faced by young people and small business owners in remote areas, including refugee settlements: limited access to markets beyond their immediate location. Many entrepreneurs operate viable businesses but are constrained by physical distance, limited customer reach, and lack of digital skills.
Bridging the Digital and Market Access Gap
Through the Digitalize Your Business training, entrepreneurs are equipped with practical skills to:
- Establish an online presence for their businesses
- Use digital platforms to promote products and services
- Access online marketplaces and social media sales channels
- Improve customer communication and visibility
- Strengthen business sustainability through digital transformation
The program places strong emphasis on hands-on learning, ensuring participants can immediately apply digital tools to their own businesses.
Empowering Refugee and Host-Community Entrepreneurs
The training targets small business owners and young entrepreneurs operating in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, supporting both refugee and host-community businesses. By strengthening digital capacity, the program enables entrepreneurs to overcome geographic barriers and connect with wider markets at local, national, and regional levels.
For many participants, this marks a critical step toward transforming informal, location-bound enterprises into market-oriented and growth-ready businesses.
Advancing Inclusive Economic Participation
Digital skills are increasingly essential for business growth and competitiveness. By supporting entrepreneurs to digitalize their operations, the Digitalize Your Business program contributes to:
- Increased income opportunities
- Improved business resilience
- Greater participation of young people in the digital economy
- Reduced isolation of businesses in remote and displacement-affected settings
Partnership for Sustainable Livelihoods
UMOJA is proud to implement this initiative with funding and technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), reinforcing a shared commitment to decent work, entrepreneurship, and inclusive economic development for refugees and host communities.