![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ugandaelearningplatformdev2-hpbdbyf3h3badfh3.westeurope-01.azurewebsites.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Muhammed-1024x912.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGrappling with challenges<\/h2>\n
\u201cWhen I first came here, I had no idea we were allowed to work or start businesses as refugees,\u201d Abubakar admits. \u201cI felt stuck \u2013 like I had left the war but was still trapped.\u201d<\/p>\n
Navigating Uganda\u2019s business environment proved daunting and Abubakar faced legal uncertainties. He lacked knowledge about how to access land and had no guidance on how to register a business. For months, his ambition to start a poultry farm remained just that \u2013 a distant aspiration.<\/p>\n
Without a stable income, providing for his family was a daily struggle. The absence of diverse food options \u2013 particularly sources of protein, like chicken and meat \u2013 in the settlement added to his frustration.<\/p>\n
A turning point<\/h2>\n
Abubakar\u2019s breakthrough came during a community information session conducted by the South Sudanese Women Building Association (SSWBA), with support from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The session on Uganda\u2019s employment laws revealed a game-changing truth: refugees could legally run a business within the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like a door opening,\u201d Abubakar recalls. \u201cI finally saw a path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
With support from the SSWBA and NRC, Abubakar received legal counselling and assistance with navigating Uganda\u2019s business processes. He secured a trading licence and, with the help of the Office of the Prime Minister, obtained two plots of land. One plot is dedicated to poultry farming, while the other is temporarily under maize cultivation but is earmarked for future expansion into sheep rearing.<\/p>\n
Building a vision<\/h2>\n
Abubakar\u2019s poultry farm is soon set to launch with 5,000 chickens. But he\u2019s already thinking bigger.<\/p>\n
\u201cStarting with 5,000 chickens is just the beginning,\u201d he says with a smile. \u201cI want to grow this to 25,000 chickens and add sheep rearing within a year. This business will sustain my family, create jobs and make food more accessible and affordable for my community.\u201d<\/p>\n
The settlement, home to both new and long-established refugees, has a significant demand for affordable protein sources. Abubakar\u2019s venture aims to fill this gap while creating economic opportunities for others.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy community is used to having meat, chicken and fish,\u201d Abubaker explains. \u201cI want to make these accessible for my people.\u201d<\/p>\n
A ripple effect<\/h2>\n
Abubakar\u2019s journey highlights the transformative power of information and targeted support. By equipping him with the knowledge and resources he needed, the SSWBA and NRC turned his dream into a tangible reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never thought this would be possible,\u201d Abubakar says during our visit to his business site. \u201cNow I believe not just in my dream, but in my ability to achieve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
As construction progresses on his farm, Abubakar\u2019s story is a testament to what is possible when determination meets opportunity, with the help of support systems designed to empower.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Abubakar Muhamed installs a tarpaulin cover over the hen house. Photo: James Otim\/NRC Abubakar Muhamed lives in Uganda\u2019s Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement with his wife and four children. The family arrived here after fleeing the ravages of war in Sudan. In the stifling heat of the settlement, resilience shows itself in countless ways. For Abubakar,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[281],"doc_tag":[322],"class_list":["post-95948","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-employment-rights","doc_tag-business","description-off"],"year_month":"2026-10","word_count":544,"total_views":"16","reactions":{"happy":"2","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"Mpanga Hassan","author_nicename":"hassan","author_url":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/?author=2"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Employment and self-employment","term_url":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/?doc_category=employment-rights"}],"doc_tag_info":[{"term_name":"Business","term_url":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/?doc_tag=business"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/95948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=95948"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/95948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96000,"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/docs\/95948\/revisions\/96000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=95948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdoc_category&post=95948"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/changamka.nrc.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdoc_tag&post=95948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}