Juliet’s Return from South Africa and Her Path to Business Growth

Busingye Juliet, a 49-year-old single mother of two, left Uganda for South Africa in search of better livelihood opportunities. In South Africa, she worked as a saleslady while raising her two children, hoping the move would create a more stable future for them. However, the high cost of living made survival increasingly difficult, especially with the responsibility of caring for her children alone. The daily financial strain and her desire to provide better education for her children pushed her to make the difficult decision to return home.

Returning to Uganda did not immediately solve her challenges, as she had no financial cushion and had to start again from zero. During this period, Juliet reconnected with a friend she had lived with in South Africa. This friend introduced her to the Start and Improve Your Business training offered through the ILO BRMM Programme in partnership with Wazesha Impact. Curious and motivated to regain stability, Juliet joined the training, hoping to learn how to start and manage a business more effectively.

The training exposed Juliet to practical skills she had never accessed before. She learned how to create a business plan, manage daily operations, understand market opportunities, and interact confidently with customers. The financial education modules were particularly impactful, teaching her how to organise her income and think more strategically about business decisions. These lessons gave her a clearer understanding of how to operate a small enterprise and helped her reframe her mindset from survival to structured growth.

Today, Juliet runs a small business that serves as her only source of income. Though she applies what she learned, such as record-keeping, planning, and evaluating better business options, she continues to face major obstacles, especially limited capital. The growing competition in her area makes expansion difficult, and she hopes to secure financial support to scale her business and achieve greater stability for herself and her children. Despite the challenges, Juliet remains committed to strengthening her livelihood and building a more secure future.