Impact story

A refugee tailor’s neighbourhood shop goes digital in Kenya

Saleh Wamwabi, a skilled refugee tailor from Kakuma Refugee Camp, joined the Jamii Biashara initiative through the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Turkana Chapter under the ILO PROSPECTS Innovation Challenge. After Digitalize Your Business (DYB) training, his sales grew and his products now reach a wider market.

22 October 2025

Tailor Saleh Wamwabi, a refugee, rans a small neighbourhood shop making school uniforms and church outfits. After joining Jamii Biashara through the ILO PROSPECTS Innovation Challenge, he learnt mobile marketing, phone-based sales and record keeping.

Applying his knowledge, Saleh posted his clothe designs on TikTok and suddenly customers across the region were placing orders with him. The shift to digital didn’t just expand his market – it changed how he thinks about his craft. He’s no longer just a tailor; he is a digital entrepreneur in his community modelling a new path for other business owners.

I urge other entrepreneurs to enrol and gain the same edge with training on digitalizing businesses.
Saleh Wamwabi

ILO PROSPECTS Kenya a multi-year initiative funded by the Government of the Netherlands. In Turkana and Garissa counties the programme strengthens local chambers, offers business-development and financial-literacy training, and expands market access—through initiatives such as the Jamii Biashara digital marketplace—to help refugee and host-community entrepreneurs start, grow, and formalise sustainable enterprises.