Returned Migrants Celebrate Graduation in Kampala After Intensive Skills and Business Training

On 28 March 2025, over 425 participants, guests, and stakeholders gathered in Kampala to mark a milestone in Uganda’s reintegration efforts for returned migrants. The graduation summit, organized by Wezesha Impact in partnership with the International Labour Organization’s Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) celebrated the achievements of 311 returned migrants (268 women and 43 men) who successfully completed a rigorous training programme designed to equip them with the tools and knowledge to rebuild their lives through entrepreneurship.

Participants who had completed the full cycle of Generate Your Business Idea (GYBI), Start Your Business (SYB), and financial education training brought samples of their new businesses to exhibit during the graduation event. These exhibits reflected the initiative’s impact, showing how participants were applying their training to real economic ventures.

Several participants took the stage to share their experiences, reflecting on their learning journey and how the programme had sparked confidence and direction in their lives. These power talks were the highlight of the day, bringing emotion and credibility to the programme’s success.

The event served as a celebration of completion but also as a public statement of the potential embedded in properly managed reintegration support. Stakeholders from the Federation of Ugandan Employers, Kampala Capital City Authority, Finance Trust Bank, Reach a Hand Uganda, and other institutions attended and engaged directly with graduates, reinforcing the broader commitment to supporting safe, regular, and sustainable reintegration pathways.

The graduation marked the culmination of months of targeted intervention. Since November 2024, 420 returned migrants in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area were enrolled in a programme aiming to support their socio-economic reintegration through entrepreneurship training, business development support, and financial literacy. The initiative was based on the ILO’s SIYB model and implemented by Wezesha Impact. The project not only exceeded its training targets but achieved measurable results. By April 2025, over 280 graduates had already launched their own businesses, with some employing others and contributing to local economies.

Participants received ongoing mentorship from SIYB trainers and sector specialists, helping them fine-tune business plans, register enterprises, and manage operations. Financial education was integrated into the training, and most participants received startup grants through partnerships with Finance Trust Bank. Monitoring visits confirmed that graduates had established businesses in areas ranging from agriculture and beauty to retail and food services.

The graduation summit provided a platform for the visibility of these achievements. It was an opportunity for stakeholders to see firsthand the outcomes of the investment and for returnees to celebrate the shift from vulnerability to self-reliance.