In the September episode of Resilient Voices of Refugees, we had the privilege of hosting Vanessa, a humanitarian entrepreneur and refugee leader living in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in western Uganda. Vanessa is the founder of Fuse Women Initiative, an organization that equips young refugee women and girls with employable skills, creates pathways to education, and amplifies the leadership of refugee women across Uganda. Through leatherwork and creative enterprises, her initiative not only provides livelihoods but also rewrites the narrative of what refugee women are capable of achieving.
Vanessa’s journey began in her childhood, when she pursued her studies at Cornerstone Leadership Academy, a place where her determination, resilience, and commitment to community first took root. Her education became a springboard into a life of leadership and advocacy, and today, she stands as a voice for those whose stories are often overlooked. She is not only focused on empowering individual women but is also actively building a network of refugee women-led organizations, designed to foster inclusion and advance opportunities for women leaders within and beyond refugee communities.
People who will eat your money are everywhere, not just refugees. Being a refugee doesn’t automatically make you irresponsible or incapable. We are human beings with dreams, with goals, with visions. We aspire to better ourselves and our communities. We are best placed to design solutions for our very own communities, and those solutions can be not only fulfilling but also profitable.
– Vanessa says a powerful message to stakeholders and potential partners for Refugee Led Organisations (RLOs)
Her words challenge stereotypes and call for trust, investment, and partnership with refugee-led organizations. She reminds us that refugees are not passive recipients of aid but active contributors and innovators who can build sustainable solutions when given the chance. Vanessa’s leadership embodies this truth—her work transforms displacement into dignity, and marginalization into opportunity.
Vanessa has already received recognition for her trailblazing spirit, including the Social Impact Award from the Anzisha Prize, which honored her as one of Africa’s most remarkable young entrepreneurs. Yet, her greatest achievement remains her ongoing commitment to women and girls in refugee settlements—helping them unlock opportunities that will ripple across generations.
This conversation with Vanessa is more than a story of personal resilience; it is a call to action. It is an invitation to see refugees, especially women, not through the lens of vulnerability but through the lens of agency, creativity, and leadership.
Watch and listen to Vanessa’s inspiring story by clicking the button below.
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