Makerere University Business School in collaboration with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has concluded a two-week camp challenge aimed at enabling refugees to hit their target market in the refugee communities through entrepreneurship developments.
The final stage of the challenge consisted of ten teams where only three emerged the best and were awarded $5000 to put their ideas into practice and reach out to the refugee communities.
The initiative is a unique one and seeks to bring out the inclusivity of refugees in the host communities to avoid segregation and develop themselves and the neighbors.
The best teams were Voice for Refugees, Black Magic Girl Naturals and Mat Habeshan Daycare respectively.
The Voice for Refugee Team came up with the film making industry aimed at bridging the gap between the refugees and the host native communities by working together for social integration and also enabling them to tell their lifestyle stories in the documentaries.
“We are going to do a network service which talks about the livelihood of refugees. We are planning on the year 2026 to make workshops to train others in this cue of making the field. This $500 is going to be used to premiere our new film and use it to purchase equipment, marketing, and upgrade our social media platforms,” the group leader said.
However, the UNHCR representative challenged them to go and probably look around for people who have digital space in videography and photography especially in the refugee space and have ladies, young girls and the elderly included in the documentaries so that their stories can inspire others and feel comfort in the host communities.
She said, “There are many functions in the course of the year, and every settlement is celebrating, commemorating, I would be very happy to see a movie in which you have picked a refugee old man to be part of it. It would make sense. There are a lot of messages to be passed around the world concerning refugees, but sometimes we don’t know how to do it. And it best comes out if the refugee himself is the one person who is safe. So, look at a movie which is going to go viral and go to the whole world, and everybody is looking for it on YouTube, looking for it, you know, in all the spaces where we can be able to get it.”
Dr. Diana Ntami Nandagire, director MUBS Entrepreneurship Center, assured all teams that MUBS will continue to support them as their ideas are put into practice and impact the communities.
“We will do everything so that these teams meet their target market. And that’s why I would like to appreciate the management for this initiative and commitment,” Dr. Ndagire said.
The other teams included; Heritage Bites, Shelter Connect, Elleni Medical Clinic, AfrixYZ, Kipaji Foundation, Tads designers and Avala Pharmaceuticals.