Small Shop Helping Woman, Family Survive

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October 24, 2018

On a windy, cloudy day I went to visit Hellen Yomi at her small business, Hellen Yomi Enterprises. Upon my arrival, her business had several customers under a common sitting area Hellen and her husband recently built to add value to her shop. She pointed out, “This is an area people like to come and drink sodas and socialize.” Hellen is one of 201 youths in Omugo, an extension of Rhino Camp, being trained in business skills, mentored, and supported with a 1-time in-kind grant. This project is funded by Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA) and implemented by CARE International in Uganda and local partner, WINEPS.

At the end of the training, each youth was supported in writing a business plan for a business they plan to open. After a vetting process, 200 youth, including Hellen, were selected to receive in-kind start up grants that enabled her to apply her business skills knowledge to start her business.
Hellen standing in her shop.
Hellen, 25, and her husband are South Sudanese refugees from Mundri in Central South Sudan. The two arrived in Uganda in January 2017 together with 1 child, now a 4 year-old boy. Later, they welcomed a daughter, now 2 years-old. In March 2018, Hellen was selected to participate in the youth livelihoods program and received business skills training. 


Hellen decided to start a consumer goods store selling various items including candies, biscuits, smearing cream, juice, sugar, rice, spices, and much more. I told Hellen I wanted to know more about her business and she happily agreed to share:

Hellen’s Shop with sitting area. 
Back in South Sudan Hellen had 2 businesses, a consumer goods store and a hair saloon. She said there was a very high need for consumer goods in her community in Omugo and because she already had ran a similar business, it was easy for her to choose to open a consumer goods store. She said the need is so high her customers include both refugees and members of the host community. Her husband supported her with a little money to start her business and together they built the 3m2 store out of local bricks and mud.

Hellen says business is steady, in fact she makes anywhere between 10,000-20,000 Ugandan Shillings ($3.00-5.00USD) per day. Her highest selling items include soap, rice, and sugar. I asked Hellen what she uses the money she earns on and she said some goes back into the business, some she uses to support her family and the rest she saves with her local VSLA (Village Savings and Loan Association).

Hellen appreciates what CARE has done to help her start a business and learn more about business skills. In South Sudan, Hellen did not know about record keeping or how to save, “Whenever I got money, I would immediately go to the market and spend it. Now I understand the importance of saving my money to help me later.” Hellen is also looking to the future of her business. She wants to make it larger with more offerings. “I want to add sandals to my shop for the kids so they have some shoes on their feet. I also need more sugar and rice.” Hellen is also slowly saving some money to start a hair saloon in her village. She is currently able to style hair if the client brings materials with them.

In October 2018, CARE distributed in-kind grants to each programme participant. For this project, in-kind grants were chosen instead of cash so the beneficiaries can use 100% of it on their business rather than spending it elsewhere. A variety of businesses were supported through grants and each business received items specific to their needs and specialties. For Hellen, she received rice, soap, sugar, salt, tea leaves, and more. Items are selling fast and Hellen plans to travel to a host-community trading center soon in order to re-stock her items.

While Hellen’s family is living better she does have some challenges. Her business is on a busy connecting road and she says it is not safe at night. While she has a door and lock, thieves can still easily break-in. To combat this, Hellen must sleep on the floor of her shop every night to deter thieves from attempting to break in. “It’s not what I want to do, but what I have to do to protect my business.”

Hellen said before the business life was hard because she and her husband didn’t know where money would be coming from. They had a lot of stress trying to support their family. Now she says she has much less worries, “I don’t think about my home or who has been killed. I am free now, I have savings and I can provide for my children with healthcare when they are sick.”

Story Compiled and Written By: Brandi Murley
CARE West Nile, Uganda



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