Jesuit Refugee Service to showcase refugee enterprises at Kampala Open Days

What the report says

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Uganda plans to host a two-day public exhibition in Kampala later this month to highlight refugee-led businesses, vocational skills and creative work, along with products made by host community members. According to Watchdog Uganda, the inaugural JRS Uganda Open Days will be held on September 25 and 26, 2026, at the organisation’s offices on St Augustine Road in Nsambya.

The event is expected to feature fashion and design, arts and crafts, catering, African cuisine, music and cultural performances. It will also provide a platform for participants to meet potential customers, companies, financial institutions and development organisations. Former JRS trainees who have started businesses will display their products and share their experiences, while current trainees will demonstrate skills gained through the group’s livelihoods and vocational programmes.

JRS Communications Officer for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ami-Adolphe Mudekereza, said the Open Days are meant to help the public better understand the organisation’s work and its impact on refugees and host communities. He added that the initiative is also intended to spotlight the resilience, talent and enterprise of the people involved, while building partnerships.

The report says JRS has worked in Uganda since 1993 and operates programmes in education, livelihoods, mental health and psychosocial support, basic-needs assistance, pastoral care, peacebuilding and reconciliation. More broadly, such livelihood-focused events reflect a wider humanitarian trend of promoting self-reliance and economic integration among displaced people. Admission to the Kampala event will be free.