Meet Abdulhamid Juma, a 30-year-old DRC refugee from Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in south western Uganda, currently undertaking mechanical training at UNHCR/AIRD Bidibidi workshop. Juma arrived in Uganda through the Bwera border, Kasese district, fleeing the conflict in his home area in 2016.
From a family of three (3) back in the DRC, the war situation in Beni caused by militia groups forced Juma and his siblings to flee for safety.
“My Siblings and I were forced to run for our dear lives, and up to now, I do not know their whereabouts, since I came to Uganda alone in 2016,” Juma states.
“Back in Kyaka II, I had no reliable source of livelihood and could not start a family. I have had a growing passion for mechanical works and always waited for a perfect opportunity to obtain knowledge and relevant skills to start up a mini-workshop”.
With the establishment of the AIRD Multi-skilling center in Mbarara, Uganda, Juma, just like many others’ dreams, would now be fulfilled.
With support from UNHCR and AIRD, Juma and other trainees were enrolled at the AIRD Multiskilling center to gain mechanical and practical knowledge from February 2025 to date. Currently training at Bidibidi mechanical workshop, Juma hopes to gain practical knowledge and obtain a certificate in mechanics by the end of the year, which will support his vision of establishing a small garage that can support him and his community financially.
Once the training is completed, he also hopes to train a few members from his community, which will transform their lives and significantly improve their standards of living. Once a refugee without hope, Juma hopes to be an inspiration to other refugees by demonstrating hard work, resilience, and resourcefulness with the mechanical skills he obtained.
