A Beacon of Hope: How Amaryllis SHG is Transforming Refugee Lives in Kampala

At a recent experience-sharing event we organised in Mengo, the Amaryllis Self-Help Group (SHG) emerged as a powerful example of resilience. Led by and for Burundian refugees and asylum-seekers, this Kampala-based group goes beyond microfinance by embedding regular group counselling and psychosocial support into the very core of its mission.

Today, Amaryllis unites 26 active members, the majority of whom operate small businesses to sustain their families. What sets this group apart is not only its financial model it is the deliberate integration of mental health and emotional wellbeing into every gathering. In a city where refugees often navigate invisibility, Amaryllis creates a safe space where members show up for one another.

To scale the impact of their Self-Help Group, CAPAIDS Uganda recently delivered Year II revolving fund financing, ensuring members have continued access to affordable credit. This funding enables members to grow their small enterprises, weather unexpected shocks, and invest in their children's futures breaking cycles of dependency one business at a time.

Triphone Nsabimana's words — "I am now a powerful woman" — capture something that no financial metric can fully measure: a transformation of self-belief, of dignity, of agency. This is what community-led development looks like in practice. Not a programme delivered to people, but one grown from within their own community.