Florence’s Story of Renewal

At just 32, Nakazzi Florence from Bwaise has already experienced the weight of lost dreams. After completing her A-Level education, financial hardship forced her to stay home with her mother, who couldn’t afford to send her to university. Each passing day felt heavier than the last.

“The future looked uncertain and hopeless,” Florence recalls. “I had no skills, no job, and no hope. I felt like a burden to my mother, who was already struggling to make ends meet.”

Everything changed when Florence met Mohammed Kisirisa, one of the co-founder of AFFCAD, who was mobilizing young people in his community to join a new initiative. He introduced her to the Strengthening Social Cohesion and Stability Project (SSCOS) which was funded by the European Union. The project aimed at equipping vulnerable youth with vocational skills and new opportunities for self-reliance.

“I joined the hairdressing course with so much excitement,” Florence says. “It was my chance to turn my life around. I focused and gave it my all because I wanted to become independent and build a better future.”

Through the SSCOS project, Florence not only learned professional hairdressing skills but also earned a Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) certificate after excelling in her assessments. But the support didn’t end there. AFFCAD provided her with a startup kit which included a dryer, sink, kettle, and salon chair to help her kickstart her own salon. Additionally the package also covered her salon’s rent for three months. 

With determination and AFFCAD’s backing, Florence opened her own salon in Bwaise. Today, she is self-employed, earns a steady income, and supports her family especially her mother, who once worried about her future.