In 2026, Finnish Refugee Council is recognizing three refugee learners in Uganda with awards for the first time. Justine Mwamini was named FRC’s Refugee Learner of the Year in the Learning and Literacy category for the way she has turned her own learning journey into new opportunities for herself and others. From learning financial literacy and English to starting her own salon and becoming an adult literacy instructor, Justine’s story shows how learning can continue to open doors long after the classroom.
When conflict broke out in 2015, Justine was forced to leave her home in Congo and came to Uganda for safety. Before leaving Congo, she worked as a primary school teacher. In Uganda, she found work as a hairdresser, using the skills she had to earn a living and support her family.
In 2021, she joined Finnish Refugee Council’s Financial Literacy Training. The training introduced her to practical ways of managing money, including keeping records, budgeting, planning, and investing.
“I can keep records, budget, plan and invest my money,” she says.
It was during the training that Justine began thinking about running a salon of her own. She realized that the hairdressing skills she was already using to earn a living could become the foundation for a business.
But there was a challenge. Justine could not speak English confidently, and she knew this would make it difficult to communicate, manage a business and keep proper records. So, she decided to learn and joined FRC’s English for Adults program.
“All I wanted was to learn English, so I got rid of all the fears and concentrated on what I wanted.”
She focused on learning and gradually became more confident in reading, speaking and communicating in English.
“Right now, I can read, speak in English and conduct business confidently.”
That decision would open more doors than she expected. Today, Justine is an adult literacy instructor and salon owner, guiding and motivating other women to embrace learning.
From learner to instructor
Teaching was not new to Justine. Back in Congo, she worked as a primary school teacher. But becoming an adult literacy instructor in Uganda opened a different chapter for her.
In November 2023, she became a Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) instructor under FRC’s literacy program. The transition was not easy.
“My first time standing in front of adults, I got some fear but with time I got used to it.”
Her own experience as a learner has also shaped how she approaches teaching adults.
“My experience with teaching adults has taught me that they require patience and understanding.”
Her former instructor remembers what made Justine stand out when she was a learner.
“I nominated Justine for the award because she had so much interest when she was a learner. She knew what she wanted, she was very focused, and she was among the best in my class.”
The instructor also remembers how Justine interacted with other learners.
“She was attentive and would get what you’re teaching. She would also explain to other learners so that they can understand.”
Those qualities have followed her into her work as an instructor. The learner who once listened carefully and helped others understand is now the person standing in front of the classroom.
What she learned, she put to work
In February 2025, Justine opened her own salon with Uganda Shillings 500,000 in capital. The salon allows her to put the skills she already had as a hairdresser to work while applying the financial skills she learned through FRC’s training.
When business is good, she can make up to Uganda Shillings 100,000 a week from between five and ten clients. When business is slower, she relies on other sources of income to meet her needs.
For Justine, the financial literacy lessons have become part of how she manages what she earns.
When asked whether she would be managing her money in the same way if she had not taken the financial literacy and English classes, her answer is clear.
“No, I had no idea what to do before, but now I can properly plan for my money even if it is not much.”
The income she earns also helps her meet her family’s needs, pay school fees, and take care of personal expenses. What began as an idea during a financial literacy class has become something she is now doing for herself. But Justine did not stop building her own business.
Taking learning to other women
As an instructor, Justine now helps other adults develop the skills that she once needed herself. She is particularly passionate about encouraging women to return to learning.
“I want other women to achieve what I have achieved such that they can also go and be the change out there.”
For some of her learners, that encouragement has already made a difference. Sifa Oliver has been attending Justine’s FAL class for seven months. Before joining, she depended on other people to help her with things she could not read or write. At meetings, for example, she would ask someone else to write to her. Since joining the class, Sifa says she has started trying to read and write herself. She can now write her name and is happy with the progress she is making.
For another learner, Aline Gracious, joining Justine’s class has opened a door that was previously closed. Aline never attended school because her father died and her mother could not afford the costs. She says no one in her family can read or write, and when they needed to complete attestation forms, there was no one in the family who could write for them. Since joining Justine’s class, Aline has learned to read and write and can now help her family with such tasks. She hopes to continue learning English and eventually return to formal education.
For Justine, these experiences are a reminder that learning does not have to stop with the person who enters the classroom. What she learned has helped her build her own confidence and livelihood. Now, she is helping other women and adults take their own first steps towards reading and writing.
Still learning, still building
Justine’s future plans are still taking shape. She wants to improve her salon by buying equipment such as a salon chair and sink. She also hopes to use the income she earns as an instructor to continue growing her business, acquire property and livestock, and invest in her future.
She has also set herself a goal beyond her own livelihood: to help 30 women over the next three years. She hopes to teach them hairdressing, help them develop practical skills, and encourage them to build businesses of their own.
Her journey has taken her from working as a hairdresser in Uganda to imagining a business of her own, learning the skills she needed to manage it, becoming an adult literacy instructor and using what she earns to support her family.
She once entered the classroom as a learner. Today, she stands at the front of it, helping others discover what they can do. And for Justine, learning is still opening new doors.