Treasured Things, Untold Stories – Photo Exhibition

In 2025, Finnish Refugee Council celebrates 60 years of supporting people who have been forced to flee their homes. In Uganda, this work is highlighted through the photo exhibition Treasured Things, Untold Stories. The exhibition gives voice to stories often left untold, refugees rebuilding their lives with quiet resilience and hope. Through familiar objects, the photographs reveal what words sometimes cannot: the strength it takes to start over.

Photos and stories: Joan Rachael Apio

Basket by Basket to Better Life

My baskets mean a lot to me because when I weave and sell them, I get money for basic needs: clothes, food, household items, school fees for my children.

Weaving has given me dignity and independence. Each basket I finish is a step toward a better life for me and my children.

The basket weaving skill also carries memories, it reminds me of my grandmother, who taught me and my friends how to weave back in South Sudan.

Ayen Ayai, South Sudan

The Scale That Launched My Business

When war broke out in my village in Congo in 2018, I fled with nothing but my weighing scale, the tool I once used for small fishing business. At first, it felt useless at the settlement but soon it became my lifeline.

I began moving around, buying maize in small quantities and selling it at the market. With the scale, I knew exactly what I was buying and could make a little profit. Step by step, those small gains grew, and today I run my own shop.

This weighing scale is my symbol of survival and hope.

Timote Dragiro, Democratic Republic of Congo

More Than Just a Phone

I was a teacher back home, but war forced us to flee. I lost everything, even my documents. In Uganda, I started over. Speaking English helped me become a Village Health Team member and a community leader.

I saved my training allowances to buy a smartphone. The day I got it, I cried with joy. I could finally talk to my family again.

With my phone I help others: families in conflict, with sick children. It’s more than a device. It’s my connection, my voice, my tool for change.

Florence Amony, South Sudan

Seeds of Home

Back home, I was a commercial farmer growing sorghum.
When I arrived here, I tried planting sorghum again. But the Ugandan variety didn’t taste the same. So, I took a risk and went back to South Sudan to get the seeds we knew.

I brought them here, and now I grow that same sorghum on the small piece of land given to us by OPM. I don’t grow enough to sell, but I harvest and store it, so my family has food during the dry season. It also helps us supplement what we get from the WFP.

This sorghum means a lot to me. It connects me to my past, helps me care for my family, and gives me hope even in a new land.

Thon Mangol, South Sudan

A Certificate That Revived My Dream

My dream has always been to become a teacher. But when I fled Congo in 2018 and came to Uganda, that dream felt shattered. I could not speak English, and without it, I felt useless as if all my years of schooling no longer mattered.

Everything changed when I joined FRC’s English for Adults class in 2023. Slowly, I found my voice again. With English, I can now communicate, belong, and continue my journey toward teaching.

The certificate I received is more than paper, it is a doorway back to my dream, and a chance to serve my community through the work I love.

Furaha Sadiki Sarah, Democratic Republic of Congo

My Sewing Machine of Resilience

In 2014, war broke out and I was forced to leave my country with my children. I carried my sewing machine, which wasn’t easy while escaping, but I knew the difference it had made in my life, so I held onto it.

Before the war, this sewing machine had helped take care of my children. And when we came to Uganda, it became my lifeline again when I started tailoring and could once more feed my children and pay rent.

My sewing machine remains my most treasured possession. To me it is a symbol of resilience and survival.

Jane Ossa, South Sudan

Tools of Survival

When I fled Burundi in 2011, the only things I carried with me were two building tools I had owned since 1994. In Uganda, these tools became my lifeline.

Each time I leave home with them, I never know when someone might need a door fixed but whenever they do, it means a meal for my family.

Even after food support was reduced, these tools continue to help us survive.

Narukunda Ribori, Burundi

The Cow That Carried Hope

Before we came to Uganda, my family had over 70 cows. One day, while they were out grazing, raiders attacked and stole all of them. Only one cow escaped and found her way back home. She became very special to me.

When we fled to Uganda, I brought her with me. Since then, she has given us five more cows. I’m happy they are all female, because that means they will also give birth and help us rebuild what we lost.

In our culture, a cow is more than just an animal. It is a gift. It brings pride, strength, and hope. This cow reminds me that even after great loss, life can begin again.

Bor Reng, South Sudan

Baking Cookies and New Beginnings

I learned to bake traditional cookies while working at a bakery. I saved up and bought this machine, with the dream of starting my own bakery. And I did.

Then war came to South Sudan. I lost everything except this machine. I couldn’t leave it behind. It reminded me of my dream, my hard work, and the life I was building.

People loved my cookies, and I began baking again. The machine helped me earn money, support my family and rebuild my life.

Today, it still runs. It gives me hope – it is the heart of my journey.

Kiden Pauline, South Sudan

The Certificate of Change

When I came to Uganda, I felt lost. I couldn’t speak English – I couldn’t ask questions or talk to people. I was stuck. But I’m a mother and I wanted a better life for my children. So, I decided to learn English.

When my neighbor became an English instructor with FRC, I joined her class with my 16-year-old son. Studying with him helped me stay focused. And after a few months, I could understand basic English.

I treasure my certificate from FRC. It opened a big door for me and my children. Now, I feel confident about our future.

Nasreen Hassan, Sudan