HENNNA Project: Empowering Refugee Women Through Henna Skills
Transforming Trauma into Livelihoods
Trauma Rescue Aid (TRAID) recently completed a transformative two-week Henna skills training program for 31 Sudanese refugee women in Seeta, Mukono. Most participants were survivors of gender-based violence and single mothers who lost their partners during the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Many arrived at the training carrying heavy emotional burdens, uncertainty about the future, and struggling to provide for their families.
With recent humanitarian funding cuts affecting refugee communities across Uganda, many families face severe challenges in meeting basic needs such as food, shelter, and education for their children. Programs like the HENNNA Project aim to address this urgent need by combining practical income-generating skills with trauma-informed support. In doing so, they offer not just a means to earn a living, but also a safe space to heal, connect, and regain a sense of agency.
Building Skills and Healing Trauma
The HENNNA Project integrated two critical objectives for refugee women’s empowerment. First, it supported emotional healing through creative expression and peer connection, helping women restore confidence and hope. Second, it provided marketable skills that enable women to generate income independently and sustainably support their families.
“Henna wasn’t just art in this context,” explained program facilitators. “It became a doorway to community, dignity, and hope for women rebuilding their lives after displacement and loss.”
By combining technical training with psychosocial support, the program offered participants both tangible skills and the emotional space to process their trauma. Many women described moments of deep concentration like therapy interspersed with laughter, encouragement, and shared learning. For many, these sessions were some of the first opportunities to focus on themselves after months or even years of survival-focused living.
Training Program Details
Purpose of the Training:
Provide a calm, creative activity that encourages focus, confidence, and community connection.
Equip participants with practical, marketable skills to generate income and support their families.
Technical Skills Covered:
Natural Henna paste preparation and application techniques
Designing patterns ranging from simple to advanced styles
Bridal and cultural design traditions
Professional hygiene and client service standards
Business Development Skills:
Pricing and marketing strategies
Customer service and communication techniques
Guidance on starting a home-based Henna business
Psychosocial Support:
Peer support group sessions
Community-building activities
Mindfulness and creative practice for stress relief
The training environment emphasized a balance between skill development and emotional support. Facilitators encouraged participants to collaborate, share experiences, and celebrate achievements, creating a nurturing atmosphere where learning and healing could occur simultaneously.
Results: 100% Success Rate
All 31 women successfully completed the program, achieving remarkable outcomes:
Professional Skills: Participants learned to create high-quality Henna designs suitable for client services.
Business Confidence: Many women felt ready to offer services at weddings, community events, and from their homes.
Peer Networks: Women formed ongoing practice groups to continue developing their skills and support one another.
Emotional Healing: Participants reported reduced stress, restored confidence, and renewed hope.
Income Opportunities: Several participants began receiving service requests during the training period, giving immediate opportunities to apply their skills.
“One participant told us she never imagined she could learn a skill that people admire so quickly,” shared TRAID staff. “That sense of accomplishment was transformative for her emotional healing journey.”
For mothers, the prospect of earning an income provided renewed strength to care for their children, particularly in the face of declining humanitarian aid. Many expressed that the training helped them envision a more stable, hopeful future.
Overcoming Challenges
Despite the strong outcomes, the program faced several challenges. Resource limitations meant that participants had to share materials, and some women required additional time to concentrate due to trauma-related difficulties. Yet, participant motivation remained high throughout the program. Peer support networks emerged naturally, with women encouraging each other to practice, experiment, and refine their designs.
These networks not only facilitated skill development but also strengthened emotional resilience, creating a sense of community that many had lost through displacement and loss.
Building on Success: Next Steps
TRAID aims to build on the success of the HENNNA Project through several follow-up initiatives:
Providing startup kits so participants can begin earning income immediately.
Facilitating market linkages with event organizers and community networks.
Supporting peer business groups for collaborative services at weddings and community events.
Offering advanced training modules in specialized techniques.
Integrating business skills training with financial literacy and savings programs to ensure sustainable income growth.
A Model for Sustainable Support
The HENNNA Project demonstrates that even small, targeted interventions can carry profound emotional and economic impact. By combining skill development with psychosocial support, refugee women not only learn a valuable livelihood but also gain confidence, connection, and a renewed sense of purpose.
As humanitarian funding continues to decline, programs like this offer a sustainable model of empowerment. They enable refugee women to support themselves and their families with dignity and independence while providing the emotional support needed to heal from trauma.
About Trauma Rescue Aid (TRAID)
TRAID works with refugee and displaced communities in Uganda, providing psychosocial support, livelihood training, and emergency assistance to survivors of conflict and gender-based violence. By integrating practical skills with emotional healing, TRAID helps vulnerable populations reclaim hope, independence, and the tools to rebuild their lives.