World Refugee Day: Uganda calls for more investment in communities that host refugees

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How do we help refugees cope with the new environment and become self-reliant? The African country of Uganda is calling for more investment in host communities. Richard is in our Nairobi studio with more, Richard?

Uganda is observing World Refugee Day with a call for more investment in communities that host refugees. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says this will ease pressure on host communities and help refugees become self-reliant. As Isabel Nakirya reports from Kampala, one woman is giving Congolese tailors space in her workshop to earn some money and cope in the city.

Lucien Mazambi is sewing his life back together. Two years ago, he was struggling to make ends meet in Kampala as a Congolese refugee. He's now the lead tailor at this workshop.

LUCIEN MAZAMBI LEAD TAILOR, SAWE FASHIONS "I couldn't even earn enough for myself, I was like a child that has to wait to be fed. But now I am more self-reliant, I can afford to rent a house and I can provide for my family."

Lucien fled fighting from Goma, in the Eastern DRC. He lived in a church in Kampala for almost a year while learning how to sew in nearby shops.

ISABEL NAKIRYA KAMPALA, UGANDA PTC "Lucien's good skills in making African fabric earned him a job here. He's also helped recruit other Congolese refugee tailors and together they've helped Sawe grow her business."

Sawe says she wants to improve the lives of refugees.

SAWE CATHERINE DIRECTOR, SAWE FASHIONS "Given that Congolese tailors are good, they have a background in good African fashion and its what I deal with, so I was able to work with a few first and I realized there's a niche and there is so many Congolese who lack jobs, it was an opportunity for me to help them."

The UN refugee agency has made an appeal for $900million to help address the needs of refugees in Uganda. But Lucien and about 100,000 other refugees living in the city will miss out. Uganda's laws only allow AID to go to refugees living in settlements. Despite this Lucien doesn't want to go back to the DRC.

LUCIEN MAZAMBI LEAD TAILOR "I am now working, I do not have anything troubling me but in Congo things are unpredictable, it can be good now and by evening there's fighting and you have to run for your life."

Uganda has left its doors open to refugees despite the financial burden. The country hosts Africa's biggest refugee population, with over a million refugees living here. And refugees like Lucien have had to work hard to be able to iron out their problems. IN, CGTN, KAMPALA.