social enterprise partners - Uganda
The Milaya Project
About The Milaya Project
The Milaya Project is a non-profit founded by photographer Nora Lorek and National Geographic writer Nina Strochlic. It connects South Sudanese refugees with customers who want to support the traditional art form of milayas, a hand-embroidered bedsheet. It’s a volunteer-run organization with all profits reinvested in scaling-up the project and supporting the women working with it. The project operates in Bidibidi refugee camp, and collaborates with a women’s collective that involves between 50 to 100 women embroidering milayas.
Refugee Artisan Group
The Milaya Project collaborates with South Sudanese refugees living in Uganda. Currently, the group consists of 41 women based in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement.
© UNHCR/Nora Lorek
South Sudan
Emergency
Learn more about the South Sudanese refugee crisis and UNHCR’s work in the region
Partners
since:
2023
Artisan
origin:
South Sudan
Production
Locations:
Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, Uganda
Heritage skills
Embroidery
Features
"Humanitarian assistance saves lives and must continue wherever needs arise. But when emergency tools become the long-term default, and entire generations remain trapped in dependency, we are not building sustainability. We must measure success by whether people can rebuild their lives."
- Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
