Journey From Displacement to Repair Empowerment - Meet Dawa Edina Hillary; featured by CC4D

Listen to Dawa Edina Hillary – co-founder, gender advocate & software engineer – on her journey from displacement to repair empowerment as featured by CC4D:

My name is Dawa Edina Hillary. I’m a South Sudanese refugee currently living in Uganda for the second time in my life. I am a co-founder of Community Creativity for Development (CC4D), where I advocate for gender equality and work as a software engineer using digital technology to drive social change.

My journey has been shaped by conflict and resilience. I was just three months old when my family first fled to Uganda, escaping violence in what was then Sudan. Much of my early childhood was spent in a refugee camp. Later, when a fragile peace emerged, we returned to South Sudan full of hope but the insecurity returned, and in 2016, I was forced to flee again. I crossed the border into Uganda with nothing but two pieces of black clothing. The only electronic device I owned, a smartphone, was confiscated by fighters along the way.

Despite the trauma, arriving in Uganda brought a sense of peace, the kind I hadn't known amidst the constant sound of gunfire. Still, I felt lost, unsure of how to begin rebuilding my life.

Everything changed in 2018 when I was selected to join a tech training program in Rhino Camp, organized by CTEN and supported by r0g_agency, with funding from the German government (BMZ). There, I met three young men from my community who, like me, were passionate about using technology to create change. I joined them and started learnt how to repair electronic devices. With a shared commitment to digital empowerment and my strong dedication to women’s inclusion in tech we came together to create a community makerspace focused on electronics repair and innovation.

This grassroots effort grew into Community Creativity for Development (CC4D), a refugee-led organization based in Eden Zone, Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement and Yei River County South Sudan. At CC4D, we are dedicated to building the skills and confidence of refugees, returnees and host communities through:

✅ Mobile community repair cafés

✅ Hands-on repair and upcycling training for young people, including women and girls.

✅ Textile mending and upcycling workshops

✅ Basic ICT and digital literacy training

As a co-founder, gender advocate, and software engineer, I’m passionate about helping teach women and young people digital safety and how to repair and upcycle their electronics devices and realize their potential through technology and innovation. My experience has shown me that even in the most difficult circumstances, hope and opportunity can be found.

“It’s okay to cry sometimes, but after the tears, keep going. Don’t live in regret. If one path is blocked, try another.”