In the heart of Kampala’s bustling Kabuli neighbourhood lies a quiet powerhouse of transformation—Tshani Braids Salon.
What began in a refugee’s modest living room has grown into the longest-serving braiding salon in the capital, a beacon of hope for vulnerable women seeking dignity, income, and belonging.
At the centre of it all is Nicole Tshani: entrepreneur, mentor, philanthropist, and the woman whose ten fingers have braided not just hair, but hundreds of futures.
A Refugee’s Resilience
Nicole’s journey began in 1997 when she fled the Democratic Republic of Congo with her husband and two young children.
Settling in Kampala with little more than courage and skill, she turned to a craft she had learned in her hometown—hair braiding.
“When we first arrived, I had to find a way to survive,” Nicole recalls. “I realised my hands could give us a future.”
For three years, her small living room in Kabalagala doubled as a salon.
Late into the night, she studied new braiding techniques by candlelight, refining her craft while raising her family. Each satisfied client brought her closer to stability.
“Those early days were hard,” she says, “but every braid I finished was a small victory.”
Building a Brand From the Ground Up
In 2007, Nicole officially registered her business under the name MDG Salon, now Tshani Business Enterprise Ltd.
Her ascent was anything but easy—she walked kilometres daily to buy hair extensions, often carrying bundles on her head.
“One rainy season, I lost everything to flooding,” she recalls.
“But I wiped my tears, negotiated credit with suppliers, and began again.”
A turning point came when she styled the hair of Joyce Kabutiti, a tailor at Bomas House in Kampala.
Kabutiti’s satisfaction triggered a wave of referrals. “She became my walking billboard,” Nicole says with a smile.
Today, Tshani Braids Salon boasts over 600 loyal clients—judges, musicians, entrepreneurs, and refugees among them—and employs more than 30 women on a flexible rotation. Half of them have worked with Nicole for over a decade.
The Birth of a Movement
In 2021, a barefoot South Sudanese refugee walked into Nicole’s salon, heavily pregnant and desperate—not for charity, but for a skill.
“She asked to learn, not for money,” Nicole recalls. “Her eyes reminded me of myself all those years ago.”
Nicole trained her for free and provided start-up materials. That encounter sparked the founding of the Tshani Foundation, now a formal programme training refugee and vulnerable women in hair braiding, customer care, and business management.
To date, the Foundation has trained 47 women, equipping them not just with skills, but a community.
“This is about more than hair,” Nicole says. “It’s about dignity. It's about reclaiming power through work.”
A Place for Every Woman
Inside the Foundation’s training space, five languages can be heard—English, French, Kiswahili, Luganda, and Lingala—all fluently spoken by Nicole. Her multilingualism allows her to connect across cultures and foster unity.
“Nicole doesn’t just teach hair,” says Amina, a graduate from Kamuli. “She teaches us to turn our scars into crowns.”
Training includes trauma-informed support, professional development, and entrepreneurship. Plans are underway to build a dedicated training facility with childcare, nursing areas, and flexible hours to accommodate mothers.
“How can a woman learn if she’s worried about her baby?” Nicole asks. “We want to remove every barrier.”
Legacy in Motion
Today, Nicole’s cracked hands hold the dreams of hundreds. Her graduates now run salons, pay school fees, and support families across Uganda and beyond.
“When I see my students succeed, I remember that little room in Kabalagala,” she says.
“These braids are love letters to the women we were—and the futures we’re building.”
Nicole Tshani’s story is one of grace and grit—a reminder that even in exile, hope can take root and bloom.
Through her salon and Foundation, she’s reshaping what it means to rebuild, one braid at a time.
“As I tell every student: with these ten fingers, you can create more than beauty. You can create freedom.”