PRECARIOUS LIVING CONDITIONS
The country in Africa welcoming the most refugees, however, Uganda faces chronic underfunding for humanitarian assistance from DR Congo (in the West) and South Sudan (in the North).
This situation causes many problems in the care of refugees:
- Protection of children: lessons learned from Caritas’ work with unaccompanied minors in refugee settlements* reveal many gaps in access to justice and compliance with child protection laws. Community-based child protection systems are weak or nonexistent.
- Gender-based sexual violence: assessments conducted show delays in case notification due to ignorance of referral mechanisms, lack of parental interest, and cultural rigidity.
- Legal and judicial assistance: the judicial system is under-resourced, resulting in inadequate legal service provision and marginal access to justice, particularly for refugees. The significant delay in processing cases discourages victims from coming forward.
- Socio-economic reintegration: key informant interviews highlight the need to expand socio-economic activities in settlements. Refugees rely largely on food rations or their cash equivalent to survive.
HOW TO IMPROVE PROTECTION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC INTEGRATION?
Caritas International and their partners have put in place different actions to achieve long-lasting positive change:
Protection of children, reduction of gender-based violence, strengthening social cohesion and conflict prevention
Examples of planned activities:
- Stakeholder training on policies against exploitation, sexual abuse, and safeguarding.
- Raising awareness on child protection and the prevention of gender-based violence.
- Raising awareness on the peaceful management of conflicts between different community groups, though sports and cultural activities.
- Psychological identification and support for victims of abuse and violence.
- Coverage of victims’ medical expenses.
- The distribution of hygiene kits and protection to victims.
Legal support
Examples of planned activities:
- Judicial support for displaced or returning people, and victims of abuse or violence.
- Advocacy for the protection of targeted groups.
Socio-economic reintegration
Examples of planned activities:
- Cash transfers for displaced, refugee, and returnee households (as well as the most vulnerable households within the host communities) to meet their basic needs and to facilitate socio-economic their reintegration.
- Support the creation and management of savings and credit groups.
- Professional training for young people, structuring of trained young people into associations, and support these associations with work kits.
FOR AND WITH REFUGEES AS WELL AS HOST COMMUNITIES
We work for and in collaboration with refugees, but also with the host communities:
- 10,000 people (mostly vulnerable unaccompanied minors, people with a handicap, and female heads of the household) are involved in activities targeting socio-economic inclusion.
- 5,000 minors as well as 6,000 victims of gender-based violence benefit from increased protection
- 3,000 people receiving judicial support.
The population as a whole also benefits from the implications of the project: Caritas organizes campaigns to raise awareness on different themes based on protection, such as the rights of children, sexual violence, and access to justice.
We ensure the construction of safe places in settlements*: a specific space for victims of gender-based violence and two community spaces. We will build fences around the schools in settlements, as well as 20 cabins where students can change into their school uniforms.
10 solar panels allow for better lighting of the paths in settlements. Sports and cultural activities are also offered to the whole community.
