Author: GRI Social Media Team

As the war in Sudan continues, thousands of people have been displaced within the country and beyond. With the aim of protecting the most affected, UNHCR has started to resettle Sudanese families to other countries. Uganda acknowledges the shared responsibility of providing war-affected populations a safe space and is thus amongst the resettlement countries.

In December 2023, Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement welcomed 1500 new arrivals straight from Sudan. After two days at the reception center, the families were provided with starting kits, including essential household items, and were located in different Clusters within the settlement. 

Just as many other organisations, Global Refugee Initiatives was involved in the reception process. To provide guidance to the new arrivals, organisations got the opportunity to welcome them and present their services. The refugee leaders, many of whom have lived in the settlement for years, spoke encouraging words to their new neighbours, sharing their stories and reassuring them.

Whilst every beginning is hard, we are willing to support the new arrivals to our best and facilitate their settling in.

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End of November, our GRI farmer groups participated in a joint monitoring and farmer field exhibition day in Kiryandongo refugee settlement. The event, sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation Uganda (FAO), bought together a number of livelihoods partners to showcase their programs, share experiences and learn from best practices.

The technology showcasing and farmer field exhibition included diverse income-generating activities such as: Poultry keeping, craft making, tailoring, vegetable kitchen gardens, rain water harvesting systems and block farming and many more. Our farmer groups also got the chance to demonstrate their gardens, harvest samples as well as processed products, e.g. sweet potato fries. Our Livelihoods Officer shares his insights:

“We are grateful to FAO for bringing us together as a sector and enabling us to learn from each other through this joint monitoring exercise. Our farmers have also gained exposure by participating in the farmer field day exhibition show. This has been a platform for them to do market linkages and sell some of their products.”

Brian Gonzaga
GRI Livelihoods Officer   

Joint monitoring and learning exercises aim at providing organisations with the knowledge and network to improve their programs to further empower refugees to achieve self-reliance and economic independence.

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Recently, My Home Stars and Global Refugee Initiatives launched a strategic partnership. The motivation behind this partnership stems from the mutual commitment we share to provide accessible education to children impacted by conflicts in refugee camps and other educationally deprived regions. Subsequently, a pilot program introducing the 5 STAZ educational games at GRI’s School, Ubuntu Model Primary School in Bweyale was executed. The games are intricately designed to captivate and engage children in the Ugandan Educational Curriculum, particularly targeting Primary 4, 5, 6, and 7. They encompass the four key modules (Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies) taught at the primary school level in Uganda, aligning with the syllabus and updated on a termly basis.

“Spending almost a week working with GRI to implement the game-based learning program using the 5 Staz games, was a very memorable achievement for us. From interacting with teachers at Ubuntu Model Primary School, it is very clear that the teachers are committed to ensuring that the children can access quality education in order to reach their career goal and achieve their life potential. Teachers from Ubuntu and the entire GRI staff acknowledge the fact that children inherently love to play and learn in a child friendly space which is also visible from the different activities integrated into their learning programs. While at Ubuntu Model Primary schoool, I got to learn a lot about their Environmental Kids Club, Music Dance and Drama and Awareness Clubs which makes me excited about this collaboration and getting to add the 5 Staz as a resource for teachers and students.”

– Erick Ziponi, Program Manager My Home Stars –

“It was an amazing experience for the first time learning to use the 5 Staz games. These educational board games are simplified and suitable for our learners. I am very sure that these games will greatly impact our children’s performance as they move forward. Both learners and teachers enjoyed the games. I thank GRI and My Home Stars for bringing the board games to Ubuntu Model Primary School.”

– Fred Omuno Ronald, Ubuntu Model Primary School Head Teacher –

“Beyond the academic set-up, GRI has established a vibrant culture among all the Staff member, and brought on board teachers who are passionate, and great team players which really made my work of running the pilot much easier. Needless to say, the commitment of the organization to enhance the financial status and livelihood of parents and children in the community through the livelihood enhancement program and the sustainability program is humbling.”

— Erick Ziponi added

For the beginning, these educational games will be utilized for two weeks at the onset of the upcoming term, specifically for Primary Three students. The aim is to offer supplementary lessons that will bolster their comprehension of class subjects as they progress to Primary Four.

Long term, this partnership is going to focus on five key objectives including;

1. Increased outreach and education access to underprivileged children through increasing awareness of educational opportunities for refugee children with limited access to quality education.
2. Improve our program synergy and complementarity through identifying areas of expertise in each of our organizations and leverage them for a more comprehensive educational offering and develop joint programs that complement each other, providing a more holistic educational experience.
3. Capacity building and resource sharing by sharing new educational materials like the 5 Staz, learning approaches, and best practices that will make teachers more effective facilitators.
4. Improve and enhance community engagement in areas where our partner schools are located through the design and implementation of our various educational programs.
5. Joint fundraising strategies for long-term educational planning to adapt to changing needs and contexts.

We are so excited and as this partnership unfolds, we not only hope to enhance educational access but also to contribute to the holistic development of children in underprivileged communities that we both serve.

My Home Stars Website: www.myhomestars.com

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Harvest time is approaching!

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To promote a safe learning atmosphere and
 encourage the development of social skills and practical competencies at our school, we offer different 
extra-curricular activities to our learners. Every afternoon our pupils at Ubuntu Model Primary School are involved in Club activities, such as the Environmental Kids Club or the Music Dance and Drama Club.

The instructive and fun Club activities complement the national curriculum and facilitate learning for children who struggle with conventional teaching methods. The positive social encounters strengthen the children’s self-confidence and improve their psycho-social well-being. Moreover, the Clubs serve as a platform to create bonds of friendship, build trust and solidarity amongst each other and thereby contribute to a peaceful co-existence within the settlement. But hear for yourself what our learners have got to say:

If you wish to support our learners, please visit our sponsorship program page. Every contribution matters!

Part 3

Welcome to our newest episode of “Exploring the Benefits of Block Farming to our Refugee Groups“.  Today, get to understand how the farming activities with GRI empower refugees economically. But also, hear about the challenges due to water scarcity during the dry season and the solutions GRI provides to the farmer groups.

Up to today, access to water for agricultural production has been one of the major challenges for our refugee farmer groups. In order to provide a sustainable solution to this challenge, GRI, with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), is currently digging a deep well and installing a solar-powered irrigation system. The watering system will enable farmers to cultivate throughout the dry season, thereby increasing food security and generating additional income.

Zakayo, one of our refugee farmers, is looking forward to the facilitated access to water for the gardens:

We used to fetch water from the tank to the crop field which is a very long distance. It’s a real blessing to get the deep well which we will depend on.

Zakayo

Listen to his full statement in Kiswahili:

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