Category: News

Global Refugee Initiatives (GRI), in collaboration with Ubuntu Model Primary School, recently conducted a livelihoods program needs assessment aimed at introducing newly arrived refugee parents from Sudan to existing income-generating opportunities. The meeting, attended by 87 parents (54 women and 33 men), provided a platform for both new and existing parents to share knowledge on economic activities that can help sustain their families and support their children’s education.

Key insights from the discussions revealed that:

65% of parents expressed interest in farming, proposing activities such as poultry, piggery, vegetable growing, and large-scale maize production.

25% of parents emphasized the need for business skills and startup capital for ventures like soap making, baking, tailoring, and small shops.

10% of parents, particularly skilled workers, requested tools and equipment for trades such as bricklaying, welding, and milling.

With over 100 parents eager to join GRI’s economic empowerment initiatives, this assessment highlights the urgent need for expanded livelihood support to help refugee families rebuild their lives. The inclusion of new arrivals from Sudan in these programs ensures that they can integrate into the community and contribute meaningfully to their children’s well-being.

We are calling on donors, partners, and well-wishers to support this transformative program. Your contribution, whether through funding, technical support, or resource mobilization will make a lasting impact on refugee families.

For partnerships and support, reach out to us today at info@griuganda.org

Farming in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement is challenging, especially during dry seasons when limited land and water scarcity worsen food insecurity. Refugee mothers struggle to access nutritious vegetables, increasing malnutrition among infants and expectant mothers.

To tackle this, GRI is supporting 200 refugee farmers through block farming. By providing access to land, training in soil water conservation techniques like mulching, ridge planting, and solar-powered irrigation, we are ensuring food security and sustainable livelihoods.

This initiative is making a real difference—helping refugee families grow nutritious food and boost household incomes. Together, we can expand this impact! Click here to support.

This year, we welcomed five new educators—two teaching assistants (one Sudanese and one South Sudanese) and three Ugandan-registered teachers. Among the successful candidates was Amani, a Sudanese, who stood out as one of the top applicants. Along with her colleagues, she underwent orientation to smoothly integrate into our school community.

Reflecting on her journey at Ubuntu Model Primary School, Amani shared:

“𝘈𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘯, 𝘐 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘚𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘜𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳—𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘜𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢—𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘙𝘐 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘐 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘢𝘵 𝘜𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘶 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭.”

Amani is now part of a growing team of refugee educators. Thank you to our partners and donors for making this possible!

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎

A quiet yet powerful transformation is unfolding at Ubuntu Model Primary School in one of the most anticipated classes of the day—the English Bridging Program.

Designed to support Arabic-speaking Sudanese pupils with no prior knowledge of English, this program has become a game-changer, sparking excitement for learning, fostering social interaction, and bridging the gap between struggle and success.

For many learners, stepping into an English-speaking classroom once felt like being dropped into an unfamiliar world—concepts were lost in translation, confidence wavered, and participation seemed out of reach. But with the introduction of the bridging program, everything is changing. New Sudanese pupils are now confidently interacting with classmates from other nationalities in English.

Through engaging activities and interactive lessons, the classroom has become a space where learning thrives. Each day, it echoes with laughter, progress, and the undeniable proof that with the right support, every child can flourish.

Together, we can break even more barriers in the education journey of refugee children in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement and beyond!

The morning sun cast a golden glow over Ubuntu Model Primary School, signaling the start of a fresh school term last week. The air buzzed with excitement as children, dressed in their neat uniforms and some in clean non-uniform clothing, hurried through the school gate, their backpacks bouncing with every eager step. But this term was unlike any other. This time, the pupils had something extra special to look forward to—a new grade in a brand-new classroom!

For months, they had watched in anticipation as the new structure took shape. They had peeked through the windows, imagining the lessons they would learn and the stories they would share within those four walls. And today, their patience was finally rewarded.

“This is the best classroom ever!” whispered Queen, a Primary Four pupil, as she ran her fingers along her new wooden desk. Her friends nodded in agreement, their faces lit with excitement.

The teachers, too, couldn’t hide their joy. The new classroom meant more furniture, smaller class sizes, better teaching and learning conditions, reinforced job security, and a brighter future for their pupils.

A special thanks to our donors and partners for making this possible and to all our supporters for paving the way for a better tomorrow for these learners and their communities!

Global Refugee Initiatives (GRI) invites qualified and dedicated professionals to apply for the position of 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫. Join us in our mission to support refugee communities and provide quality education to children in the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement.

Learn More About the position;

GRI’s 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑 participated in the FAO Uganda-organized Farmer Field Day, showcasing their vegetable produce and passion fruit farming techniques. They highlighted agronomic practices, nutritional benefits, and market potential of vegetables while recommending the highly disease-tolerant Passiflora flavicapa variety for better yields.

The event brought together stakeholders like UNHCR, MAAIF, and local government, fostering collaboration between settlement and host community farmers to promote sustainable agriculture and improved livelihoods.

This week, Ubuntu Model Primary School, Bweyale Public Primary School, and Bidong Primary School in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement joined hands for a conservation education film screening of Habitats. The film showcased diverse ecosystems such as freshwater, rainforests, deserts, and grasslands, helping pupils understand the meaning and importance of habitats.

The experience was both educational and exciting, as students explored the lives of wildlife in their natural settings and learned about their ecological roles. The initiative emphasized the need to protect and conserve habitats, leaving a lasting impression on the young minds about environmental stewardship.

“Film shows are a powerful medium that inspires and educates young minds about the importance of caring for our planet.”– Angera Nduhukire, Environment and Health Officer

Newly arrived Sudanese refugees are embracing commercial agriculture through passion fruit farming, thanks to GRI’s mindset change training sessions in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement. 

In response to the call for community-driven farming, eight Sudanese farmer groups, each with 15-20 members, requested land for commercial agriculture. GRI’s livelihoods team has since trained these groups’ leaders on passion fruit nursery bed setup, covering both theory and hands-on seed preparation and planting.

These farmer groups have been allocated land in our Block Farm (Cluster C), where an adequate water supply will support irrigation through the upcoming dry season. Passion fruits are widely enjoyed in Kiryandongo and beyond, often used to make juice for schools, homes, and local businesses.

Join us in transforming lives through sustainable agriculture.

We are excited to announce that Global Refugee Initiatives has begun the construction of a second classroom block at Ubuntu Model Primary School, thanks to the generous support from private foundations, particularly from the Netherlands.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 (𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐧).Currently, the school has 200+ children enrolled from South Sudan, DRC, IDP, and the host communities in Kiryandongo. 

The block will also feature an ICT lab offering digital skills to learners, youth, and women in the refugee settlement.