“Getting an education means I learn to think in a different way” – young refugees are getting access to university studies in Uganda
For many bright young refugees getting access to higher education can be next to impossible. Tuition fees are high and the distance to proper universities long. That is why Finn Church Aid, in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), supports young refugees with full scholarships to be able to go to university and obtain a degree.
“Studying at a university was a desire I always had, but I didn’t know how to get there”, says Anita Magret, a 24-year-old second-year student of Social Work and Social Administration at the Ugandan Christian University, one of the top universities in Uganda.
She is sitting at a fireplace outside a few small huts in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, where she lives with her aunt while away from university for her internship. Many of the students return home for internships or when they are on leave.
Anita Magret always wanted to study at a university, but never knew how to achieve her dream.
Another Bidi Bidi resident and university student is Luate Richard, 22. He studies Microfinance at Kyambogo University in Kampala.
“Being able to study at a university means a lot. Nobody in my family had studied at a higher level before, so this opportunity means a lot for my family”, he tells us.
Both Luate Richard and Anita Magret escaped South Sudan with their families during clashes in 2016, and have been living in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement since then.
From refugee camp to university
The refugee settlement is one of the largest in the world, home to an estimated 270,000 refugees, over half of them children. Still, the number of learners advancing all the way to university is miniscule due to manifold challenges.
That is why Finn Church Aid, together with UNHCR, are supporting 53 learners with full scholarships. The scholarship makes it possible for students to attend their university of choice.d
“My hostel, my tuition and my upkeep are all covered. My family wouldn’t have any possibility to cover these kinds of expenses, so this is an answer to my prayers”, says Luate Richard.
Luate Richard stands in front of his hut in Bidi Bidi refugee camp. He studies Microfinance at Kyambogo University in Kampala .
“When it was confirmed that I got the scholarship my whole family was so full of joy, everyone was in tears. It was not easy to reach this point, but when I made it, everybody was very happy and excited”, says Anita Magret.
In addition, the scholarship also covered the unexpected expenses that came with COVID-19. The pandemic forced students into remote studies. Since access to the internet can be quite expensive in Uganda, that was covered too.
Bringing their talents back to their communities
Both Luate Richard and Anita Magret chose to do their mandatory internships in the refugee camp. In the future, they hope to be able to work in their communities.
“In microfinancing we try to find active poor, the ones who are willing to start businesses, finance their ventures and give them financial knowledge so that their business will be successful. I would like to do this in my own community”, says Luate Richard.
Anita Magret also intends to use her education to better people’s lives.
Anita wants to use her education to help people back in her community.
“I feel like I needed to go far to be able to come back and help people with what I learned in school. I want to improve the social well-being of my community and others in need.”
She already feels the opportunity of getting out of the refugee camp, going to university and meeting people with diverse backgrounds, has expanded her thinking.
“The change has been huge. I can really notice it now that I am back for my internship. I notice how I can bring everything that I learned into my work”, says Anita Magret, who is interning with the organization Hope Health Action, giving counseling and guidance to people in vulnerable states.
“It really moves me, when I am able to help. It feels like I chose the right field of work.”
Education opens up horizons
Luate Richard also sees education as a tool that opens up new horizons.
“Education is so important. Life is hard in the refugee camp, and it is easy to fall into a mindset where hardship and poverty is normal. Getting an education means I learn to think in a different way. Through that I have the opportunity to change things for myself and for my community”, says Luate Richard.
The young university students also see their studies as a possibility to be role models for their younger peers. Anita Magret thinks it is important that young people in the refugee camp are able to see that it is possible to achieve your dreams.
“I have been giving career talks for girls who are in secondary school. It is great to be able to show that you can access better things if you put your heart and efforts into it. I want to give the younger girls courage and hope, and make them believe in themselves.”
Uganda’s Minister of Education welcomes Finn Church Aid support for education policy review
First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet K. Museveni hosted Finn Church Aid Uganda Country Director and the Finn Church Aid Global Advocacy team from Helsinki, who were in Uganda in mid-February. Photo: Finn Church AidUganda
Uganda’s First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet K. Museveni, has welcomed an offer made by Finn Church Aid (FCA) to have Finnish Education Technical Experts support the on-going work of the Education Policy Review Commission in Uganda.
FINN CHURCH AID will second two Finnish education experts; an Education Management Consultant recruited by FinCEED, who will work with the Commission from March up to the end of May 2023 and another Specialist recruited by the Teachers without Borders Network in Finland, who will work from June up to the end of the year.
The First Lady, Mrs. Janet K. Museveni on Thursday (February 23rd, 2023), hosted Finn Church Aid Uganda Country Director and the Finn Church Aid Global Advocacy team from Helsinki, who were in Uganda, to among others, follow up on the proposed actions from the benchmarking visit made by some members of the Education Policy Review Commission to Finland in September last year.
The meeting was at State House Nakasero and it was also attended by representatives from the Education Policy Review Commission led by the Chairperson Hon. Amanya Mushega, and technical officers from the Education and Sports Ministry.
Mrs. Museveni acknowledged that Finland’s education system and success is recognized globally and so, there is much that Uganda can learn from them.
“We are very grateful for your selfless support and your willingness to hold hands with us on this journey to improve our education system”, she said.
She added that learning from Finland’s experience will possibly help the Education Policy Review Commission to be deliberate in its investigations of the several issues in the education and sports sector and enable it generate the best recommendations that will reposition Uganda’s education and sports system to meet the needs and challenges of the 21st century.
Mrs. Museveni thanked Finn Church Aid Uganda for organizing the benchmarking visit for the Education Policy Review Commission and for its continued partnership with the Education Sector in the implementation of various sector programmes, especially the Education Response Plan for Refugees and Host Communities.
In a brief on the benchmarking visit to Finland, the Education Policy Review Commission Chairperson; Hon. Amanya Mushega, described the trip to have been extremely educative.
He pointed out that the teaching profession is highly revered and that the minimum standard for a basic (primary school) teacher in Finland is a Degree, a Master Degree. In addition, one must have a pedagogical subject.
Among the things they noted in Finland, is the central role of a teacher in the education system and the importance of early childhood care and education, which is compulsory for all children in Finland at the age of 6 years so that by the age they join basic education they are all balanced. They also observed that basic education is very important and is accompanied by learning and lifelong education and that a child can continue with basic education until the age of 14, 16 or even 18 years before breaking off for his specialization.
Finn Church Aid Global Director for Stakeholder Relations, Katri Suomi said Finland became what it is now today because it invested in education. Photo: Finn Church AidUganda
In the Finnish Education system there are no inspectors of schools, no sudden examinations to determine the children’s future, and instead continuous assessment of students’ performance is what is done. Another thing is that children with special needs do not have separate schools but are assisted to study together with other children.
Finn Church Aid Global Director for Stakeholder Relations, Katri Suomi, said education is at the heart of Finn Church Aid, which currently works in 12 countries around the world. She explained that Finland became what it is now today because it invested in education.
While in Uganda, the members of the Global Advocacy team also visited Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District and Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in Kyegegwa District. The team also paid courtesy calls to the UN Refugee Agency and European Union Uganda office.
In Uganda, Finn Church Aid is UNHCR’s implementing partner for Education and co-lead for the Education Sector Working group together with the Ministry of Education and Sports and UNHCR coordinating the countrywide Education Response for refugees and host populations.
Back to school in Uganda: excitement and enthusiasm at start of new school year
On Monday, February 6th 2023, hundreds of students walked through the doors of FCA schools in Uganda’s refugee settlements as the first day of classes began for schools across the country. Even more are expected to report to class in the next two weeks.
OUR STUDENTS are from diverse backgrounds and FCA runs several programmes for them to make sure that every child can blossom in an environment catered for their needs.
I am excited to be back to school to play with my friends, start learning and have fun while I am learning,” says Poni Alice, a schoolchild who is flourishing under the Play to Learn programme. FCA runs the LEGO foundation-funded programme in Bidibidi refugee settlement. It provides quality teaching and learning through functional and play-based pedagogy in child-friendly environments.
David missed many years of school. Now, he’s catching up with our Accelerated Education Programme.
Meanwhile, David Mugasa, 17, a level three learner at Nteziryayo Primary School in Rwamwanja refugee settlement is excited about the year’s possibilities. “I’m so ready to attend classes,” he enthuses. “This school term, I will study very hard and be the brightest student in my class. I am looking forward to learning and to receiving scholastic materials from FCA and UNHCR.”
David enrolled on our Accelerated Education Programme (AEP) supported by European Union Humanitarian Aid (ECHO). He had dropped out of school before he joined the program in 2022, but with the help of our condensed curriculum, he has caught up with several grades of study in only one year.
Secondary education isn’t neglected
We are one of the few development organisations to offer secondary education as well. While many NGOs focus on early years, we believe access to quality education should extend from pre-school all the way through to youth and young adult.
Standing in the school compound, Bernette Niwagaba, the headteacher at Ntenungi Secondary School is excited to start a new school term and has enjoyed watching his students arrive with excitement.
Bernette Niwagaba is the headteacher at Ntenugi Secondary School
“I just have this feeling that it’s going to be such a great term. There have been so many positive changes and the students just seem so enthusiastic and ready to learn,” he says.
Alex Dusabe, a special needs learner at Sweswe Primary School is ready to excel this year. “I’m so happy to see my friends and enjoy staying at the school. I am going to work hard this term and perform well in class and I also want to take part in improving the school sanitation,” he says.
Alex attends school as a boarder, as his disability prevents him from walking long distances.
Alex, who is physically impaired, is glad that he doesn’t have to walk a long distance to school. “I had thought about leaving school because I couldn’t manage walking to and from school daily. I am so happy that I can stay at the school’s boarding section and do not need to travel the long distance.”
In 2021, FCA, with funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Finland, constructed a special needs education unit for learners at Sweswe Primary School in Kyaka II refugee settlement. The unit provides a safe and protected environment for students and has a boarding section where they can live, not only from Kyaka II but also from Rwamwanja refugee settlement, 70 kilometres away.
Sweswe primary school was constructed with a special needs unit, thanks to funding from Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Particularly for girls and young women in Uganda’s refugee settlements, education is one of the key elements to secure better future. Photo: FCA
Education is an assurance of future for refugee girls
Finn Church Aid (FCA) promotes access to quality education, particularly for girls and young women in Uganda’s refugee settlements.
EDUCATION IS A HUMAN RIGHT. It is essential to the acquisition of knowledge. More than that, education makes us more resilient and independent individuals. Finn Church Aid (FCA) promotes access to quality education, particularly for girls and young women in Uganda’s refugee settlements.
Education can have a life-changing consequences for girls especially. Girls like Anthias Poni Oliver. When violence broke out in her homeland, Anthias and her family were among thousands of South Sudanese who escaped to Uganda in search of safety and peace. Anthias lives in Palorinya refugee settlement in Moyo District, Uganda.
However, like so many girls with refugee background, it has been a struggle for Anthias to stay in school. While still in secondary school, she got pregnant and had to drop out of school for a while.
“Anthias’ father refused to take her back to school after finding out she got pregnant and had terminated the pregnancy. He told her to stay home and forget about school,” says Juru Cicilia, Anthias’ mother.
“I was sad because I loved school and knew I would not be able to complete my studies,” says Anthias herself.
South Sudanese Anthias Poni Oliver dreams of becoming a doctor one day to be able to help her community. Photo: Linda Kabuzire
Helping refugee girls stay in school
Education equips girls like Anthias with the skills they need to unlock their potential. Finn Church Aid ensures safe, inclusive schools with quality teaching for everyone with support from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migrations (PRM). FCA creates safe, environmentally friendly learning environments and school structures.
“With the support of Finn Church Aid, I was enrolled in Idiwa secondary school to complete my studies. My favourite subjects are Christian religious education and mathematics,” Anthias adds.
Making a study plan and managing her schedules, a skill she learned during a career guidance session, made her improve on her studies and catch up on lost time.
FCA creates safe, environmentally friendly learning environments and school structures such as Idiwa secondary school in Palorinya refugee settlement in Moyo District, Uganda. Project was supported by Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migrations (PRM). Photo: Linda Kabuzire
“Before I used to only read my books at school, but now I revise at home especially on weekends. This has really improved my learning.”
“They also give me school materials, soap and menstrual hygiene kits, and during the reproductive health lessons they teach us how to use the menstrual kits.”
Dreaming of future
Education is important to Anthias because it will create employment opportunities for her in the future. She hopes to be a doctor when she finishes school.
“I have seen many people in my area self-medicating and some have ended up dying. I want to become a doctor so I can be able to give them proper treatment,” she says.
Anthias’s inspiration is Winnie Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s wife.
“She was very hard working and never lost hope even when the husband was in prison. I hope to be like her.”
FCA hands over newly constructed school facilities in Ugandan refugee settlement
Finn Church Aid’s staff tour the newly constructed Yangani Secondary School with members of the local community.
Finn Church Aid built the infrastructure in Bidibidi refugee settlement under the Lasting Education Achievements Responding to Needs (LEARN) project with funding from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migrations (BPRM).
FINN CHURCH AID (FCA) has handed over newly constructed secondary school infrastructure and facilities to the local government and beneficiaries in Bidibidi refugee settlement, a move that will improve education prospects for both local and refugee youths in the West Nile Region of Uganda.
The school structures were handed over by the FCA Yumbe Area Manager, Mr Michael Tayebwa, to Ms Jesca Ongiertho, the Deputy Chief Administration Officer, Yumbe district.
Among the facilities handed over was a completely new school called Yangani Secondary school. FCA also supported four existing secondary schools with new structures. FCA constructed three classroom blocks, two staff accommodation blocks, one administration block, a library block, and sanitation facilities for Yangani Secondary school.
Yangani Secondary school was built in response to the lack of secondary education opportunities in refugee settlements.
The project also included two classroom blocks, two staff accommodation blocks, one administration block, one library block and sanitation facilities for Kado Secondary school; two staff accommodation blocks and sanitation facilities for Yoyo Secondary school; and one block of sanitation facilities for Highland and Nipata Secondary schools.
The new library at Yangani Secondary school.
“Bidibidi has few schools that provide secondary education, and the distances between them are significant. By strengthening secondary education, we enable refugees and youths from the host community to attain higher education”, Tayebwa says.
Finn Church Aid built the infrastructure under the Lasting Education Achievements Responding to Needs (LEARN) project with funding from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migrations (BPRM). These, according to FCA will increase access to safe and inclusive secondary learning environments for refugee and host population learners in Bidibidi refugee settlement and surrounding areas.
The LEARN project, now reaching the end of its second phase, aims to increase and improve equitable and inclusive quality education for refugee and host community children and adolescents in Bidibidi, Palorinya, Kyaka II and Rwamwanja refugee settlements.
Finn Church Aid promotes access to and delivery of quality education and systems-strengthening, closely linked with Uganda’s National Education Response Plan and Education Sector Strategic Plan. Access to education is promoted by supplying scholastic materials and teaching instructional materials and improving learning environments through the construction of school infrastructures, such as teacher accommodation units, classrooms, latrines, and teacher remuneration.
Learners will use single-seater desks at Yangani Secondary school.
Ugandan youths and refugees trained in Business and Vocational Skills
Finn Church Aid with partner Enabel has provided Ugandan and refugee youth in Palorinya settlement with necessary business understanding and vocational skills to find opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
The war in South Sudan forced Alex Lojuan, 27, to flee his home and settle in Palorinya Refugee settlement, located in Obongi district in the West Nile sub-region of Uganda. He is one of the 512 youth that enrolled for the GIZ-ENABEL funded project implemented by Finn Church Aid (FCA) in the Palorinya refugee settlement.
“My father died during the war and as the eldest child in the family, I had to take on the mantle of providing for the family. These were the hardest moments of my life, fending for a family in a foreign land,” Alex says.
Alex Lojuan attending to a customer at his Retail shop located in Odraji Village, Zone 1 – Palorinya settlement. Photo: Linda Kabuzire
Alex started laying bricks for income and later got the opportunity to work with Lutheran World Federation (LWF) as a casual worker, distributing soap to refugees during the monthly distribution of food rations and household items in settlements. While at LWF, he received information about the FCA Business and Technical Vocational Education Trainings (BTVET).
“As luck would have it, I was enrolled as one of the FCA business skills trainees. Although, I am yet to finish the business training course, what I have learned so far in the first two modules has instilled in me a positive mindset for success,” Alex says.
Enhanced youth employability
The project ‘Promoting Youth Employability through Enterprise and Skills Development’ (PROYES) began in October 2019 and ended in May 2021. It sought to enhance profitable employment opportunities for refugee and host community youths through skills training and business development support, by equipping the youth with demand-driven vocational and business skills for fluent transition into working life in employment or self-employment.
During the project, FCA trained and mentored young people in Business Start-up and Management and in vocational skills like hairdressing, sandal making, carpentry, tailoring and building construction.
Backed by the training and skills received from the FCA business class training, in March 2020 Alex started up a retail business with the money saved from bricklaying and casual work.
“I used my 300,000 Ugandan Shillings savings to start a retail shop in Odraji Village, Zone 1 in Palorinya settlement. Within seven months, my business capital had doubled. This is in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic situation that has affected most businesses,” Alex says.
“I run my shop with proper business principles learned during the FCA training. I have a business plan, I negotiate with suppliers to get the best deals, practice marketing of my goods, and deliver great customer service in my business,” he adds.
Alex earns a weekly profit of over 30,000 Ugandan Shillings (UGX) and with this money, he is able to take care of his extended family. He also bought bicycle for himself and put up a temporary structure that houses his retail shop.
Linking learning to earning
In a bid to increase employability chances of the youth trained, FCA provided start-up kits to the trainees who completed the course. The organisation also linked the trainees to available employment opportunities.
By end of the project period, 153 trainees, including 86 males and 67 females, were employed either by the private sector entities where they had attended industrial training or became self-employed.
Gordon Chiria, a 26-year-old Ugandan living in Obongi town managed to set up his dream business after the training.
“I used to grow and sell maize and other crops to support my family. This business wasn’t successful because I failed to maintain it. After FCA’s training, I started a retail business with a capital of UGX 300,000. Currently I make sales worth UGX 80,000 per day and much more on market days,” Gordon says.
Using his business profits, Gordon managed to buy two goats and support his family. He plans to expand his business to both retail and wholesale. “I appreciate Enabel and FCA’s efforts towards making the livelihood of Obongi community youths better,” he adds.
Focus also on young women’s skills
The project also supported female youths. More than half, 53 % of all beneficiaries were females that benefited from the six skills trades under the project.
FCA supported female participation by establishing four child daycare centres and also facilitated customised career guidance, counselling and life skills training to enable female trainees appreciate the trainings and build their resilience to complete the course.
Esther Kuyang, 25-year-old South Sudanese refugee came to Palorinya refugee settlement with her family in January 2017. “My family and I were depending on the limited resources provided by World Food Programme. The food rations provided were not always enough, yet it was quite hard to get supplementary food due to lack of a source of income,” she recounts.
“While I was still pondering about what to do to take care of my family, FCA came to my aid. With their support, I enrolled for a business entrepreneurship course at Belameling Vocational Training Centre,” Esther tells.
“I had previously been trained by FCA in sandal making. Due to the lack of start-up capital, I was yet to put that skill into practice. During the business training under the FCA-Enabel project, I learned that my real capital was my brain. I immediately started to think of ways to get capital to rejuvenate my previously acquired skills of sandal making.”
Esther Kuyang a south Sudanese refugee making sandals in her workshop in Chinyi village, Zone 1, Palorinya refugee settlement. Photo: Linda Kabuzire.
“In mid-July 2020, I got a loan of UGX 170,000 from my friend and bought some basic materials such as rubber, thread, beads, for starting a sandal making business. With the business skills acquired in the training like record keeping, marketing and proper accounting, my business started growing. Within two months, I grew my business capital to UGX 200,000. On average, I earn a profit of UGX 28,000 weekly. I am still paying off my loan and I will keep reinvesting the profits in the business. I am also saving with Vision Savings Group, our FCA–Enabel Internal lending group,” she adds.
Esther is the chairperson of the savings group that was formed in January 2020 under the support of FCA-Enabel project. So far she has saved 75,000 shillings with this group. She also bought a bicycle, which facilitates her movements. Esther plans to buy more tools and equipment’s for sandal making, especially those that she currently lacks. She also plans on expanding the business and opening more branches in other trading centres to generate more income.
Education Programme Launched to Support Children in Refugee and Host Communities In Uganda
Uganda’s State Minister for Primary Education Hon. Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu signs the INCLUDE banner to officially launch the project. Photo: FCA.
As children in Uganda remain out of school, the Uganda Education Consortium, the European Union Humanitarian Aid and the Government of Uganda, are working together to implement the Education Response Plan for refugees and host communities, and support equitable access to education in refugee and host communities.
The Uganda Education Consortium, together with the European Union and the Government of Uganda, have launched the second phase of the INCLUDE initiative (Innovative and Inclusive Accelerated Education programme) for refugees and the host communities. This consortium will support children in refugee and host communities to access safe, quality and inclusive learning opportunities, support safe return to school and ensure the psycho-social well-being of learners.
Fifteen million children in Uganda have been affected by COVID 19 related school closures. This includes at least 600,000 primary and secondary aged refugee learners. More than 275,000 out of school primary and secondary school aged children have also been affected. The uncertainty caused by the pandemic and prolonged periods of absence from school will increase the likelihood that children will not return to school when they open.
INCLUDE will respond to the current context over a period of 21 months in Kyaka 11, Kyangwali, Nakivale Imvepi and Rhino Camp refugee settlements. Through the project, the consortium will work closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports, the office of the Prime Minister, UNHCR and communities to ensure that all children can return to school as soon as possible in a safe manner. This will be achieved by prioritising the provision of additional safe learning spaces, recruitment of additional teachers and the expansion of the double shift approach while preparing for schools to reopen, as foreseen by the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Health’s Standard Operating Procedures.
Representatives from the Education Consortium pose for a group picture with the State Minister for Education. Photo: FCA,
Better access to remote learning opportunities
The INCLUDE consortium will ensure safe, equitable and inclusive access to remote learning opportunities, including through innovative approaches such as Can’t Wait To Learn and, thereby, contribute to continuity of learning. The project will help ensure that children who often miss out on school are supported through activities that focus on their mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, support to children with disabilities and young mothers, and cash for education transfers that remove social economic barriers access.
“The EU is proud to renew its engagement in the Ugandan refugee education sector through Phase 2 of the INCLUDE programme. This project will contribute to increased safe access to quality education to out of school children living in refugee hosting areas, improving their wellbeing. Every year, the EU allocates up to 10% of its global humanitarian budget to education projects around the world.” Said Bruno Rotival, Head of the EU’s Humanitarian Aid Office in Uganda.
Education protects children from poverty, violence and abuse and helps them laugh, learn, eat, play and grow. For this reason, the Education Consortium and its partners believe that education cannot wait and look forward to enabling children in refugee and host communities to continue their education.
The Education Consortium led by Save the Children, has 15 members who implement projects, funded by ECHO and Education Cannot Wait, that contribute to the implementation of the Education Response Plan(ERP) for refugees and host communities. The ERP is the first of its kind worldwide and was developed to help respond to the huge needs in what is Africa’s biggest refugee education crisis.
About the INCLUDE project and the Uganda Education Consortium
INCLUDE will be implemented by Save the Children, Finn Church Aid, Nowergian Refugee Council, War Child Holland and Humanity and Inclusion, under the leadership of the Uganda Education Consortium Management unit. Partners will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Unites Nations High Commission for Refugees and the district governments.
The project is supported with generous funding of EUR 7,000,000 from the EU.
Business and Technical Vocational Education Training provides opportunities for a brighter future in Ugandan refugee settlements
Finn Church Aid has been providing refugee youth in Uganda business and Technical Vocational Education Training. Their pre-exiting skills were diverse but overall, the programme has provided many with necessary capacities to provide for themselves in the future.
FINN CHURCH AID (FCA) promotes vocational education and entrepreneurship among women and young people in Uganda, a country that has taken in more than a million refugees from its neighbouring countries. No other country in Africa hosts more refugees than Uganda. The majority of them are children and youth who have arrived with varying educational backgrounds and skills to start earning their own living in time to come.
In early 2020, the pandemic had a tremendous impact on self-employment in Uganda. A survey conducted by the UN Capital Development Fund showed that around half of self-employed people fell below the poverty line after one month of lockdown. Fortunately, by the end of the year, the situation was showing signs of improvement.
The work in Kyaka Refugee Settlement is based on FCA’s Linking Learning to Earning (LL2E) approach, establishing functional links between Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the world of work. FCA Uganda has been implementing BTVET programmes in other Ugandan refugee settlements for several years already. During 2020, 1,925 young people in total received Business and Technical Vocational Education Training (BTVET) in FCA Uganda country programme.
Our trainees and graduates from Kyaka Refugee Settlement share their experiences and thoughts below.
Bashimbe Banzuzi, 17
Bashimbe fled the DRC for Uganda in 2018. “There was no peace,” she says. “We couldn’t sleep as we were constantly afraid of what the night would bring.” She arrived with her grandparents and two sisters. Bashimbe is now two weeks into her hairdressing course with FCA and is excited for the future. “I love hairdressing because I know there is demand for it,” she says. “After finishing this course I will be able to support my family. Right now there is no one else who is earning money.”
Charles Biyoik, 18
Charles arrived in Uganda from the DRC in 2019. He came alone. “Life was too hard and I wasn’t studying,” he says. In the DRC Charles had a no-skill job in a restaurant. When he arrived in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement he heard an radio advertisement for vocational training and decided to pursue a course in motorcycle repair. “Hopefully, I will one day open my own garage.”
Erian Tuyisenge, 17
Erian has lived in Kyaka all her life. Her parents fled Rwanda in 1997, passing through Tanzania before settling in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement. “I was sitting at home doing nothing,” she says. She has just begun a 6 month tailoring course at the FCA’s Vocational training centre. “I know tailoring will provide me a future as there is always demand. So you can earn a lot of money.”
Beni, 21
Beni (standing) arrived in Uganda with her sister after fleeing violence and the murder of their parents in the DRC. “I had very little skills in hairdressing, but when I heard about the program, I knew I wanted to take part so I can help my family,’ she says. Beni and sister Rose went through the training together and in December 2019 they decided to open up a little salon in Kyaka settlement. “Even if we get one or two customers a day we are able to buy some soap, and some food.”
Skills are important especially for girls because many, Beni says, are involved in prostitution. “If they have skills, girls can focus on improving their lives and their family’s lives.”
Prince Mushesa, 22
Prince crossed the border alone, arriving in Uganda from the DRC in 2019 after rebels had kidnapped his family. When Prince heard from his neighbours that is was possible to study agriculture he was excited as he felt that it was a skill that could help him in the future. “I have been taught new techniques that I didn’t know before,” he says. FCA continues to supports students once they graduate by providing small plots of land for the students to continue to practice their farming. And of course whatever they grew, they keep.
Priska Kabira, 19
Priska is one of many students who are also young mothers. To support their learning, daycare is provided by the school. For Priska, who is studying Tailoring, this has meant she can spend more time in the classroom. “If they didn’t have daycare it would be very difficult. I would have to take her to the classroom and every time she cried I would have to tend to her.” Priska has been in Uganda for four years after fleeing the DRC with her family out of fear of being kidnapped by rebels.
Sonia Kalombola, 21
Sonia fled to Uganda with her family in 2010 due to conflict between families that left her uncle murdered. The family first settled in Kampala, capital of Uganda. Urban refugees are expected to be self-reliant but the high costs of living forced the family to Kyaka II where the family now resides. Sonia is currently studying Catering. “I love catering. I love to cook and bake. I hope to be a professional in the future and open a hotel and help others to learn about catering.”
Isabela Kabuwo, 23
Isabela settled in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in 2017 after war forced her to flee the DRC with her family. When she heard about the tailoring course offered by FCA she jumped at the chance. Fast forward to 2021 she now works alongside two other fellow graduates in a small tailoring business on the busiest street in Kyaka. “When we work as a group, we work better,’ she says. Isabela currently rents her sewing machine but is hoping to pay it off in the next couple of months.
Yvonne Ishimye, 19
Yvonne arrived in Uganda in 2017 after fleeing violence in the DRC with her family. Yvonne was already studying agriculture in the DRC and when she was determined to finish her studies however the costs of schooling were too prohibitive. When she learned that FCA offered a course in Agriculture to refugees it filled her with tremendous excitement. “When I was practicing agriculture in the DRC it wasn’t in my heart, but when I came to Uganda it became my ambition,” she says. Since graduating, Yvonne now plants tomatoes not far from her family’s house. Every five months she harvests her tomatoes earning enough money to buy new seeds and provide for her whole family.
Shukuru Misago, 20
Shukuru fled to Uganda when as a child with his entire family. In 2020 Shukuru was successful in securing a place in motorcycle repair at the FCA Vocational Training Center in Kyaka II. “There are so many boda boda’s (motorcycle taxis) where I live so I knew there would be a market. Now that I am working and own my own garage I can get everything I need to support my family,” he says. He has grown up seeing FCA’s impact in the settlement. “I want to see other refugees benefit from this programme the way I have benefited.”
Text: Nora Luoma and Erik Nyström Photos: Hugh Rutherford
Teacher trainings progress refugee learners’ performance in Uganda
Teachers in schools that host refugees often walk into the toughest classrooms. A single classroom often contains many learners from different backgrounds. These have in one way or another been affected by violence in their home countries, seen their homes destroyed and their relatives injured or killed.
Susan Angwao, a teacher at Daedun Palorinya secondary school in Palorinya refugee settlement in Moyo district, says her first weeks as a new teacher at the school were quite challenging.
“Some of the students were stubborn, loud and hyperactive. Others had short tempers and made the classroom chaotic. It was quite hard to get them to pay attention in class. Now I am able to handle them appropriately,” Angwao says.
Angwao received a Teacher’s in Crisis Context (TiCC) training for newly recruited teachers. Finn Church Aid’s (FCA) training equips teachers with knowledge and skills on teacher management, professional development, and recognition of the relationship between teacher well-being and students’ social and emotional development.
Japeth Joel Jomaring, Head Teacher at Idiwa Secondary School says better teaching skills have led to the improved performance of the school. Photo: Linda Kabuzire
Providing psychosocial support for teachers and learners
Refugee children are vulnerable to the effects of traumatic events arising from conflict and displacement.
“Traumatised students usually isolate themselves in class, stay very quiet, and don’t follow instructions. Our teachers have received mental health and psychosocial support training and can identify children who are suffering psychologically and give them guidance and counselling accordingly. This has helped them improve on their concentration in class and get better grades,” says Zainabu Atim, the Head Teacher of Ariwa Secondary school in Bidibidi refugee settlement.
Atim noted that some of the teachers are also refugees who have experienced trauma and need psychosocial support in order to be able to help the children.
Zainabu Atim, the Head Teacher of Ariwa Secondary school. Photo: Linda Kabuzire
FCA has trained over 120 teachers in Mental Health & Psychosocial Support and also participated in the Retooling of Teacher & Learning Circle peer mentors, reaching out to over 24 teachers.
The learning circles consider the organisation of course documents for teachers, e.g. Syllabus and Topics, creating opportunities for problem-solving, interconnected learning tasks, constant feedback, and ongoing change in course delivery.
Japeth Joel Jomaring, the Head Teacher at Idiwa Secondary School in Palorinya refugee settlement, says he has seen a significant improvement in the learners’ performance.
“The teachers have been equipped with better teaching skills and methods. In just three years, the performance of Idiwa SS has improved, and we are among the best performing schools in the region,” Jomaring says.
“Teachers require continuous training and capacity building opportunities to help them develop, get new skills and find solutions to problems they encounter in the classroom,“ he adds.
Teacher trainings are carried out with funding from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
FCA takes a step towards localisation by forming a Global Leadership Team
Country Director for Uganda Wycliffe Nsheka addresses the graduates at Finn Church Aid’s graduation ceremony for from the Business and Technical Vocational Education Training (BTVET) at Rwamwanja refugee settlement. Photo: Michele Sibiloni.
FCA’s Board of Directors has appointed three representatives of FCA’s programme countries to its newly formed Global Leadership Team (GLT) in June. The GLT is part of FCA’s new organisational structure that came into force on April 1, 2021, and the term of the representatives is 2+1 years.
Country Director of South Sudan Mr Berhanu Haile, Country Director of Nepal Ms Sofia Olsson, and Country Director of Uganda, Mr Wycliffe Nsheka will be starting in their new roles in August. Permanent member of the Global Leadership team are Executive Director Jouni Hemberg and Deputy Executive Director Tomi Järvinen.
The GLT will have a significant role in strategic decision-making in FCA’s new organisational structure that aims to serve better the people FCA works with and emphasise accountability. Having a multi-skilled Global Leadership Team with diverse field experiences will improve FCA’s work, says Wycliffe Nsheka.
“Development cooperation has taken a major shift whereby the focus now is to promote mutual learning. I have been in the sector for 20 years, and there has been talk of localisation for a long time, but there is still work to be done in bringing it to practise”, Nsheka continues.
The new GLT will be committed to making localisation a reality and supporting the Global South to strengthen ownership and sustainability. Berhanu Haile says that the new management model is a significant step towards heeding local knowledge and experience to inform strategic decision-making.
“This is a significant step towards localisation while at the same time transforming FCA to be a global organisation that embraces views from North and South,” says Haile.
“The approach will ensure that we strategically respond to the rights and needs of the marginalised people with whom we work,” says Sofia Olsson.
