LWF, Partners launch new aid programme in Kyangwali refugee settlement
Kikuube District: The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in collaboration with three other organisations has launched a project meant to ensure self-reliance, wellbeing and peaceful coexistence among the refugees and host communities in Kikuube and Hoima districts.
Dubbed the Mutual Inter-related resilience Programme (MIRP), the four-year project is a combination of humanitarian, peacebuilding and development perspectives.
The other implementing partners include; Act Church of Sweden, Norwegian Refugee Council and Action Against Hunger. The partners will work together in the four sectors including; Livelihoods, skills development, Environment and Wash and protection.
Particularly, LWF-Uganda will handle the water, safety and rights intervention aspect that includes increased access and utilisation of water, sanitation, health as well as protection services.
The protection part of the programme covers promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health rights. (SRHR), promotion of gender justice as well as prevention and response to Gender Based Violence
The implementing partners will also work in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister, Kikuube and Hoima districts, UNHCR, and the project donor- the Embassy of Sweden/Sida.
Speaking at the official launch on February 26, 2020, Jesse Kamstra LWF Uganda's Country Representative, lauded the Swedish Embassy for accepting to fund the project for such a long period of time which is not the common among most funders.
“I know it was a long process to get here and we are finally here…most of the funding we have been getting in Uganda has been for one year. Every year you are reinventing but the Swedish government agreed to fund an NGO consortium for four years,” said Kamstra
“This is super unique and for us to be able to have an impact, we have always been saying we need something that lasts more than one year and you have agreed to fund this. So, we are very highly indebted and also grateful to the Swedish government and the people of Sweden who are the tax payers.” Kamstra added.
Ola Hallgren, the Head of Corporation, Embassy of Sweden observed that Uganda currently hosts over 1,411,098 million refugees with a total of 120, 626 found in Kyangwali settlement and that Uganda deserves praise for its open-door policy.
“I think it has to do with Ugandans having been refugees themselves. We also spoke to the refugees and they said the people across the borders are brothers and sisters and it showed the spirit of people receiving refugees to Uganda,” Hallgren noted.
That receiving such a large influx of refugees is of course not without challenges, we have seen it in other countries and Uganda is no exception and I think the conflict perception of do not harm is really an important aspect of this whole problem, Hallgren added.
