The smarter way to support refugee children

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OPINION

By Godfrey Mwesigye

In June this year, I was privileged to attend a high-level convening at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa —the Africa Conference on Childcare. Among all the participants, including the government leaders, policymakers, childcare practitioners, civil society actors, donors, humanitarian actors and advocates, one key truth was re-echoed — ‘we cannot afford to overlook the youngest victims of the crisis.’

During conflict and forced displacement, children often suffer most because they are more vulnerable, yet there is limited investment in interventions for children in their early years. 

Refugee children are more deprived of necessities which could help them reach their full potential, for example, good health, adequate nutrition, responsive caregiving, safety and security, and opportunities for early learning.

What if we rewrite the script and see the children not just as victims, but as a foundation for our future? And what if we recognise that to genuinely support them, we must support their primary caregivers as well to achieve better outcomes for both?

This is the heart of the two-generation approach – a model that emphasises the need to support the children and their families simultaneously. This is not just in theory. In Uganda, the ‘Kulea Watoto’ - Nurturing Children Initiative is proving that investment in refugee children and their families at the same time improves the well-being of children and the caregiver. With such a unique intervention, the family can become self-sustaining, and care for children is not looked at as a burden, but a great investment.

Uganda has the most progressive refugee policy in the world. The country now hosts close to 2 million refugees and asylum seekers, of whom more than half are children. These children not only face trauma, but also poor nutrition, ill-health, and lack of access to quality early childhood care and education services.

Traditional aid approaches often try to address these challenges in isolation, overlooking the interconnected nature of children’s needs. Yet children’s well-being is deeply tied to the health and stability of their caregivers. Simply put, a hungry mother cannot nurture a child to thrive.  Supporting children's development requires a holistic approach, one that recognises and invests in the well-being of both children and those who care for them.

Thinking critically about what works, the Kulea Watoto initiative implemented by the International Rescue Committee and partners, with funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, is using the two-generation model in Yumbe, Kampala and Kyegegwa districts. It combines early childhood development with livelihood support, parental education and community empowerment. In total, 6,540 households have been supported, and over 24,300 children have been reached through home learning centres, Early Childhood Development centres and play spaces.

The results are phenomenal, for example, parents who previously struggled to feed their children established small enterprises and now they can feed their entire families and afford to take their children to the early learning centres.

This should not just be looked at as charity; it can be a smart policy move. Several studies have confirmed that investing in early childhood development yields greater returns of about $16 for every $1 invested. For the refugee communities where children are entangled with trauma and cycles of poverty, this kind of investment is lifesaving. It is also a hope for a better future.

The future we choose matters. From the Africa conference on childcare, I was reminded that Africa’s future is not set in stone. It depends on the choices we make now. Despite the evidence, early childhood development remains underfunded in most African countries.

Uganda’s National Integrated Early Childhood Development (NIECD) Policy shows the country’s commitment to ECD; however, its implementation remains wanting, especially in humanitarian settings. Africa’s decision makers and donors must prioritise investing in children and creating a policy environment that allows both children and their caregivers to thrive.

The writer is a Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager at the International Rescue Committee