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The refugee and host community leaders in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement want the components of mindset change and water for production included in the newly launched Leadership, Empowerment, Access and Protection (LEAP II) project.

The project, which is being implemented in the refugee hosting districts of Terego, Yumbe and Kyegegwa, seeks to empower crisis-affected populations, particularly women and youth, to have better access to food, income and resilience to climate shocks.

Women will be supported to plant trees, in micro and small enterprises, design early warnings, climate-smart agricultural practices, clean energy access and gender action learning system training.

In doing the above they are expected to be contributing to the different SDGS such as zero hunger, no poverty, general equality, affordable energy and decent economic growth for positive coping mechanisms and sustainable economic activities.

Up to 3,000 women will be supported to participate in the village saving and loan associations (VSLA) and businesses.

The two-year project worth over $717 million to be implemented by OXFAM is funded by the Norwegian Embassy through UN-Women to advance the well-being of refugee and host community women and girls affected by conflict, severe drought and forced displacement.

Inclusiveness

Although the prime target is women and girls, the youth, the elderly and PWDs, people living with HIV/AIDS will also be supported.

Based on past experience, refugee and local leaders gave recommendations to ensure that the project does not fail.

The leaders cited duplication of activities, challenges of sustainability and the impact of the project on the 45,660 direct and 9,132 indirect beneficiaries.

During the project launch on Monday, April 15, 2024, Rhino-camp settlement commandant Armitage Basikania noted that mitigation measures for climate change by using smart agriculture and high-yielding crops without water for production are inadequate.

Armitage Basikania settlement commandant Rhino-camp. (Photo by Geoffrey Angupale)

“If the drought happens, the mitigation measure for that is water for production so that the first yielding crops produce well. Let us borrow a leaf from Palm Corps who got over shillings 10 million by producing tomatoes on a small plot during an off-season because they have a mini irrigation system,” Basikania advised.

Another area of improvement was identified in the mindset change of VSLA members to save for the creation of a financial power to operate village banks.

“When we train beneficiaries to save for food for big days this is wrong, let them form VSLAs, move to societies, transition to unions until the raise sh2.5b to get a license for operating a bank,” Basikania stated.

Assistant Rhino camp commandant Nicholas Tayebwa urged OXFAM to use existing personnel trained under the ongoing projects to raise money for emerging areas initially not prioritised.

“We had some partners implementing similar activities. For example, Save the Children project on energy and environment is still on and they trained artisans on making stoves, why can’t we link with those people so that we save money for something else,” Tayebwa stated.

According to Gordon Adima, the assistant livelihood and economic inclusion officer for UNHCR, they want projects with realistic targets especially in tree plantation.

“Go an extra mile when one intends to plant trees, actually we should be aiming at growing trees rather than planting them, meaning that money should be allocated to maintain them for at least two years,” Adima stressed.

Proposal for modification accepted

Charles Opio, the resilient livelihood manager for OXFAM assured the stakeholders that they are looking forward to redirecting this project because their projects are flexible except that they will sit down with the donors before confirmation of recommendations considered.

The same commitment was made by Caroline Apio, representative of the UN-WOMEN program officer for gender and humanitarian action.

“Not everything will be done the way we like, we know OXFAM is in a place that is not easy because we are starting from where someone started, we have high hopes in them and I know not so much flexibility may be exercised, where we can we will but this also gives an opportunity to plan better for other projects,” Apio remarked.

Situation on ground

Rhino-camp Refugee Welfare Council III chairperson Peter Gift described the situation on the ground as grave since food rationing came into effect in 2022.

“Rate of using charcoal is very high here since both the refugees and community depend on forest reserves for livelihood, there is an increased rate of theft and request beneficiaries of the project be selected from each household level to close the gap,” Gift said.