Uganda Chapter Coordinator

  • Norbert Byambo Kagosi
    Peacebuilder, project manager, and co-founder of NTBF.

    Email: norbertbyambo@gmail.com|Phone: +256 762477811 +256 789647194| Address: Nakivale Camp, Uganda.

The Nakivale refugee community in Uganda

Expanding and Improving the School Program at NTBF

Program Vision:

The vision of this program is to create sustainable income opportunities for both the school and its students, while implementing vocational training programs. It aims to identify and develop the skills of young people, women, and men, encouraging the community to enter the workforce.

Additionally, the program aims to facilitate collaborations for exporting African clothing to international markets.

Expanding and Improving the School Program at NTBF

New Talent for the Best Future (NTBF) is a registered non-profit organization recognized by the local government of Uganda. Based in Isingiro, Nakivale Refugee Camp, NTBF was founded on January 20, 2020, to address challenges and foster peace in the community through education, conflict resolution training, vocational training, and talent development. Currently, NTBF has built six classrooms, accommodating over 100 children.

Nakivale Refugee Camp

It is the oldest refugee settlement in Africa and the eighth oldest in the world. Established in 1958 and formally recognized in 1960, the camp is home to 171,338 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and South Sudan. Due to a scarcity of resources, Nakivale suffers from a lack of arable land and food to feed the refugees.

Background on the Camp and Refugees

The Nakivale refugee settlement is located in the Isingiro District of Uganda, near the border with Tanzania, about 200 kilometers from Kampala. It is divided into three administrative zones: Base Camp, Juru, and Rubondo, comprising 74 villages and 51,132 households.
As Africa’s oldest refugee camp, Nakivale continues to receive new refugees due to ongoing conflicts, war, and insecurity in neighboring countries. Most refugees come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the population is very diverse. Uganda has a long history of hosting refugees, including Poles during World War II and Rwandans following the anti-Tutsi uprisings of 1959.
The camp is managed by a settlement commander with semi-autonomous authority.

Challenges

Refugees in Nakivale face numerous challenges, including unemployment—particularly among young people and women—a lack of resources and training opportunities, hunger, inadequate housing and sanitation, limited access to healthcare, and vulnerability to exploitation and malnutrition. The main objective of this project is to empower young people and women by providing them with vocational training and educational opportunities to help them become self-sufficient. Previously, refugees received monthly food rations consisting of rice, beans, corn, a corn-soybean blend, and oil. However, due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, food rations have been reduced to just $3 per person per month, which is insufficient for survival. Women and young people are particularly vulnerable to hunger and unemployment, making it crucial to provide them with alternative means of support.

Target Group

The project will focus on young people and women over the age of 15, offering them vocational training opportunities. Many people in the camp want to learn new skills but lack access to training centers. NTBF aims to address this gap by launching a vocational training program in April, where students will complete six-month training cycles before graduating and making way for new students. The training will help young people and women become self-sufficient, start their own businesses, and contribute to their families and communities. The program also explores potential partnerships, such as the production of African clothing for export to Europe.

Program Vision

Program Activities
The vocational training program will be led by Zawadi Louise Abeli, an experienced tailor from the DRC currently residing in Uganda. Training materials and sewing machines will be procured from Kampala to ensure high-quality equipment.

Program Impact:

As refugee peacebuilders, our mission is to promote peace and stability in the Nakivale camp. The expansion of the sewing program will create employment opportunities and foster relationships among people of different nationalities. By facilitating access to vocational training, NTBF seeks to equip women and young people with essential skills that will enable them to support their families and contribute to their communities. This expansion will also allow for the completion of two additional classrooms, funded by the Danish Parliament.

Implementation Plan
The implementation of this program will involve utilizing an existing classroom for vocational training while providing students with sewing machines and other necessary materials. Furthermore, women and youth will be supported with startup resources for their businesses to ensure long-term sustainability and success.