Introducing the Chaka II refugee settlement in western Uganda
Hello, my name is Benard Sangra, Project Officer at Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) Kyegegwa Office. As part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) refugee assistance program, Peace Winds is providing water supply and sanitation assistance in the Chaka II refugee settlement area in the Kyegegwa Province.
Kyegegwa Province is located about 210km west of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, which takes around 4 hours by car. In Uganda, there is not much political authority, but there is a local ruler. The Kyegegwa Province belongs to the Toro Kingdom, where Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV rules. The Kingdom of Toro is very scenic, with the city of Fort Portal, also known for its volcanic lakes, near the Rwenzori Mountains.
There are 125,000 refugees living in the Chaka II refugee settlement, most of who are refugees from the DRC, but also from Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. The Ugandan government’s refugee policy is known for its tolerance, and refugees as well as their host communities can be given land and work. Therefore, refugees use fertile land to grow corn and matoke (cooking bananas), and some people raise chickens and goats. Many families only have a few means of earning cash and lack the funds to buy medicines and send their children to school.
Refugees and people in the host community in the Chaka II refugee settlement are very friendly. It has been almost a year since I started working at Kyegegwa and the people’s warmth is a major driving force for working here.
Nowadays, because of the spread of the coronavirus in Uganda, it has become difficult for the staff to get together an eat in public places. Hut in the past, the staff would sometimes get together to eat at the local barbecue shops.
Because of the economic impact of the coronavirus, and the reduction in international aid received, many residents of the Chaka II refugee settlement area are forced to live in even harsher conditions than before. We have heard cases of some men being forced to leave their family to return to the DRC to find work despite the dangerous and unstable conditions in the country.
In Uganda, school have been closed since March as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus, but schools are scheduled to resume in mid-October for some grades.
PWJ is working with stakeholders and residents to understand the current situation of local school children and to increase awareness about hygiene. Interviews with school children revealed that some girls were forced to get married due to financial reasons while schools were closed which made me realize the serious social impact coronavirus has had on the community.
PWJ will continue to actively engage with local refugees and people in the host community to provide support to those in need. Thank you for your continued support.