Meeting Hygiene and Housing Needs of South Sudanese Refugees in Northern Uganda

Timeframe: 2016-Present

When the Battle of Juba began on July 7, 2016, thousands of South Sudanese people, largely women and children, were forced to flee their homes in and around the capital of Juba, South Sudan. Peace Winds responded immediately by assessing the needs of refugees arriving in northern Uganda, and since then, we have been working in three refugee settlements to meet the ongoing needs of new refugees there. 

In November 2022, Peace Winds’ women’s support center in the Imvepi refugee settlement began offering life skills training such as sewing, hairdressing and barbering, and soap making. The courses are aimed at decreasing gender-based violence (GBV) by helping women take a step toward increased social and economic participation as well as allowing participants to talk openly about GBV and its warning signs. Courses are taught by an instructor who specializes in gender-based violence and menstrual hygiene, so the training also works to increase menstrual hygiene education for women in the settlement.

In October 2022, Peace Winds began a new water supply and sanitation support project in the Chaka II refugee settlement, which has accepted large numbers of refugees for many years. To support incoming refugees, Peace Winds is working to repair and extend existing water wells and supply lines, construct additional toilets and handwashing stations in schools and homes, and educate residents on proper hygiene. Education topics include toilet use, handwashing, and menstruation hygiene. The project will mitigate the spread of disease and prevent women and children from having to walk for miles to retrieve water.

In 2021, Peace Winds opened two new women’s community centers in the Imvepi and Chaka II refugee settlements. Now, the centers continue to support women from the refugee camps and host communities by teaching vocational training in topics such as sewing, hairdressing, literacy, and accounting. Beneficiaries use these skills to find jobs and support their families and even to open their own small businesses.

Additionally, the Rhino refugee settlement in the northern province of Arua is still accepting a new influx of refugees, and housing development is an urgent issue. In response to this situation, Peace Winds is constructing new shelters and upgrading existing shelter for the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with children in the Imvepi refugee settlement also in Arua province.

a teacher and two students stand while holding hygiene kits and supplies such as menstrual pads and soap

Related updates from our Blog

Building a Market for Recycling and Sustainable Waste Management in Kenya’s Refugee Camps

The Peace Winds team in Kenya is halfway through an ambitious three-year… Read more >

Supporting Food Security, Hygiene, and Sanitation for Refugees and Returnees in South Sudan

April marked one year since the start of the Sudan Crisis, and… Read more >

Man in a yellow safety vest stands on the left next to four people holding yellow plastic containers with the Peace Winds logo
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Activities for Displaced Persons in South Sudan

Peace Winds teams in South Sudan recently completed a six-month water supply… Read more >

Sudanese Refugee girl wearing a gray dress with black polka dots rinses her hands under a faucet outside next to a Peace Winds and UNHCR plaque
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Support for Refugees Amid Sudan Crisis

Following the Sudan Crisis that broke out in April 2023, the Gorom… Read more >

Black, brown, and white dog faces the camera as he is carried by a man amid earthquake rubble
Caring for Family Pets Displaced by Morocco’s Earthquake

In addition to providing aid for families who were affected by Morocco’s… Read more >

Woman wearing a blue floral shirt, checkered skirt, and blue headscarf stands in front of a large blue tent with a solar light on top
Morocco: Three Weeks after the Earthquake

On September 8 at 11:11 p.m., a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco–the most… Read more >