From Refugee to Farmer: Uganda’s Model for Empowering Displaced Communities

Published by Action Against Hunger.

A Single Mother’s Journey from Hardship to Entrepreneurship 

When you step into Judith Nzale's backyard, you're greeted by a vibrant leafy garden filled with cabbages, lettuce, basil, leeks, onions, tomatoes, lemongrass, and many other indigenous vegetables and herbs. It’s a thriving space that instantly inspires you to plant something. Radiant, Judith passionately tends to her garden, an affection she passed on to her eight children.

However, Judith's story wasn't always one of abundance. Her journey to self-reliance began in 2018, when she fled the Democratic Republic of Congo, seeking refuge in Uganda. Upon her arrival to the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, the harsh realities of refugee life set in when the settlement was hit by a cholera outbreak. Malnutrition weakened most of the refugees, making them vulnerable to disease. Judith watched helplessly as her fellow refugees succumbed to cholera. She watched in pain as her own children vomited and experienced kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition. They were always hungry. "It was a hopeless time," Judith recalls. "My children worried me the most. Food was scarce, and they were constantly sick."

Judith remained hopeful. From Action Against Hunger, she learned about life-changing WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) practices such as handwashing, waste disposal, and clean food handling – practices crucial for combating malnutrition and disease. A turning point came when Action Against Hunger built Judith a latrine. "With many children and no latrine, open defecation is inevitable," she explains. "Having a latrine helped me control many diseases among my children."

Strengthened with her newfound knowledge, Judith joined the Village Health Team to train fellow refugees in hygiene and sanitation. This role not only allowed her to make a tangible difference in her community but also gave her a sense of purpose and confidence.

In 2022, another opportunity came Judith’s way. Action Against Hunger offered training on Optimized Land Use Management (OLUM) through its Farmer Graduation Program. Given her past struggles with malnutrition, she was determined to provide her family with a consistent supply of nutritious food. The OLUM approach allowed her to cultivate a year-round harvest of fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs on the tiny piece of land she had been given through Action Against Hunger’s program.

The Farmer Graduation Program is separated into three levels based on need and farming ability, ensuring that the proper support is given to those who need it most. Level 1 farmers, with limited resources and knowledge, are taught the OLUM approach on small plots of land. Level 2 farmers, like Judith, access a larger plot, meaning they have the potential to scale up production and join a farmer group in which they receive training through farmer field and market schools. Level 3 farmers, with advanced skills and resources, focus on commercial production and value addition.

Judith belongs to a farmer group named “Tunda lalo” which is Swahili for “its fruits.” She and her group members began cultivating maize and beans, and using the earnings from the farm’s surplus, opened a shop to sell some of her harvest. This venture allowed her to buy products in bulk and supply other traders in the community. She also started a poultry business, further diversifying her income. While expanding her agricultural endeavors, she continued to nurture her thriving backyard garden

Judith, single mother facing unimaginable hardship has become a resourceful farmer, businesswoman, and community leader. With the right resources and a determined mindset, refugees like her can build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

The Uganda Refugee Model: an Important Precedent for the World to Look To

Judith’s story is an example of what can happen when refugees are supported with resources to regain agency over the direction of their lives. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Refugees are forced to flee their homes for reasons such as persecution, conflict, or hunger, often with few belongings to help them start anew. There are currently 36.8 million refugees in the world, many of them facing inadequate access to food and water and increased risk of diseases as they make long, exhausting journeys in search of safety.

Once settled in another country, refugees can experience barriers to employment, healthcare, and food security. Many countries have strict regulations on refugees, such as requiring them to live in camps or denying them the possibility of obtaining work permits. Additional challenges like language barriers, discrimination, and post-traumatic stress can play a role in limiting refugees’ opportunities.

Recognizing the immense challenges refugees face, Uganda developed a plan to welcome them with dignity and opportunities to rebuild their lives. The Refugee Act (2006) was created using humanitarian principles as a guide for government’s refugee response plan. It established a set of rights that every refugee is entitled to, including — among many more — the rights to:

• own property,
• engage in agriculture,
• access employment opportunities,
• access healthcare services,
• access education,
• move freely within Uganda.

Fostering good relationships between refugees and the communities that host them is a priority for Uganda. Refugees and nationals work and live closely together: they go to the same schools, access the same healthcare services, participate in Village Savings and Loans Associations together, and more. Refugees like Judith who participate in block farming initiatives benefit from access to host community markets to sell their produce, and the host communities enjoy improved availability of fresh produce.

The Uganda Refugee Act creates a strong framework for governments, aid organizations, and other stakeholders to come together, supporting immediate needs of refugees and host communities while innovating solutions to the challenges refugees and host communities face. By enshrining refugee rights in law based on humanitarian principles, Uganda set an example for the world. It has continued to improve its approach with a bi-annual review of needs and an updated version of The Uganda Country Refugee Response Plan, which aims to holistically respond to challenges refugees and host communities face. At the most recent Global Refugee Forum in 2023, Uganda was a co-convener, recognized for its leadership in refugee response.

Good legislation alone cannot ensure that refugees’ needs will be met. Uganda does not have a strong GDP and its resources are strained. Significant developmental work is needed to bolster systems that support the 1.8 million refugees in Uganda — the fifth-highest refugee population in the world. Improvements in WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) infrastructure are sorely needed to improve the health and education rates of communities. The World Bank reports that modernizing farming techniques and focusing on climate-resilient crops will be essential to support food security and the prosperity of Uganda’s agriculture sector. As Judith experienced, hunger and illness are rampant in Ugandan refugee settlements, like every other refugee settlement in the world. To make matters worse, funding for programs that support Uganda’s refugee repsonse have taken a severe hit. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to continue to progress on the foundation Uganda’s Refugee Model built.

The milestone Uganda Refugee Act of 2006 has not yet been in place for twenty years, and systemic change requires long-term, sustained growth. Like the seeds Judith received to start her garden, this legislation provides seeds of opportunity to learn about and improve refugee response plans. It must be cultivated and pruned by all stakeholders to grow. With a strong foundation in respect for refugees and host communities, Uganda’s approach is already yielding fruit for Judith and thousands of others.

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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.