Regenerative farming for Refugees in Nakivale RE-FARM Project
Regenerative farming
Regenerative farming for IDPs in Kassanda
Regenerative farming for Refugees in Nakivale RE-FARM Project
Uganda is home to 1.4 million refugees that are settled in 14 refugee settlements across the country including within the capital – Kampala. The government of Uganda with support of development partners has developed the Refugee Host Population empowerment framework (ReHoPE) , the Social Transformative Agenda (STA) and the Refugee Response Program (RRP). Whereas these initiatives are in place, the actual implementation of activities recommended therein has been very limited and yet the refugee crises continue to grow amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. Empirical evidence from available literature points to the fact that if no action is put in place, the impact of refugees and the local communities on the integrity of the environment is likely to escalate with devastating effects on natural, economic and social capitals.
Nakivale refugee settlement in Uganda is the oldest refugee settlement in Africa, and hosts over 120,000 refugees. The increased flow of refugees in Nakivale has put the already scarce resources under immense pressure. Refugees and host communities conflict over farming land, water, forests and other resources. This is left refugees with limited opportunities to achieve self- reliance and resilience. The situation is further exacerbated by WFP’s cut of food rations by 40% leaving the most vulnerable women, children and the elderly at risk of becoming malnourished, which can in turn impact their immune systems and make them more likely to be infected by disease, amid a pandemic. The remaining option for refugees in Nakivale is to utilize the already depleted small pieces of landing given to them by the government of Uganda to grow their own food. At this level, the small scale intensive techniques have become absolutely essential as will those that replenish depleted lands. Existing and inherited farming practices will need to be adapted and taken forward by the next generation in a very different context.
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Project funder:
- The Regenerative Learning Center
- Soap for Hope
