Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement

Rwamwanja settlement was established in 1964 to host refugees from Rwanda and closed in 1995 when many repatriated after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. [4] The settlement was later reopened in 2012 to host refugees fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo due to violence in North and South Kivu. The settlement, currently hosting almost 76,000 refugees, is at full capacity and no longer receives new arrivals. as of the recent influx from the democratic Republic of Congo[5]

The Rwamwanja camp is managed by the UNHCR and the Ugandan Office of the Prime Minister's Department of Refugees (OPM). Services to refugees are implemented by a host of "implementing partner" NGOs, principally the Lutheran World Federation, the Windle Charitable Trust, Africa Humanitarian Action and African Initiative for Relief Development.[1]

Most of the current residents of the Rwamwanja settlement are Congolese nationals who fled the M23 rebellion and the broader Kivu conflict beginning in early 2012.[1]

Accessing land within the Rwamwanja settlement, is 92% where the shelter is located where as 13% of the population access land in a separate plot.[6]

There are more than 280 U-reporters in the settlement, a system that allows refugees and host communities to exchange information in the camp and share with the world, both the refugee community and child protection officers from various implementing partners including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and GOAL, are working together in this program at the camp to increase the number of U-reportersas it continues to grow.[7]

Trained to expand their rice and pepper harvests, Congolese refugees in Uganda use earnings to start new businesses and become more self-reliant with the support rendered by the implementing organizations and humanitarian bodies in the Rwamwanja refugee settlement.[8]

There is a building of a 10,000-tree native food forest at the Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement in Uganda. The settlement which houses over 70,000 refugees, most with little food access or employment opportunities is an immediate beneficiary to this long-term project for the benefit of the refugees as well as the Host Community. The food forest will employ refugees, provide healthy food sources, and decrease soil degradation. With a 100-acre piece of land already donated, fundraising for income for the refugee forest workers, tools, and seedlings is underway and on process to see to it that the implementation and success of this is seen and recorded..

IN 2013,Rwamwanja had 55 functional boreholes and shallow wells providing clean and safe water to the refugees.51 of these were installed with handpumps, while 4 are motorized with pipeline distribution to 11 tap stand locations (40 water taps). Water coverage at the end of 2013 was 13 liters per person per day. Rainwater harvesting is also done at all health centers, schools and reception Centers[9][10]

In a baseline study conducted by SPOUTS in 2019, it was found that more than 53% of the population does not treat their drinking water before consumption. Moreover, the 47% who occasionally treat their drinking water, mainly boil it using firewood and charcoal, which contributes to deforestation and environmental degradation. During the survey, 168 cases of diarrhea, 92 cases of Typhoid and 11 cases of Bilharzia were reported which is an alarming rate and a deadly thing in the development of the Rwamwanja Refugee settlement.[11]

in 2013,There were 20 early childhood development centers and child friendly spaces that were run by Windle Trust Uganda (WTU) and Save the Children. At the time were 5 primary schools in the settlement, 3 of which are run by UNHCR/WTU: Rwamwanja primary, Mahani primary, Nteziryayo primary and the newest – Kyempango primary and 1 secondary school. UNHCR, through WTU, recruited 100 trained teachers across the settlement. Child rights clubs have been set up in 5 schools in Rwamwanja (Mahani primary, Nteziryayo primary, Rwamwanja primary, Nkoma church of Uganda primary and Rwamwanja secondary) along with Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Management Committees (SMCs).

8,135 refugee children were enrolled in 2013, giving 77 % of the total number of school going age enrolled in primary education. [12]

The Taekwondo project is located in Rwamwanja refugee settlement, Uganda, and is an aspiration of Uganda Taekwondo Federation to open clubs in other settlements, if there is consistent institutional support and some prospect of sustainability. OPM – Office of the Prime Minister and UNHCR Rwamwanja welcomed the idea very much as there is so little activity being offered at the youth centres, and as contribution to combating Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV). Six taekwondo demonstration sessions have taken place there and as a result a Congolese practitioner of taekwondo was identified and invited for intensive training as a coach in Kampala.[13]

According to REACH reports, 81% of shelter tenure is owned by the head of the household, 13% owned jointly between household member. 5% rented and 1% owned by neighbors (rent free).

In May 2019, 30% of the households reported owning no property at all out of 70% who do not have access to the property in the refugee camp. This is an indicator that the property owned at the refugee camp at Rwamwanja is closed to and restricted only to Ugandan Host community.