Uganda
Since 2016, Uganda has been hosting large numbers of refugees, most of them from South Sudan and the DRC. HI is helping refugees to become independent, and provides psychological support and rehabilitation care, whilst ensuring that all children can go to school.
Jojo sitting with his grandmother and his mother. | © Crolle Agency / HI
Our actions
HI works with refugees with specific needs, such as people with disabilities, older people, single mothers with children, and unaccompanied children, and facilitates their access to services in the refugee camps. As many of them have witnessed traumatic events or suffered severe shock, our teams provide psychological support in the form of individual or group sessions and other mental health services. They also train healthcare professionals to meet these needs.
In refugee camps, where access to healthcare is difficult, HI’s teams provide physical rehabilitation services to help people with disabilities gain greater independence. In particular, distributing mobility aids (walking sticks, wheelchairs, etc.) and running an innovative project to produce prostheses and orthoses using 3D printers. These made-to-measure devices enable people to regain their mobility. The 3D project is being closely monitored with the aim pf being able to extend it to other countries in the region.
Our teams also work with refugee children to promote education services and ensure that children with disabilities can attend school. They train teachers in inclusive teaching methods, distribute school materials adapted to the children's needs and run awareness sessions in the communities. They are also developing early childhood projects for very young children with disabilities or developmental delays. These projects involve supporting the children's parents and relatives and training them in best educational practices.
Finally, HI’s program is active in the field of sexual and reproductive health, raising young girls' awareness of their rights and teaching them good menstrual hygiene practices. Our teams train community and health workers to take these issues into account. More broadly, HI works with other organizations and actors in Uganda, training them in disability issues and thus working to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities and communities experiencing vulnerabilities are included in all actions undertaken in the country.
Areas of intervention
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a life
Background
Uganda, with a population of around 48.6 million, is enjoying steady economic growth, although a large percentage of the population still lives below the poverty line.
Uganda is located in East Africa, at the heart of the Great Lakes region. The country's current population is 48.6 million. Its demographic growth rate is one of the highest in the world.
Since 2016, fighting in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, compounded by deteriorating environmental conditions has led to a massive increase in the number of refugees in Uganda. It is now the country with the highest number in Africa, with over 1,500,000 refugees. Although Uganda has adopted a generous asylum policy, it is still difficult to ensure that refugees have fair and equal access to humanitarian aid and essential services.
The Ugandan economy has shown remarkable resilience in the face of global economic crises, with growth driven by the manufacturing, construction and mining sectors.
Uganda has many natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, substantial oil reserves and small deposits of copper, gold and other minerals. Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the economy, employing 72% of the workforce. The country's export market fell sharply following the onset of conflict in southern Sudan, but has recently recovered, largely thanks to record coffee harvests and increased gold exports.
Number of HI staff members: 80
Date the program opened: 2009
Reports
The latest publications
> Avoiding Harm, Respecting Rights: Facilitating Person-Centered Disability-Inclusive Informed Consent in Sexual and Reproductive Health Settings (pdf, 1.36 MB)More > News
