「Uganda」Women’s Refugee Support Centre – Post Project Activities
In the three years from March 2021 to March 2024, Peace Winds Japan (Referred to as Peace Winds) has facilitated Women’s support centers in Northern and Western Uganda’s sanctuary cities; Invepi and Chaka (respectively) in order to promote women’s safety and emotional independence.
A Women’s Support Center was built as a base where women can access welfare counseling services and receive training in sewing, beauty treatment, hairdressing, and soap-making to develop the skills needed to support their economic and social independence.
Furthermore, after the project period, efforts were made to ensure the center would continue to be effectively utilized. The foundation and systems to continue the ongoing activities of protecting women and supporting their emotional independence were established by the committee formed by the local community.
Women from the Women’s Support Center Engaged in Community Awareness Activities
The Women’s Support Center in the Imvepi Refugee Settlement continues to actively engage in community awareness activities, particularly those related to gender-based violence (GBV). The center uses its experience from the project to listen to the concerns of women visiting for support and provides appropriate referrals to organizations based on their issues. As an officially registered entity, the center has expanded its role by partnering with other support organizations, focusing not only on GBV but also on raising awareness about adolescent pregnancies and organizing community events. Currently, the center is actively participating in stakeholder meetings within the refugee settlement and engaging in discussions with key parties to pursue new collaboration opportunities and continue its community outreach.
The name of the organization, Imvepi Women Shine Network, carries the hope of becoming a bridge that creates a bright future where all women can shine and live powerfully. A member of the Center’s management committee shared, “Through exchanges with another Women’s Support Center, I recognized the importance of reproductive health.” From this, the member strongly declared her ambition: “I want to contribute to building a community where women can make decisions about their sexuality and bodies, protect themselves, and live better lives without suffering from gender-based violence.”
The Women’s Support Center in the Chaka II Refugee Settlement is known for its active and effective training programs. The women on the Center’s management committee began planning and preparing for the continuation of the sewing, beauty and hairdressing, and soap-making training programs before the Peace Winds project ended. They continue to offer these training sessions to refugees and members of the host community. “We want to use the skills we learned in the Peace Winds program to support the socio-economic and mental independence of other women in the refugee and host communities,” said the trainers, who are graduates of the Peace Winds program. Some of the trainees even received students from other support organizations. The first group of trainees has already completed their training, and the second group is currently undergoing training. At the training site, there is a lively atmosphere, with both trainees—who express joy in learning—and the women on the Center’s management committee, all sharing passionate dedication and smiles.
Trainees Wearing and Unveiling Their Own Designed Clothes from the Sewing Training (Chaka II Refugee Settlement)
The name of the women’s organization in the Chaka II Refugee Settlement is “Union for Women Development Bukere,” with the vision of “Amani Kazi,” meaning “peace” and “work” in Swahili. For the center to contribute to creating a peaceful environment free from violence in households and communities, it is important to promote not only women’s independence but also men’s understanding of issues like GBV. Therefore, the center’s management committee has opened the center’s doors to men as well, ensuring it serves as a support base for the entire community.
Members of the Center Management Committee in the Chaka II Refugee Settlement
Despite the seemingly smooth operation of the women’s support center, there are many challenges. The members of the center management committee continue to experiment and adapt every day. One challenge is raising funds for maintenance and security costs. To address this, the center has engaged in income-generating activities such as renting out the hall and selling products. Additionally, in order to cover costs such as materials, equipment maintenance, and instructor fees for the training, the committee decided to charge a fee for the courses. As a result, students who are highly motivated to learn have participated, leading to significant progress in skill acquisition. The committee is now preparing to create an environment where trainees can take technical certification exams from national agencies to further enhance the training’s impact.
The members of the center management committee are always smiling, but many of them have experienced great hardship after fleeing from South Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some also felt scared to interact with the local host community and struggled to express themselves or communicate before joining the Peace Winds project. Through participating in activities at the women’s support center, some have made friends for the first time with refugee or host community women, and become more confident in expressing their opinions. “Now it’s our turn to support other women,” they say. The members of the committee continue to support their community, working together across the refugee and host community divide.
Peace Winds aims to build a foundation for continued activities that support women’s protection and mental independence, relying on the local community to carry this work forward. The supportive cycle Peace Winds strives for is truly taking root.
This project was made possible through a grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan’s NGO Cooperation Program, as well as the generous support from everyone. We appreciate your continued support for our work in Uganda.