Supporting refugee communities to practice farming as a business

Under its West Nile refugee Response, World Vision continues to partner with the UNHCR  to create business opportunities for refugees and host communities in Northern Uganda.  This in a bid to increase house hold incomes and build secure livelihoods in refugee communities. At Imvepi refugee settlement, refugees and host communities are being supported with on-farm and off-farm equipments to enable them start up income generating activities.

Some of the on-farm tools being provided include ox-ploughs, oxen, and hoes while off-farm hardware include grinding mills for value addition plus tri-cycle motor bikes for transport hire services. These are currently being given out to youth groups at Imvepi refugee settlement in Northern Uganda. The groups comprise of both refugees and host communities. Group members are also trained by World Vision in financial literacy, saving methodology and business management.

So far, two grinding mills, two tri-cycle motor bikes, 20 oxen (bulls),  10 ox ploughs, and1000 hoes have been given out at Imvepi. Phone charging gadgets and saloon equipment are among the other tools yet to be given out. World Vision plans to extend its livelihoods empowerement project to Omugo refugee settlement where it intends to role out a cash trasnfer program to enable refugees start up income generating activities.

A May 2017 inter-agency livelihoods assessment report conducted by World Vision, UNHCR and Caritas International, found that 58% of refugees at Imvepi settlement were not engaged in any form of economic activity and relied entirely on food assistance for survival. Its out of this that such initiatives have been brought on board, to enable refugees and host communities become economically engaged and thus sustain themselves financially.