Uganda
Since 2016, Uganda has been hosting large numbers of refugees, most of them from South Sudan and the DRC. HI assists these people through psychosocial support, rehabilitation care and improved access to education.
Our actions
Jojo sitting with his grandmother and his mother. | © Crolle Agency / HI
HI works with refugees with specific needs, such as people with disabilities, older people, single mothers with children or unaccompanied children, and facilitates their access to services in the refugee camps. As many of them have witnessed traumatic events or suffered severe shocks, our teams provide psychosocial support in the form of individual or group sessions and other mental health services. They also train care 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, they distributes mobility aids (walking sticks, wheelchairs, etc.) and run 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, the aim being 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-raising sessions in the communities. They are also developing early childhood projects for very young children with disabilities or at risk of developmental delay. These projects involve supporting the children's parents and relatives and training them in good care and educational practices.
Finally, HI’s programme 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 trains community and health workers to take these issues into account. More broadly, HI works with other organisations and actors in Uganda, training them in disability issues and thus working to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities and vulnerable people are included in all actions undertaken in the country.
Areas of intervention
Latest stories
Kennedy has pulled off his biggest success yet and now walks like a champion
Kennedy has cerebral palsy. After years of being unable to stand or walk, orthoses and physiotherapy have allowed him to make spectacular progress.
Being a physio is a profession that pushes you to do your best every day
Paul Lokiru is a physiotherapist: every day, he helps patients regain their mobility and self-confidence. In the refugee camps where he works, the needs are immense.
Psychosocial support restores hope for Beatrice and Rose’s family
In Uganda, with funding from ECHO, HI is helping refugees who have experienced traumatic events to heal and improve their psychosocial wellbeing.
a life
Background
Uganda has a population of more than 48 million, with around 21% living under the poverty line.
Uganda is located in East Africa, at the heart of the Great Lakes region. The country's current population is 48.5 million. Its demographic growth rate of around 3% 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 caused by several seasons of drought in the region, 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 vulnerable refugees have fair and equal access to humanitarian aid and essential services.
Uganda's economic growth has slowed since 2016, while government spending and public debt have increased. The country’s budget is mainly spent on energy and road infrastructure, while it relies on donor support for long-term drivers of growth, such as agriculture, health and education.
COVID-19 triggered a shrinkage in the economy, which has reached its slowest pace in three decades. Business closures and job losses have led to a fall in household incomes, particularly in the informal urban sector. However, the outlook for economic growth in 2023 is brighter as conditions improve and the global recovery continues.
Number of HI staff members: 85
Date the programme opened: 2009
