INTERNATIONAL SCOUT AND GUIDE FELLOWSHIP UGANDA – SOUTH SUDANESE REFUGEE PROJECT 2017/2018 OCTOBER 2017 BY MATHIUS LUKWAGO

Background: Under Our partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the International Scout and Guide Fellowship proposes that its National Scout and Guide Fellowships assist South-Sudanese refugees living in North-West Uganda by providing them with Emergency Temporary Shelters. For one family the cost of an emergency kit which will protect them from bad weather is estimated at the cost of 25 Euros.

ISGF and UNHCR PARTNERSHIP ISGF is an organization for adults focused on Scout and Guide ideals. Its main objective is to help members maintain the values learned in the youth movement: to provide service to civil society, to encourage personal development and to support scouting and guiding at international, national and local levels. UNHCR is a United Nations Agency that works to protect and assist refugees everywhere during times of displacement, to provide critical emergency assistance in the form of clean water, sanitation and healthcare, as well as shelter, blankets, household goods and sometimes food. 

Uganda Uganda is one of the African countries which adopted the New York Declaration on refugees and migrants. Currently with the escalation number of conflicts going on in the Great Lakes region, many people have been displaced. These have ended up seeking refugee in Uganda mainly in the Northern part of Uganda. This influx to Uganda is from neighboring countries i.e, Dr. Congo, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi and now southern Sudan .

Uganda has a receiving policy both inclusive and positive Uganda has a receiving policy both inclusive and positive. Indeed Ugandans had themselves been refugees in the past. Therefore, to face the challenge of the protection of refugees, the inclusion and empowerment of refugees are fundamental; in the long-term marginalisation must disappear. Uganda is a “pilot” State on everything which can be implemented for the integration of refugees and also to assist local populations.

THE NEED Among the 1.5 million of refugees who flew from South Sudan, Uganda received tens of thousands of them fleeing the propagation of violent fights. Imvepi is a refugee settlement found in North-West Uganda, close to Ngurua and Mvepi, at an altitude of 730 metres. It is expected around 1,000 to 5,000 refugee arrive in Uganda from Southern Sudan each day. Very soon the number will reach the million people.

In addition to conflicts, the state of famine was recently declared in South Sudan. 5 millions of persons are victims, within whom children are the most vulnerable. There is also extreme poverty, no access to water and health services, and changes of climatic patterns. Most refugees arriving in Uganda are women and children who walked during many days with an empty stomach and the permanent anxiety of being attacked on their way. The number of children who flew from the violence in South Sudan just reached a million.

To provide 1000 families in Imvepi (Uganda) settlement with shelters. A number of refugees in the settlement cannot afford to produce food for themselves and thus always depend on handouts from humanitarian organization and well-wishers However, these people could be engaged in productive work which can improve their livelihood.   The State “only allocates” plots of land to the refugees (50mx50m /100mx100m) which they can cultivate or have some breeding. Children go to school with Ugandan children, and all get health care. UNHCR preferably speaks of settlements than of camps, Refugees may freely circulate and may also work. One of the major challenges is that of access to water (43 km from the first water source) with not practical roads. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: To provide 1000 families in Imvepi (Uganda) settlement with shelters.

APPEAL FOR SHELTER. As we have mentioned above, many refugee lack the basic needs which is shelter, normally each family is either given Tents or Tumpline for them to construct hats to live in.

Appeal for Shelter (cont.) Shelter is a determining factor for the survival of a population affected at the beginning of a disaster. Shelter is essential to give security, personal security, protection against climate and prevention of epidemics. Shelter is also important for the individual human dignity and to allow the affected population to recover from the impact of the disasters.

However due to the big numbers and limited resources not all refugee who come get shelter immediately, try to imagine during the rainy season and you have people in the open rain!

With the estimates, a shelter for one family costs Euro25 With the estimates, a shelter for one family costs Euro25. If each ISGF country members (NSGF and CB) actively participate in this project, then we aim at taking care of over 1000 families. Each donation, whatsoever the amount is, is important. We believe when we add our effort with UNHCR and other partners we can make a different in people’s lives. Methodology: Materials for shelter will be purchased and ISGF Will participante in the distribution of the materials to the refuges. The shelters will be branded in both the UNHCR and ISGF logos. Target : We are targeting 1000 refugee families. Contribution from members can be sent to the World Bureau, which in turn will disperse it to Mathius Lukwago, ISGF World Committee Chairman, for implementation. International Scout and Guide Fellowship - ING : ACCOUNT NUMBER 310-0369433 46 IBAN : BE33 3100 3694 3346 BIC : BBRUBEBB Or by PAYPAL ( worldbureau@isgf.org

Sample of Tents

A family out side their tent

Sample of a settlement

Yes, refugees from southern Sudan who arrived in Imvepi need your help. Think of all children THANK YOU