The Problem
The challenges we try to tackle
The status-quo
Challenges of the refugee situation
In most countries, refugees only receive necessities like food and shelter. They rarely have the chance to participate in the local economy, let alone be self-sufficient, leverage their potential and previous skills, which often leads to a heavy reliance on aid. These strategies for refugees do not effectively use refugees' resources and talents while promoting band-aid solutions instead of long-term strategies that address root challenges.
A fruitful ground for change
Uganda
Uganda has been lauded internationally for how they handle the influx of refugees as they are one of the few countries that have created an enabling environment for refugees through their 'open door policy' and the agricultural self-reliance approach they follow. Currently, Uganda hosts a total of 1.5 million refugees, making it the fifth-largest refugee-hosting country. Additionally, Uganda is neighboring many conflict areas, which makes it accessible to many refugees.
Where we come in
Why change it now?
We at Team Spirit see the necessity and urgency to reimage the economic inclusion of refugees so everyone can thrive, not only survive. With the steadily increasing migrations due to climate change and political conflicts, it’s imperative that we change our systems from within and amplify voices and opportunities on the ground to enable a flourishing future for everyone.
Food security issues and lack of livelihoods
Uganda's challenges
Despite Uganda's suitable climate for refugees, they still have challenges.
Food Insecurity: The increasing influx of refugees in the past years has resulted in smaller land allotments, which has led to decreasing yields and higher competition for resources amongst the locals and refugees, calling for more diverse livelihoods. Food spoilage is a significant challenge in Uganda. Over 40 percent of the food produced spoils before consumption due to the lack of storage solutions and poor post-harvest processes.
Lacking Livelihoods: Refugees in Uganda still need more access to the market and capital. Their economic activities are limited in the area of their settlement, and getting loans can be difficult as many refugees do not have the collateral needed to get one. Beyond agricultural livelihoods, there is some vocational training e.g. tailoring, carpentry or small-scale trading, however, despite Uganda's self-reliance approach, refugees still rely on food and cash hand-outs while often needing several jobs to survive