Welcome to Edition 15
This month's newsletter covers research, updates and recent news across all the sectors, including UNHCR's Q4 2020 dashboards. There are also three training opportunities. As always, please hare this - and the website - with your networks who can sign up to receive it directly by clicking here and submissions are extremely welcome – please send to Ugandrefugeenews@gmail.com and wherever possible, they will be included in the next edition.
Sector specific:
Education:
NRC - Refugee Status, Gender and Learning - This data report provides details from a survey of applicants to the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Accelerated Education Program in Northern Uganda, 2020. The surveys covered a range of topics, such as demographic and socioeconomic background, school attendance, academic skills, social control, feelings and perceptions on various topics, and future aspirations
Environment
A critical analysis of the legal framework for sustainable management of biodiversity; a case of Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda - The purpose of this thesis was to present a comprehensive analysis of the challenge posed by the inability of the legal and institutional framework in conserving biodiversity within the refugee context and identify the shortcomings. The findings show both threatened species and habitats outside protected areas of Bidibidi settlement.
Newlab Tests Life-Saving Cookstoves in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement- gaining insights and feedback about what makes for safe, affordable, and efficient at home cooking.
Health:
Compliance to COVID-19 guidelines in Uganda: Insights from a multi-site study in 13 refugee settlements - The study found a serious disconnect between the high knowledge levels and compliance with the recommended COVID-19 preventive measures. Compliance levels have drastically declined, which is also depicted by the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths at the community level – although many remain unreported in light of the constrained health system capacity.
U-Learn - COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Assessment - This assessment aims to strengthen the evidence base surrounding RCCE approaches in Uganda, in particular in refugee communities during the COVID-19 response, to inform the successful delivery of RCCE
USAID/AVSI -
COVID-19 Context Analysis Report - several context assessments were carried out to better understand participants knowledge of COVID-19 information (Participant Awareness), impact of restrictions on participants lives (Participant Experience), as well as the impact to surrounding markets both from a supply and demand perspective (Market Research).
Context Report - Round June 2020 - this second data collection took place to revise previous tools to better reflect the evolving context and understand how this changing environment affects participants and markets, which has been helpful for decision-making based on the most current information.
UNHCR -
Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021
Livelihoods
Linking refugees to formal financial services (Part I) - Financial services are an important avenue for refugees to save money, access loans, and manage life shocks. However, many of them struggle to access finance because of legal barriers, lack of identity documentation, lack of credit history in their new locations, or collateral as security. Despite the challenges they face in accessing formal finance, refugees have found ways around financial exclusion. As part of a financial diaries study started in September 2020 by BFA. This blog shares the initial insights from the financial diaries research in Nakivale and West Nile refugee settlements
Refugees and volunteering in Uganda - This working paper discusses initial findings showing that: 1) Young refugee’s limitations in accessing paid work is critical to understand volunteering’s role in building livelihoods; 2) Discriminatory hiring practises among different groups create inequalities in access to volunteering opportunities;3) Refugees in urban settings account for additional challenges that influence the social aspects of their volunteer experience due to increased competition as well as a lack of institutional structures.
How refugee entrepreneurs are surviving the pandemic - Starting their own enterprises can help refugees and immigrants to survive and thrive in their new countries. But the Covid-19 pandemic has forced many to pivot their businesses – and it has brought new challenges to the organisations that support them. This paper explains the conclusions of recent research in Brazil, Spain and Uganda
“We Make the Voice of These People Heard”: Trajectories of Socioeconomic Mobility among Congolese Pastors in Kampala, Uganda (paid for content) - This article focuses on religious entrepreneurship in a context of displacement, specifically among Congolese refugees in Kampala, where becoming a pastor is one of the few opportunities available for social mobility.
Refugee Entrepreneurship, Business Ownership, and the Right to Work in Host Communities: A Legal Comparative Analysis - This report provides a legal overview of policies affecting refugee entrepreneurship in eight select countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan, Turkey, and Uganda. The report offers country-by-country insights on refugee laws and policies; enterprise development; and informal business activities. The research suggests that adopting policies focusing on refugee and host community collaboration will best serve host countries by encouraging refugee self-reliance and promoting positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
UNHCR - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021,
Protection
No Refuge: South Sudan's targeting of refugee HRDs outside the country - The majority of cases documented inthis report refer to incidents that happened outside of South Sudan, mostly in Kenya and Uganda.
UNHCR - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, Dashboard - Quarter 4, Jan - Dec 2020
WASH
UNHCR/OPM - WASH KAP Endline Survey Report - December 2020 for Imvepi, Kiryandongo, Bidi Bidi, Rhino
Other:
USAID/AVSI - Reusable Sanitary Pads and Baby Diapers Assessment Report - sought to better understand and identify the need and feasibility of gender-specific PSE linkages for female participants. Specifically, it sought to understand female participants and their household members' current behavior around menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and baby care practices, interest in MHM and baby care products, as well as interest in related income-generating activities (IGA).
Coercion and control: How information and individuality intersect for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda - This research set out to understand whether there is a connection between how South Sudanese refugees in Ugandan refugee camps access information and how they weigh their options during displacement.
UNHCR
Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021,
2021 Funding Update as of 30 March, as of 24 March, as of 9 March
Performance Snapshot, Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021 - Quarter 4, January - December 2020, Kampala Urban Refugees; Rwamwanja, Kyaka II, Oruchinga, Nakivale, Lobule, Rhino, Palorinya, Palabek, Adjumani, Bidi Bidi, Kiryandongo, Palabek, Imvepi
WFP
Uganda mVAM Bulletin: December 2020, November 2020, October 2020, September 2020, August 2020, July 2020 - Food Security Monitoring: Urban Areas, Refugee Hosting Areas and Karamoja
Training, Events etc:
FIND Symposium: Refugee Integration in Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, and Uganda Tue, Apr 20 - 3:00 PM – Wed, Apr 21 5:30 PM - This symposium will explore the financial integration of refugees, drawing on recent research conducted in Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, and Uganda
The Groundwater Development School (GDS) - is a4-week training programme run by Groundwater Relief that educates young professionals on every aspect of siting, drilling, constructing and managing a borehole. The second round of applications: 17 March 4 April. The course will run over a 4-week period in August 2021. Course fees are £3900 to include - training, accommodation, food, drink and internal travel and also help cover the costs of constructing the water supply for a community in North Uganda.