Telling the ECSA Story

More than 14,000 refugees, the large majority women and children, have fled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Uganda since December 18 th 2017, following increased conflict, according to figures from Government of Uganda and UNHCR, said agency CARE International. Most refugees arrive through the Bunagana border point in Kisoro district, South Western Uganda but some even brave the dangerous waters of Lake Albert to escape the even greater dangers in DRC. The majority of refugees are children (54%).  CARE International staff who conducted a rapid assessment last week explain that while initially more women sought refuge in Uganda, more men have started to arrive in the last week. Many men are still trapped in the DRC, and droves have been executed by the armed gangs for trying to leave the country. Delphine Pinault, CARE Uganda Country Director, said: “The use of sexual violence against women and girls in DRC must stop. The world cannot stand and continue to wa...

STORY 10 South Sudan to Uganda: Three girls in search of survival and school In the heat of the day, Lillian, Scobia and Viola help each other carry large, heavy pieces of wood from a collection point to the temporary shelter they are trying to make into a home at Imvepi refugee settlement in Uganda. They’ve been sharing a latrine with neighbors with no place to shower, so today, they are building their own bathroom on their land. The girls, now 17 years old, are from the same village in South Sudan. Most of the fledgling nation is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis fueled by years of chronic underdevelopment, conflict and natural disasters. The three girls fled to Uganda last year with Viola’s eight-year-old brother, but no adult guardian. Viola and her brother were raised by their uncle until he was killed by soldiers on his way home one day. They survived for a few months off of the vegetables in their garden. When they ran out of food, they moved in with Scobia and h...

  Official opening of the 3rd Arbattoir in Moroto, Uganda Moroto District in Karamoja, Uganda, is a semi-arid region where the community practice pastoralism. The community relies on cattle herding for their sustenance. However, the quality of the meat consumed on the market has been questionable since the district has had only one slaughterhouse. According to Dr. Denis Baraza Wabwire, the Moroto District Veterinary Officer, slaughters have always been carried out in the bushes by herders. They did this to evade tax paid when accessing the abattoir. Unfortunately, by doing this they were exposing consumers to health risks and causing a loss of revenue to the district.   “Most of the meat being consumed in Karamoja is from animals largely slaughtered in a kraal or the bushes which gives meat inspectors a hard time to access for inspection. Under the Animals and Public Health Act, any meat intended for human consumption, must be inspected”, said Dr. Wawire...

Nobody wants to be a refugee, sometimes life throws at you predicaments that leave you no choice but to run away from your homeland. Read the heart-wrenching stories of these individuals who fled from DRC to Uganda in search of peace. This peace cost them families members, jobs and a chance to serve their country. x As thousands of other refugees of the Kyangwali camp in Uganda, Jackson, 28, has a heart-breaking story.  Just a few months ago, before fighting in his home town broke out, Jackson was living in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with his wife and their two-year-old daughter. After graduating from university, he was preparing to become a professor. But the war changed everything. His village was attacked in the middle of the night by armed men. During flight, he lost sight of his wife and daughter. He arrived in Uganda after crossing Lake Albert three weeks ago. Since then, he has not heard of them and has no means to reach th...

 Climate Change is wreaking havoc across the globe. From floods to uncontrollable wildfires, droughts, and cyclones, no corner of the earth has not felt the impact of climate change. Uganda has not been left unscathed. According to a recent report, 41% of Uganda’s total area is facing degradation with government reports indicating that 122,000 hectares are lost annually. One of the driving factors is that 90% of Uganda’s energy needs are met by fuelwood (both charcoal and firewood). With 80% of Uganda relying on farming and fishing for their sustenance, further degradation needs to be stopped. One of the ways that CARE International, and the European Union are doing this is by empowering the Youth   Portrait of Barak in school. Thanks to the trainings, he has not only gained knowledge in environmental conservation but also oratory skills. As a way of imparting practical skills and awareness to students so that they may serve as Environmental Ambassadors, Eco-Clubs were formed ...

The only family she has left is her baby born of rape: how a refugee’s motherhood triumphs over her trauma   Mafi* is holding her tiny newborn in her arms, as she puts her hand gently on her little tummy. What most people do not know is that a part of her daughter reminds her on her worst days in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Shortly before fleeing from home, four armed men had raped her. One of them is now the father of her child. Two days after giving birth to her, she recounts her horrific story in front of her small plastic sheeting tent on a hot and humid afternoon in Kyangwali refugee settlement. Mafi is one of over 288,000 Congolese who fled DRC to seek refuge in Uganda. They followed me into the forest. I went to get fire wood when the four armed men suddenly attacked me. I screamed at the top of my lungs for help but no one heard me, no one came. They pushed me to the ground and I immediately knew what their intention was. “ Kill me ”, I shouted to them, ...

When walking around the Rhino Camp refugee settlement in Northern Uganda, it is striking how few men can be seen in the villages. The large majority of refugees entering Uganda are women, elderly women, middle age women, young girls and infants. Each of them has a heartbreaking story to tell about why their husbands or fathers are not with them or what they have experienced during their journey to Uganda. Many women can hardly tell their stories as tears begin streaming down their faces. A disabled woman who crossed the border into Uganda with her baby told the story of how she witnessed her husband’s murder. Another woman explained that she decided to flee, but her husband opted to stay behind to keep and protect the family’s property and land. She has not heard from him since she left her home and doesn’t know whether he will survive the war. A third woman who fled with her niece took a taxi to the Ugandan border where they were stopped by a group of armed men in uniform who sai...

September 1, 2018 Viola Jackline, 20, is currently a pupil in Primary 5 in Imvepi Refugee Settlement. Viola is from Yei, South Sudan, and arrived in Uganda in March 2017 after two weeks of travel by foot with her grandmother and three siblings. She was only able to carry two bed sheets and two sets of clothes with her as she fled the violent conflict in her country. However, her grandmother was able to carry two saucepans, allowing her to cook some food along the way. With the bed sheets, Viola and her family were able to sleep in the bush in dark, camouflaged areas. Her long journey was coupled with thirst and hunger, verbal harassment from armed men, witnessing killings and escaping gunshots, and no means of bathing until she reached the Ugandan boarder. Viola Jackline Viola is one of 100 women and girls who participated in a menstrual hygiene management pilot that introduced menstrual cups, referred to as “Ruby Cups”, implemented by CARE and local partner WoM...