Green Livelihoods: How Natural Resource Management Is Feeding Families and Healing the Environment in Kyegegwa
“This will inevitably increase pressure on the environment as people struggle to survive. We need more development partners to step up.”
Kyegegwa: In the rolling hills of Kyegegwa District, a bold transformation is taking root, one that is nourishing families, restoring ecosystems, and building resilience among both refugee and host communities.
Launched under the Uganda Refugee Resilience Initiative (URRI), this ambitious four-year project is funded by the Government of Denmark in partnership with the Government of Uganda.
With a substantial investment of UGX 142 billion, the initiative aims to benefit more than 50,000 smallholder farmers, ultimately impacting 250,000 people across refugee and host populations.
A lifeline amid crisis
According to Alex Twongeirwe, Assistant Commandant of Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, the project comes at a critical time.
“Uganda’s refugee response heavily relies on international aid. Unfortunately, current funding gaps have forced us to slash food rations for the 134,000 refugees in Kyaka II,” Twongeirwe said. “This will inevitably increase pressure on the environment as people struggle to survive. We need more development partners to step up.”
Denmark applauds Uganda’s Refugee Policy
At the project’s launch on April 29, 2025, the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, Signed Winding Albjerg, praised Uganda’s globally recognized refugee model.
“Uganda has shown the world that with the right support, refugees can thrive alongside their host communities,” she said. “Now is the time to reinforce that vision with tangible action.”
She emphasized that the URRI initiative will focus on climate-smart agriculture, green livelihoods, and environmental restoration.
“The project will include training in sustainable farming, reforestation efforts, and the introduction of energy-efficient technologies to reduce pressure on natural forests,” she added.
Aligning with National Development Goals
Denis Otiti, Assistant Field Officer at UNHCR Kyaka II, said the project is aligned with Uganda’s Third National Development Plan (NDPIII), particularly in the areas of climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and social cohesion.
“Despite the courage of both refugees and host communities, we face serious challenges: degraded landscapes, dwindling resources, economic insecurity, and climate change,” Otiti noted.
“URRI is a game-changer. It puts people, the planet, and partnership at the center of resilience.”
Twongeirwe, however, called for a review of the project’s 65% host–35% refugee benefit ratio, arguing that refugee challenges disproportionately affect host communities, fueling theft and insecurity.
Women and Youth at the Center
Patrick Muzinduki, Assistant Director at KRC Uganda, highlighted how women and youth are playing a critical role in advancing climate-smart practices.
“Local women’s groups have started kitchen gardens using permaculture. Youth cooperatives are engaging in agroforestry, briquette making, and wetland restoration. These efforts are helping to protect water sources and establish tree nurseries,” Muzinduki explained.
“We’ve trained women to make energy-saving stoves and briquettes, offering them both income and an alternative to deforestation.”
Government Applauds Community Resilience
Col. Bright Alex Nzirimu, the Kyegegwa District RDC, praised the URRI project as a model of inclusive, sustainable development.
“This project proves that when communities are equipped and empowered, natural resource management becomes more than policy it becomes a livelihood, a legacy, and a lifeline,” he said.
Transforming Lives
Winfred Nannungi, a project beneficiary, shared her personal journey of recovery through silverfish processing.
“After losing half my land due to refugee influx and being displaced from a wetland, I struggled to sustain my silverfish business,” she said.
“URRI helped me add value to my products, and I now earn UGX 600,000 per month.”
Doreen Mbabu, another beneficiary, manufactures energy-saving stoves that reduce firewood use by 50%.
“With support from KRC Uganda, I now sell stoves priced between UGX 16,000 and 25,000 to fellow refugees, often on credit. I make about UGX 500,000 per month in the rainy season and UGX 400,000 in the dry season,” she said.
Though the project primarily targets Kyegegwa District, it will also extend its benefits to Yumbe, Moyo, Koboko, and Adjumani further reinforcing Uganda’s commitment to resilience through inclusive and sustainable development.
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