The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | Patricia Akankwatsa |A groundbreaking study on the Rebuild programme, a collaborative effort by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the IKEA Foundation, has clearly demonstrated the transformative power of cash grants in empowering refugees and host communities in urban settings. The findings, presented at a recent gathering in Kampala, highlight the programme’s remarkable success while also calling for a re-evaluation of standalone mentorship models to maximize their effectiveness. This research offers a compelling roadmap for future humanitarian and development initiatives across the region.
Saidi Jonathan, a beneficiary of the Rebuild program, stands as a powerful testament to its profound impact on individual lives. Just a few years ago, in 2021, Jonathan was a casual laborer struggling to support his family on a meager salary. As a refugee, the daily grind was a constant battle. However, his fortunes took a dramatic turn when he discovered the Rebuild program.
“Everything changed when I was introduced to the Rebuild program,” Jonathan shared, reflecting on a pivotal moment. He was among the very first group of beneficiaries, receiving crucial mentorship and a vital cash grant that dramatically altered his trajectory from hardship to hope.
The financial injection from the program proved to be a game-changer for Jonathan’s budding poultry farming business. He was able to expand his stock from a modest 20 birds to a thriving enterprise of 1,600 birds, a remarkable increase that speaks volumes about the power of direct financial support. Beyond the significant business growth, the program also facilitated Jonathan’s personal development, enabling him to pay for his senior six tuition and pursue further education, a dream he might not have realized otherwise. Crucially, Jonathan highlighted the program’s profound role in fostering a sense of community, bringing together both refugees and Ugandans and cultivating a vital sense of connection and belonging that often eludes those displaced by conflict.
While the comprehensive study suggests that mentorship alone may not always be sufficient to drive large-scale change, Jonathan strongly advocates for its continued inclusion, emphasizing its instrumental role in his own success. He passionately recommends that future iterations of the program consider matching mentors with beneficiaries who are already operating in the same sector or industry. This tailored approach, he believes, would make the mentorship far more effective and directly relevant to the specific challenges and opportunities faced by beneficiaries.
“It’s not just about the financial support; it’s also about the mentorship and the sense of community that comes with it,” he affirmed, highlighting the holistic benefits of the Rebuild model.
Speaking at the launch on 08 July, the country Director of IRC Uganda Elijah Okeyo expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Ugandan government, particularly the Office of the Prime Minister and Kampala City Authority (KCCA), along with key partners like UNHCR and the IKEA
Foundation, for their unwavering support in making the Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) possible. This rigorous research, led by a distinguished team including experts from Georgetown University, the Center for Global Development, the University of Rochester, the Economic Policy Research Center, and Innovations for Poverty Action, yielded clear and compelling results: cash grants unequivocally work.
“Direct financial support empowers entrepreneurs, both refugees and host community members, to build and grow stable businesses,” Okeyo stated with conviction. He further elaborated that the positive ripple effect of these grants extends far beyond mere business growth, significantly enhancing overall well-being and strengthening crucial community networks. This demonstrates that financial empowerment is a catalyst for broader societal benefits.
However, the study also revealed a crucial insight: while impactful, mentorship alone is not enough to achieve the desired outcomes on a large scale. This significant finding prompts a necessary re-examination of how such mentorship interventions are designed and integrated within broader support programs.
Based on these compelling and evidence-based findings, there is now a collective and urgent call for donors, government bodies, and the private sector to collaborate in scaling up effective solutions that have proven their worth. The study strongly reinforces the growing body of evidence supporting the profound positive impact of direct cash grants as a powerful tool for economic empowerment and resilience.
“We’re calling for proven sustainable solutions like cash to be brought to more communities,” Okeyo urged, emphasizing the critical need for smarter, more inclusive programs that are specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of vulnerable populations, particularly women entrepreneurs, who often face disproportionate barriers.
Speaking on behalf of UNHCR, Gerald Peter Emoyo the assistant livelihoods and economic inclusion officer at UNHCR highlighted the extensive achievements of the Rebuild program, which has successfully reached over 10,000 beneficiaries to date. The program has offered a diverse range of vital interventions, including savings initiatives, direct cash assistance, personalized mentorship, and strong collaboration with government agencies.
Emoyo lauded the program’s robust collaboration with the government, especially within the complex urban context. He also commended the significant strides made towards actualizing refugee rights to work in Uganda, which includes supporting refugees in registering their own businesses – a crucial step towards formal economic inclusion. Furthermore, he noted the program’s effective linkages with other complementary initiatives, such as the Grow program, demonstrating the powerful potential for integrated programme.
Despite the programme’s undeniable successes, several significant challenges still need to be addressed to ensure long-term sustainability and broader impact. Gerald specifically pointed to the persistent and significant barriers refugees face in accessing formal finance, urging all stakeholders to work together to develop sustainable and scalable approaches to overcome this critical hurdle. The imperative for sustainability was a recurring theme, with a focus on designing approaches that can be effectively scaled up and replicated across different contexts.
Moreover, the need for improved coordination and data sharing among humanitarian and development actors was stressed to avoid any duplication of assistance and ensure that precious resources are optimized for maximum benefit to those in need.
Daniel Kaseregenyi the Deputy Director Gender and Community Services representing the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), reaffirmed KCCA’s unwavering commitment to fully including refugees and asylum seekers within their broader development programs. Their core focus, he explained, is on social economic transformation programmes that are designed to enable refugees to become self-reliant members of the community.
Kaseregenyi acknowledged that while KCCA’s existing programs, such as PDM, YOP, and UEB, have design limitations that sometimes exclude refugees, they are actively collaborating with Rebuild to conduct research that will directly inform advocacy for policy changes. This will ensure that refugees are explicitly included in the design of such vital programs from the very outset.
He also expressed KCCA’s excitement about several innovative projects currently underway, which aim to address both livelihood needs and environmental challenges. These include initiatives in waste management, particularly focusing on climate change resilience through projects like Black Soldier Flies that process biodegradable waste into manure for urban farming.
Other promising ventures include briquette making, which provides a cheaper and more sustainable energy source while creating income, and mushroom farming, exploring its entire value chain from production to market. These projects, Daniel stated, are generating significant interest among refugees, who see their clear potential for both income generation and food security.
Agnes Basera, the Protection Officer at the Office of the Prime Minister, Department of Refugees, delivered powerful closing remarks at the launch, expressing profound gratitude to the IRC for hosting such a crucial event. Basera reiterated Uganda’s unwavering commitment to supporting refugees and creating an enabling environment for impactful initiatives like the Rebuild program. She emphasized that the Ugandan government remains dedicated to supporting refugees, even in the face of growing global donor fatigue, underscoring the nation’s humanitarian ethos.
As a protection officer, Basera highlighted the profound importance of economic support in protecting refugees, especially vulnerable women. She noted that financial knowledge, combined with mentorship and overall empowerment, are crucial in reducing exposure to gender-based violence and promoting greater stability and dignity. Basera commended the Rebuild program for its truly inclusive approach, which demonstrably benefits both refugees and Ugandans, fostering a harmonious coexistence. She highlighted the importance of continued collaboration and building on evidence-based solutions to systematically improve the lives of refugees across the country.
Basera assured the audience that the government of Uganda is fully committed to providing a supportive environment for refugees, including upholding their fundamental right to movement and work. She encouraged refugees to actively engage with the Ugandan community and leverage the country’s famously friendly and supportive nature.
Basera extended her heartfelt thanks to the IRC, all partners, and UNHCR for their tireless efforts in making refugees’ lives better, emphasizing the collective responsibility to continue building on evidence-based solutions and collaborating to improve the lives of refugees for a more hopeful future.
