From Khartoum to the Garden

Urban Sudanese professionals find a new purpose in rural Uganda

Kiryandongo, Uganda | Patricia Akankwatsa | When war tore through Khartoum and Darfur, over 20,000 Sudanese fled their homes, arriving in Kiryandongo District by May 2024. But this influx was unlike any the region had seen before.

The new arrivals were not subsistence farmers or villagers; they were urban professionals engineers, teachers, government administrators, and business owners suddenly facing a reality where their degrees and résumés held little value.

Their survival now depended on their ability to till a 30-by-30-foot patch of soil.

“This is not a typical refugee crisis,” says Joshua Nahurira, a project assistant with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Kiryandongo.

“Many of them had PhDs and master’s degrees. They worked in water engineering, geology, or teaching. But here, land is scarce and jobs are nonexistent. They had to start from scratch.”

The arrival of this large group came at a challenging time, as humanitarian funding from major donors like the World Food Programme (WFP) had already been reduced. Food rations were cut and cash assistance was reduced, leaving an already strained system on the brink. In response, under its Technical Cooperation Programme in Emergency (TCP) and the Uganda Refugee Response Plan (2022 – 2025) FAO designed a project for a holistic intervention, combining food production, skills training, and clean energy access to help the newcomers rebuild their lives.

Before their displacement, only 4% of this population were farmers. Most were economically active and independent, with 35% running small businesses and 32% holding salaried positions.

In Uganda, this economic profile was completely reversed, with 82% of households suddenly dependent on humanitarian aid.

“It was more than economic loss. It was an identity crisis,” Nahurira notes. “Their skills and certificates no longer mattered here. We had to give them new avenues to regain dignity.”

For Mohammed Elamin Mohammed Ibrahim, a former teacher, the transition was devastating. “We had no food at home. We had no money in our pockets,” he recalls.

“Through FAO’s programs, he says he began to adapt, and now “we can stand on our feet and walk again.”

Uganda’s pan-Africanist policy allows refugees to live, work, and move freely within the country, but it also places an immense strain on local resources. The influx of refugees in Kiryandongo has led to overcrowded schools and health facilities, as well as rising food prices.

“The population increase pushed demand so high that local markets couldn’t cope,” explains District Production Officer (DPO) Issa Hassan Byenkya.

“Uganda cannot provide cash allowances like Europe or North America. Here, people must find ways to survive through their own efforts.”

Byenkya insists that turning agriculture into a commercial, income-generating activity is key for both refugees and Ugandan citizens.

“We cannot keep agriculture at a subsistence level. We must transform it, and projects like FAO’s are helping us move in that direction,” he says.

One of the project’s most innovative approaches is the Optimum Land Use Model (OLUM), developed in partnership with Action Against Hunger. This model teaches refugees how to turn their small backyard plots into intensive vegetable gardens.

So far, 80 OLUM groups have been formed, with more than 1,200 gardens now producing crops like tomatoes, onions, eggplant, and cabbage.

Among the new farmers is Almahia Abdallah, a former water engineer.

“Before, I didn’t know anything about farming,” he admits.

“But FAO trained us in land preparation, spacing, and using organic manure. Now, my group harvests food for our families and sells the surplus. It has given us hope and purpose.”

The project also uses a voucher system, allowing refugees to redeem seeds and tools from local agro-dealers. “It links them to the market. They don’t just get free handouts. They learn to buy, sell, and plan for the future,” Nahurira explains.

Beyond crops, the FAO distributed poultry kits to 800 vulnerable households, providing them with chicks, starter feed, and vaccinations. This intervention was designed to combat malnutrition while also promoting small-scale enterprise.

Mohamed Ibrahim, the former teacher, was able to use the knowledge from this training to build his own chicken coop and start his own business. “My dream is to grow into a full poultry business,” he says.

Cooking Clean

For most Sudanese refugees, the sudden shift from cooking with gas to firewood was one of the hardest adjustments. In Sudan, 71% of households used liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). In Uganda, 98% relied on firewood or charcoal, leading to deforestation, high costs, and dangerous, smoke-filled kitchens.

“Without energy, you can’t have food security. Cooking is essential,” Byenkya stresses.

To address this, FAO distributed 1,517 efficient biomass stoves and 605 LPG kits. Beneficiaries contributed a small co-payment in a phased model designed to build responsibility and ownership.

Afag Muhammed, a former government official, says the change was life-altering.

“In Sudan, we used gas. It was faster, cleaner. Here, smoke from firewood was suffocating. Now with LPG, we cook quickly, and my children are healthier. The co-payment makes us responsible for sustaining it.”

The project is about more than meeting immediate needs; it's about building resilience and restoring dignity. Skills training, market linkages, and community farming groups are slowly replacing dependency with self-reliance.

“Refugees are resilient. With the right support, they can adapt and thrive. This project is proof,” Nahurira says.