Providing startup kits to 93 children

September 30, 2022

SCJ, a JPF member NGO, is engaged in a protecting children from the DRC and children in the host communities in southwestern Uganda.

In the targeted refugee settlements, many refugee children are separated from their families in the process of fleeing to Uganda and receive alternative care by caregivers.
In some cases, the relationship between caregivers and children does not work well, leading to a worsening of the children's protection risk.

SCJ mainly targets 100 children and adolescents aged 14-18 who are in the transitional period from alternative custody to independence, and their caregivers, by providing Family-based graduation meeting, Life skill sessions, Meeting with caregivers, and Business start-up support. In August, 274 children attended life skills sessions, of which 93 children were provided with startup kits. Different items were procured and distributed to children and their families which include sewing machines with its accessories, plastic shoes, bales of clothes, clippers, charcoal stoves, tool box, African prints, and bicycle. This was intended to support children and their families such that they would be able to support themselves with basic needs of life.

Educational Support for Children with Challenges in Continuing to Attend School

28th June 2022

In the refugee and host communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR), there are many children at high risk of dropping out of school, children with disabilities, orphans, and other children who face challenges in continuing their schooling. Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR), a JPF member NGO, continues to support the education of these children by improving their learning environment.
In May, they distributed school supplies to all the children and sanitary napkins to the girls. AAR also provides supplementary English classes for children who have problems with the English used in class. 90% of the children at the schools where the support was provided said that they were able to understand the regular classes more easily and that they were more motivated to continue going to school.

Child-led initiatives on awareness raising

27th May, 2022

• Children presenting their art work and poems during a child led activity ©Save the Children
• The children from different locations during the child led activities sensitizing the listeners on hygiene, sanitation and peaceful co-existence at Nyumbani FM ©Save the Children

With the support of JPF member NGO Save the Children Japan (SCJ), a child-led initiative, awareness-raising activities were conducted.
The activity was led by 263 peer to peer members (121 girls, 142 boys) who raised awareness among other 417 children (184 girls, 233 boys) within the　refugee settlement.

At a later date, 4 children (2 girls and 2 boys) took lead in a radio talk show discussing the same issues as above disseminating the information targeting children who missed out on the physical dialogue especially those in the host community.

Holding workshops to promote parents' understanding of the need for education

27th May, 2022

Association for Aid and Relief (AAR), a JPF member NGO, provides educational support in refugee settlements.　In April, AAR conducted a workshop on the importance of continuing education for parents whose children have problems attending school. A total of 481 parents (200 males and 281 females) participated. Through this workshop, parents analyzed the issues that are barriers to their children attending school and discussed solutions and ways to support their children's commuting to school.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion for COVID-19 Prevention in Refugee Settlements

April 27, 2022

Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), a JPF member NGO, completed the construction of a water station in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement for users of public facilities in the area. PWJ also conducted the training necessary to maintain the water station, which was attended by 28 participants.

Support Based on Children's Group Activities

March 7, 2022

• Peer group gathering at the Children's Square
  (c)Save the Children

Among the projects that Save the Children Japan (SCJ), a JPF member NGO, is implementing in DRC Refugees and host communities in Uganda, there are activities based on peer groups of children. SCJ aims to provide opportunities for children themselves to communicate.

Protection of children in refugee settlements and host communities

25th February 2022

• Discussions with children ©Save the Children

Save the Children Japan (SCJ), a JPF member NGO, is implementing a protection project for children and youth of refugees and host communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo in southwestern Uganda. SCJ works closely with local authorities and UN agencies to provide support for children who have been placed in vulnerable situations.

Prevention of Infectious Diseases in Refugee Settlements

25th January 2022

• ©PWJ

Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), a JPF member NGO, continues to support refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo living in refugee settlements in Uganda. Awareness-raising activities to inform people about infection prevention in an easy-to-understand manner can be seen in the hand-washing picture on the wall of the restroom.

Support for prevention of COVID-19 infection and education in refugee settlements

13rd December 2021

JPF member NGOs, Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) and Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), are continuing their support for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo living in refugee settlements in western Uganda. AAR is providing educational support such as improvement of children's learning in Changwari refugee settlement. And PWJ is promoting prevention of COVID-19 infection to refugees and host community residents in Chaka II refugee settlement.

PWJ's Water Sanitation Project

10th November 2021

• ©PWJ

PWJ has been providing assistance to refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo within Uganda, and completed a project to improve the water supply and sanitation environment in October. In addition, PWJ distributed menstrual hygiene management kits to female students, and worked to spread knowledge on hygiene in schools. In addition, PWJ is continuing the project to prevent COVID-19 infection in Chaka II refugee settlement.

Emergency Assistance for DRC Refugees in Uganda Response Plan

27th October 2021

• ©PWJ

JPF has updated its response plan for the Emergency Assistance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Uganda. You can check the goals of the support activities and sectoral plans.

The response plan can be read here.

PWJ's Continued Support for DRC Refugees

23rd September 2021

• Children receiving hygiene kits ©PWJ

Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), a JPF member NGO, has been continuing its support for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who fled to Uganda since July 2019. Currently, we are providing "Water Supply and Sanitation Support for Prevention of Novel Coronavirus Infection in Chaka II Refugee Settlement Area".

FY2020 Annual Report to Highlight Support Programs and Voices from the Field

23rd August 2021

• Students using a simple hand-washing device ©PWJ

In Uganda, the country that is hosting the largest number of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the number of DRC refugees is expected to reach approximately 570,000 by the end of 2021. For example, in the area of education support, JPF is working to improve the environment that prevents girls from attending school. For example, in education support, we are working to improve the environment that prevents girls from attending school.

Click here for the FY2020 Annual Report (see page 19)

JPF Member NGOs' Support for DRC Refugee Children and Youth

28th July 2021 15:45

More than half of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) refugees who fled to Uganda are children under the age of 18.
Due to prolonged displacement and increased stress on caregivers, refugee children are at risk of abuse and neglect, violence, child marriage, child labor, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Save the Children Japan (SCJ), a JPF member NGO, implements projects for protection of children and adolescents in Uganda and host communities.

SCJ's report is here
https://www.savechildren.or.jp/scjcms/sc_activity.php?d=3622

SCJ’s Child and Adolescent Health Project in Uganda

26th June 2021 13:04

As a JPF program Save the Children Japan (SCJ), a JPF member NGO, is implementing a health project for children and adolescents of refugees and host communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda.

SCJ provides individualized support to children at risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect and other forms of protection in refugee settlements. Depending on the individual case, SCJ provides food and daily necessities, support for improving the living environment, and assistance in visiting medical institutions.

In addition, many refugee children who were separated from their parents in the process of evacuation, or lost their parents to fighting or illness, are living with foster parents. For these children, who are now in their late teens and are on their way to independence and self-reliance, they provide lectures on means of livelihood, educational opportunities, and possibilities, as well as career counseling. SCJ also provides them with start-up kits to support their entrepreneurship.

AAR helps every child get an education in Uganda's refugee settlements

May 18, 2021 12:00

The Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR), a JPF member NGO, is providing assistance in Uganda, where a JPF program is providing educational support to refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

 Many of the DRC refugees' primary school-aged children are not able to attend school. This is due to economic reasons, such as the inability to purchase school supplies, and also due to the lack of understanding of the need for education by their parents. For girls in particular, factors include forced work and housework, priority given to boys' education, bullying during menstruation, and dropping out due to early marriage.

AAR provides support so that children can attend school regardless of their family's financial situation or gender. In addition to distributing school supplies, AAR conducts workshops to promote girls' education for school officials, parents, and local residents. In addition, a girls' education club is formed at the school, and discussions and workshops are held on issues and problems faced by girls, such as commuting to school during menstruation, with the aim of alleviating their anxiety and improving their motivation to attend school. Depending on the theme, boys may also participate in these workshops to deepen their understanding of the current situation of girls.

SCJ's Protection Project for Refugee Children and Youth in the Democratic Republic of Congo

30th April 2021 23:59

• Support for improving life skills of youth was also provided, and start-up kits for starting a business were provided ©Save the Children

Save the Children Japan (SCJ), a JPF member NGO, provided support in Uganda.
As a JPF program, SCJ implemented a project to protect children and youth from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) refugees, which was completed in March.

More than half of the DRC refugees in Uganda are children, many of whom face family separation, physical violence, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), psychosocial stress, child labor, and other violence and protection issues.

SCJ provided individualized support tailored to the individual needs of children exposed to various risks, including referrals to specialized agencies when necessary.

In some DRC refugee families, corporal punishment is used as a form of discipline, which has escalated to the point where children are seriously injured, and is one of the major protection issues. Therefore, "Parenting without Physical Punishment" sessions were also held, where children in alternative custody and their caregivers participated. Some of the participants said that the relationship between parents and children had improved.

PWJ’s Assistance in DRC Refugee Settlement Experiencing Population Increase

28th March 2021 6:00

JPF member NGO Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) is supporting the improvement of water supply and sanitation for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and host communities in Uganda.

DRC refugee settlements in western Uganda have seen a dramatic increase in the influx of refugees since the end of 2017 due to the deteriorating security situations in eastern DRC. Population continues to grow in these settlements due to children being born there as well. PWJ is installing water supply facilities to solve the shortage of per capita water supply in these communities, and also supporting primary schools that lack sanitation facilities by constructing toilets to meet the needs of the rapidly growing number of students.

In addition, PWJ will distribute menstrual hygiene products and conduct workshops on menstrual hygiene management for female students. Currently, many end up temporarily leaving school or dropping out because they cannot cope with menstruation due to inadequate changing rooms or lack of access to menstrual hygiene items for financial reasons.

SCJ’s Assistance for the Children

27th February 2021 6:00

• Food assistance for foster parents caring for children who have lost parents ©Save the Children

As part of the JPF program, JPF member NGO Save the Children Japan (SCJ) is currently implementing a project in southwestern Uganda in protection of refugee children and youths from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

60% of the DRC refugees in Uganda are children. Many of them have been exposed to various adversities before and after fleeing their country, including psychosocial stress, violence, child labor, and neglect. There are also many children who have been separated from their caregivers in the process.

Through door-to-door visits by caseworkers, SCJ checks on the safety of children in their homes and, if necessary, connects them to appropriate experts based on their individual situations. In addition, SCJ tries to foster an environment where children can grow up safely by hosting parenting sessions on practices that do not rely on corporal punishment.

AAR’s Assistance for a Better Learning Environment for Children

26th January 2021 4:00

As part of the JPF program, JPF member NGO Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR), is currently providing educational assistance in a refugee resettlement area in western Uganda for the people who have fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

More than half of the DRC refugee children in Uganda are out of school during their primary school years due to lack of schooling environment. AAR provides support to DRC refugee children as well as children from the host communities. In the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, where AAR is providing support, there is a shortage of classrooms, which means that children are overcrowded. There is also a lack of teaching materials, with four students sharing one textbook. AAR has been helping in expanding the schoolhouse and distributing educational materials. As of last month, nine new classrooms have been built.

PWJ Improving Sanitation in Western Uganda

24th December 2020 4:00

JPF member NGO Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) is currently supporting the improvement of water supply and sanitation for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in western Uganda.

Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, where the PWJ project takes place, has seen a rapid influx of DRC refugees since the end of 2017. However, water supply and sanitation remain poor and they are in need of prompt improvements as the primary schools lack toilets and hand washing facilities for both the children and the teachers.

In order to improve water supply and sanitation for the refugees and host community residents, PWJ is working to improve water supply facilities. They are also working to install toilets, hand washing facilities, and incinerators in the primary schools, and support hygiene promotion activities there as well.

SCJ's Child and Youth Protection Project

18th November 2020 4:00

• Children spending time at a child friendly space ©SCJ

As part of the JPF program, JPF member NGO Save the Children Japan (SCJ) is currently implementing a project in southwestern Uganda in protection of refugee children and youth from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Children who have fled the DRC have witnessed and suffered from violence in the DRC and have now experienced prolonged displacement. They are under a great deal of stress as they have faced changes in their surroundings and daily lives, and are also at risk of abuse, trafficking and neglect.

Through their project, SCJ provides individualized support to particularly vulnerable children who are facing the risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. SCJ also promotes child protection by ensuring that children have safe and secure places to stay, such as child friendly spaces (CFS), in their lives as refugees.

SCJ's Assistance in Uganda

28th October 2020 3:04

• Life skills improvement session ©SCJ

As part of the JPF program, JPF member NGO Save the Children Japan (SCJ) is currently implementing a project in southwestern Uganda in protection of refugee children and youth from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Many of the displaced youth from DRC have difficulty communicating and interacting properly with others and need to acquire socio-economic skills that are essential to live in Uganda. In addition, opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship are limited while living as refugees. SCJ aims to protect youth who have limited access to school, employment, and social interaction through providing them with support to improve their life skills. As a general rule, SCJ assists youth who do not have access to educational opportunities beyond secondary school so that they can acquire skills such as financial literacy, English language literacy, interpersonal skills, and knowledge of and appropriate responses to sexual violence.

AAR’s Educational Assistance Activity

26th September 2020 14:00

• Inside the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement ©AAR

As part of the JPF program, JPF member NGO Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR), is currently providing educational assistance to the DRC refugees and children from the host communities in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in western Uganda.

In April, AAR began providing support to the refugee community in Kyangwali to help improve the learning environment for the children. In the refugee settlement, there is even a school that has more than 700 students attending but has only one classroom. Around the same time as the beginning of their project, COVID-19 also began to spread in Uganda where all schools in the country were closed and expatriates were forced to leave the country for safety reasons. Although schools in the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement remain closed to this day, AAR continues to work closely with the Ugandan staff who remain in the area as they carry on this project.

AAR’s Report: https://bit.ly/3kc8qlk

PWJ Distributing Menstrual Hygiene Management Kits

29th August 2020 10:00

• Girls with MHM kits given to them ©PWJ
• Girls washing their hands using a simple hand-washing device ©PWJ

JPF member NGO Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) is currently working to improve water supply and sanitation for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who now live in western Uganda. Although no cases of the new coronavirus have been reported in the Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, which is PWJ's project site, the pandemic has affected the local economy and the activities of aid agencies, making it difficult for refugees and host communities to live in a sanitary manner.

PWJ provided support for the management of menstrual hygiene, which is often neglected in such circumstances. More than 2,000 girls between the ages of 10 and 18 in the refugee settlement received Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) kits. The kits include reusable napkins and panties, as well as soap and bucket for washing. One of the students said, "We hadn't had any sanitary napkins for a while, so it was really helpful (to receive the MHM kit from PWJ),” expressing how happy she was to receive the kit.

Member NGO Continuing Assistance

31st July 2020 15:00

JPF member NGOs Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), Save the Children Japan (SCJ), and the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR) are providing support for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Uganda. These NGOs are supporting the improvement of water and sanitation, protection of refugee children and youths, and education in refugee settlements as many DRC refugee children are missing out on educational opportunities.

Impact of COVID-19 on Assistance Activities

30th June 2020 23:00

As part of our emergency assistance for the refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who now live in Uganda, JPF has been implementing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) improvement and educational assistance projects in refugee settlements. In response to the global spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), there are now bans on gatherings of a large number of people and restrictions on people’s movement in many regions where JPF is active, adding to the difficulties of implementing our assistance activities. We must get through this phase of the pandemic while being very careful of infection prevention so that we can continue to deliver aid to those in need.

PWJ’s Assistance Activity

29th May 2020 7:00

• ©PWJ
• ©PWJ

As a JPF grant project, JPF member NGO Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) has implemented a hygiene improvement project for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who now live in western Uganda. Due to the worsening civil unrest in the DRC, the population of Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in western Uganda has increased rapidly from around 63,000 in June 2018 to around 124,000 in March 2020. This has resulted in a serious shortage of water and hygiene facilities there. Additionally, with the spread of COVID-19, hygiene improvement is an even more urgent issue as the health system was already weak to begin with.

This is why PWJ has constructed a total of 10 student bathroom facilities at three primary schools since late February. Also, to make sure handwashing becomes a good habit for all the students, water tanks were placed right next to the toilets. This will also help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Finally, PWJ provided a training on hygiene knowledge for over 130 primary school students who belong to the hygiene club.

Currently, the schools are closed due to COVID-19, but we feel as if we can almost see the happy faces of children using the clean toilets and handwashing spaces once they return to school!

AAR Beginning Educational Support Provision

3rd April 2020 1:00

• ©AAR

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a country that has been experiencing domestic crisis for a long time now. From April 2020, as a JPF grant project, Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR) has begun providing educational assistance to the DRC refugees and children from the host communities in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in western Uganda.

In Uganda, more than half of primary school age children are not able to attend school (UNHCR, June 2019). One reason is because the learning environment is not fully established, which includes lack of classrooms and textbooks as well as insufficient systems of school administration.

In the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement where AAR is implementing its project, there is a school that has over 700 children but only one classroom; clearly, it is not an environment where all of the children can focus on learning. This is why AAR has begun its educational support there through improving the school environment: constructing classrooms, building housing for the teachers, and distributing textbooks and educational resources. It is also engaging in maintenance and management of school facilities and offering school administration training. Currently, the school at their activity site has been closed due to the spread of COVID-19, so they cannot provide assistance physically there, but they are preparing to resume their support.

AAR’s post can be read here: https://aarjapan.gr.jp/about/news/2020/0410_2929.html

UNHCR seeking support for refugees

30th March 2020 5:00

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has had people leaving the country since the beginning of 2017. Neighboring countries have become the major hosts of DRC refugees, including Uganda with 400,000 people, followed by Burundi (over 84,000), Rwanda (over 75,000), and Tanzania (also over 75,000).

The long-standing refugee crisis is exhausting resources on the part of hosting communities, and refugee camps are overflowing with people. UNHCR and its partner organizations are appealing for US$621 to support people who have fled DRC to neighboring countries and for their hosting communities.

For more information, please refer to the UNHCR site here: https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2020/3/5e620fb34/unhcr-partners-seek-us621-million-support-drc-refugees-hosting-communities.html

JPF Implementing “Emergency Assistance for DRC Refugees in Uganda”

29th February 2020 11:00

• Kyaka II Refugee Settlement ©PWJ

In response to the rapid increase of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) fleeing into Uganda, JPF decided to launch our assistance program in January 2019 and have been implementing emergency response projects since May of last year. Currently, JPF member NGO Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) is working on a project to improve the hygiene environment for the DRC refugees in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in western Uganda.

Conditions of DRC Refugees in Uganda

31st January 2020 15:32

Since the end of 2018, many people have fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) due to worsened crisis in the country. According to the data released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) this month, there were 902,816 DRC refugees across Africa as of the end of 2019*1. Of this total, 397,638 people have fled to neighboring Uganda as refugees (as of the end of December 2019)*2. This shows how many people are still in need of assistance. At JPF, we will coordinate with local governments and our member NGOs, assess the conditions and needs, and continue to implement prompt assistance

*1 UNHCR DRC Fact Sheet - January 2020: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/73669
*2 UNHCR Operational Data Portal: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/drc

PWJ's Hygiene Improvement Assistance

17th December 2019 22:00

• ©PWJ

JPF is providing emergency assistance in Uganda in response to the rapid increase of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a result of the worsening of civil unrest. After JPF member NGOs conducted initial assessments in May 2019, Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) has been implementing a hygiene improvement project for the DRC refugees in western Uganda.

Emergency Assistance for DRC Refugees in Uganda in Action

30th November 2019 19:30

• ©Kanako Sakae / Save the Children

JPF is providing emergency assistance in Uganda in response to the rapid increase of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a result of the worsening of civil unrest. After JPF member NGOs conducted initial assessments in May 2019, Save the Children Japan (SCJ) has been currently implementing child protection and youth capacity building projects.

JPF will continue to work in partnership with local municipal governments and member NGOs to understand and assess the conditions and needs on the ground, and we will provide prompt assistance to those in need.

JPF "Emergency Assistance for DRC Refugees in Uganda" Program is Now Active

5th October 2019 19:30

• Interviewing refugees in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, Western Uganda ©PWJ

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a regime change took place for the first time in eighteen years after the 2018 presidential election. After the election, domestic crisis worsened, and inter-ethnic conflicts intensified in the eastern part of the country bordering Uganda. Consequently, the number of people fleeing DRC for Uganda soared. To respond to this rapid increase of refugees, the Ugandan government, in partnership with UN agencies and NGOs, has provided relief in refugee settlements but is facing shortage of funds to adequately do so.

Given this unmet need, JPF decided to mobilize our response program. Since May 2019, JPF member NGOs Association fo Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR), Peace Winds Japan (PWJ), and Save the Children Japan (SCJ) have conducted initial assessments and also implemented child protection, education, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), health, and livelihood support programs.

In partnership with local governments and member NGOS, JPF will continue to assess the conditions and needs on the ground and provide prompt assistance for those in need. Updates of our activities can be found on the JPF website and at our Facebook page.