NSAMIZI-UNHCR Project

 Nsamizi Training Institute For Social Development (NTISD) under its Community Outreach program has partnered with the Government of Uganda, UNHCR and other humanitarian and development partners to extend protection and mixed solutions to refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda since 2009. Our refugee operations are currently in five settlements of Nakivale, Oruchinga, Kyaka II, Rwamwanja and Kyangwali where we implement WASH, Sustainable livelihoods, Environment and energy.

Project Mission: To transform the mindset of persons of concern to participate in socio-economic development through participatory approach to meaningful community development.

Project Vision: To become a multi-sectorial implementing partner capable of providing excellent protection services and mixed solutions in humanitarian emergencies that will transform living standards at global operation.

Core Values: (i) Integrity, (ii) Accountability, (iii) Dedicated service delivery to persons of concern.

NSAMIZI-UNHCR reports

• Annual report 2020
• Annual report 2019

Address: Nsamizi Training Institute for Social Development, Kkonge Road, Mayembe Upper, Mpigi Town Council, Mpigi District-Masaka Road

P.O.Box  149 Uganda.

Mobile: +256772053981

E-mail; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,

Website: www.nsamizi.ac.ug

Project Location: Kabingo, Isingiro Town council, Isingiro District

Map link: https://goo.gl/maps/au5bj5B9TyquxozK6

Nsamizi-UNHCR Project Experience

Nsamizi Livelihood Sector

Objective: Self-reliance and livelihoods improved

Majority of the refugees in Uganda remain dependent on food aid from WFP, with the PSNs and new arrivals depending 100% on food aid. This has been worsened by the state of the environment in in most refugee camps in Uganda and the fragile situation in Burundi and Congo resulting in new asylum seekers as well as spontaneous departures of refugees from settlements. As populations are dynamic, increase due to natural growth within the settlements also increases the strain on the household economy. In past years’, livelihood interventions emphasized agricultural rather than non-agricultural livelihood options such as micro-finance, business skills and opportunities, income generating, talents growth and support etc. To address the above challenges, emphasis is focused on new arrivals and PSNs and other individual households accessing improved seeds, establishment of vegetable gardens and fish pond farming. Most beneficiaries find it difficult to access credits for business development; sell their produce at a good price therefore, necessitating the construction of produce stores for bulking and marketing, providing support to SACCOs and VSLAs micro-credit to farmers to improve their livelihoods, providing skills training in vocational, ICT and business management and also support towards youth talent and other income generating activities.

Summary of Activities: Training in agronomic practices , Distribution of crop and vegetable seeds, Establishment of vegetable nursery beds, Formation and strengthening of livelihood groups, Facilitating skills training in carpentry, tailoring, and Business, Provision of VSLA kits to VSLA groups, Provision of micro-credit through revolving fund and VSLAs, Promotion of rice growing in the settlement, Formation of talent youth group for livelihood support, Support to PSNs, new arrivals and youth talent with startup kits, Mobilization for computer skills training, and Provision of internet services.

Distribution of vegetable seedlings to a community of Byabakora, Kyaka refugee settlement

Training on use of liquid and composite manure in Juru D, Nakivale Resettlement

Tupendane group in mahani b-Rwamwanja settlement pose for a group photo after training on modern methods of beekeeping, there were give modern beehives (KTB) as a start-up for their farming activity.

Nsamizi in partnership with UNHCR Provide internet support to the refugee community Centre (CTA) that has enabled a number refugee youths communicate with their families and also  gain access to e-jobs to improve on their livelihoods

Nsamizi in partnership with CTA&SCU train POC’s in vocational skills and ICT. In the picture, 15 successful candidates attended a graduation and were awarded certificates.

Nsamzi  monitoring  a vegetable backyard gardens of a HH that was supported with vegetable seeds in Ntenungi-Rwamwanja

Environment Sector

Objective: Natural resources and shared environment better protected

Use of natural resources and shared environment needs constant attention

Given the Population pressure on land across the settlements, the age of the settlements (some since 1959) and the continued use of most of them, a lot is at stake in terms of forest cover, Soil and water conservation, lake shores (which are considered fertile) and plant bio-diversity as well as disruption of the ecosystems. Refugees and asylum seekers depend on the existing trees and shrubs for domestic demands including construction and charcoal burning. The soils have continuously been cropped with minimal or no inputs and in some cases the vulnerable parts of the land like hill slopes and lake shores have been used which have resulted into soil erosion and Lake siltation and water eutrophication. Environmental interventions have been minimal and inconsistent due to the limited and inconsistent resource investment over the years. Additionally there is no regional operational comprehensive environment intervention strategy that is being consistently followed. We however plan to carry out the following:

1. Raising of seedlings for planting in the settlement
2. Support to tree planting around refugee homes, institutions and community woodlots
3. Raising of tree seedlings for planting in refugee homes
4. Provision of tree seedlings for planting in community woodlots institutions schools and homes for agro-forestry and water conservation.
5. Awareness creation for environment conservation practices through sensitizations.

Pricking eucalyptus grandkid at Kisoro tree nursery bed-Rwamwanja Refugee settlement.



Pruning a woodlot at Kabahinda hill Nakivale Resettlement

 



Soil erosion is a common environmental issue in Isingiro District and Nakivale refugee settlement in particular. This arises from the many bare hills that have been totally depleted of vegetation cover. Further soil erosion is attributed to the high Population pressure on the land resulting from over cultivating on the land and over grazing of cattle. Many bare hills are shown here.

View of bare Rolling hills surrounding Isingiro Town



Totally bare hill in Karitima A, Rubondo Zone



Totally bare hill in Karitima A, Rubondo Zone



Nursery bed to provide tree seedlings has been maintained with various species: Acacia, Cassia, Pinus caribaea, Bambo, Grevillea, Jackfruit, Casuarina, ice cream bean, Eucalyptus Grandis e.t.c

Pinus Carribaea tree seedlings at the Nursery Bed at Kakoma Village



Grevillea Tree seedlings



Acacia Tree seedlings



Eucalyptus Grandis Tree woodlot at Kahirimbi Village



Grevillea woodlot along Isingiro Nakivale Road



Acacia woodlot along Isingiro Nakivale Road



Grevillea wood lot at Kakoma Village, Juru Zone



Pinus Carribaea woodlot at Nakivale Secondary School- Kabahinda Village



Bambo woodlot at Karitima A Rubondo Zone that supports agroforestry



Pinus Carribaea woodlot at Kityaza (24ha)



Mangoes, Citrus, Jackfruit, Avocados, and Pawpaw planted at Juru Zone Offices



Fruit trees planted along the avenues. These support the dietary requirements of the people



Grevillea woodlot planted to demarcate water catchment areas along showers of Lake Nakivale (planted 200m from the lake)



Digging of ditches around the buffer zone of the wetland catchment area of Lake Nakivale-Rubondo Zone



Wetland restored along Lake Nakivale as a result of the creation of the buffer zones



Overgrazing of the water catchment areas. There is a lot of pressure from cattle farmers who graze cattle in the buffer zones and destroy trees and crops

Water and Sanitation (WASH)

Objective (i) : Supply of potable water increased or maintained

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is the second greatest priority for humanitarian attention. The water supply in all settlements is a major challenge due to unreliability, insufficiency, deteriorating quality of the raw water, high level of chemical contamination of the ground water and high operation and maintenance due to fragmentation of the water system. The current water facilities in the Nakivale settlement are comprised of piped water from three water treatment plants, 38 boreholes, 27 shallow wells, 4 motorized boreholes, and rainwater harvesting systems in institutions which amount to an average water availability of 18 l/p/d. Although this appears to be close to the UNHCR standard, the water is highly rationed with very expensive production costs and supported with a 15% water trucking system. In Oruchinga, there are two motorised boreholes, 08 shallow wells, and 10 hand pumps. Water trucking is now at 1%. Water capita p/d is at 22.8 l/p/d. For both Nakivale and Oruchinga, the pipe work coverage is still low and a big section of the beneficiaries still travel long distances to fetch water. More still on water production, it is evident in the settlements of Nakivale and Oruchinga that water is not available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This is as a result of the rationing that is done as a result of low production.

The current situation of the WASH systems in Nakivale doesn’t have a sustainable operation and maintenance model. This is most important part on any WASH project given that their operation and maintenance are extremely expensive in buying the inputs for water treatment, system extensions and repairs and payment for personnel.

More to that, with future plans of the greater Kagera water system planned by the Ministry of Water and Environment and our future need for handing over the settlement water system to the National Water and Sewerage cooperation management, the existing system layout poses a big hindrance.

Summary of activities: Improvement of water treatment system (floater, additional treatment tanks and rehabilitation of existing tanks), metering of institutions and administrative units, Installation of an Aeration systems, Installation of new tap stands, Procurement of Reagents For routine water testing,  Purchase of  chlorine for water treatment, -Installation of a chlorine douser iron content, Installation of power-line to different water plants, Rehabilitation of boreholes, Comprehensive water testing for all water intake sources, routine water quality surveillance for free residual chlorine, turbidity, ecoli, PH, total dissolved solids, and water pipeline extesions.

Nsamizi WASH staff repair of Kabahinda main water supply pipeline

Metering of public tapping points in nakivale

Measuring raw water parameters at the fountain aerator of basecamp water plant

Sensitising the community members of Rubondo (new arrival villages) on importance of water user committees.

Monitoring a newely installed water pump that was funded by Nsamizi  in Misiera water serving station

Objective (i) Population lives in satisfactory conditions of sanitation and hygiene

In the Nakivale and Oruchinga refugee settlement, 79% and 70% respectively of respondents surveyed indicated that they cannot afford soap for hand washing; 54.5% and 60% respectively of respondents attribute the problems of latrine construction to lack of construction materials, while the proportion of latrines in institutions is below minimum standard for UNHCR as well as national standards set by the Government of Uganda. WASH is the second priority, with PoCs facing risks of poor hygiene and sanitation and disease outbreak, including water related, as well as attacks by wild animals.  As further evident by findings from Site Fact Sheet survey conducted, there are major disparities in latrine coverage within institutions and households. The current coverage of Nakivale and Oruchinga are at 60% and 68% respectively. Schools also do not have washrooms for adolescent girls, and above all no hand washing facilities exist. Assessment findings indicate that there are on average ratio of 1:104 latrine stances for girls and 1:75 latrine stances for boys for Oruchinga and 1:150 for girls and 1:162 for boys in Nakivale. And overall average is 1 stance: 99 pupils. Health centres have dilapidated sanitary facilities (with one stance to 144 people OPD) and most need rehabilitation and decommissioning of old non-drainable full latrines. All these need quick interventions to reduce risks posed.

Summary of activities: Improve latrine coverage at institutional Incidence of open defecation reduced to a minimum, Improve sanitation and hygiene practices by the PoCs, Improve hygiene practices, Vectors controlled through fumigation, Diseases reduced to minimum via provision of hand washing facilities to institutions, Empting of drainable latrines, conduct sensitization on hygiene and sanitation, formation of sanitation clubs in schools, Provision of construction materials for latrine, and solid waste management at the basecamp and institutions through maintenance of rubbish pits and dustbins.

Distribution of solid waste management materials to community groups of Juru zone, Nakivale

Nsamizi demostrating the istallation of a Satopan

Refugee USAFI group supported by Nsamizi/UNHCR clear a rubbish dumping site in Basecamp village-Nakivale

Demostrating the installation of a “TIPPy TAP” hand washing facility in Kyeibale village

Energy Sector

Objective: Ensuring the population has sufficient access to energy

Energy requirements are basic for all refugees and asylum seekers. The current situation is that refugees are using firewood, plant wastes, shrubs and charcoal for cooking which is both expensive, unsustainable and has a negative impact on the environment (deforestation) as well as social impact to the refugees in terms of SGBV effects. More than half the households use non-cost effective and non-energy saving methods for cooking. We now have some solar street lights and lanterns that have been distributed but these are insufficient and cover less than half of the population demands. We hope to look into more sustainable sources of cooking fuel especially the briquettes that use domestic and institutional wastes. We also want to look at better or cost effective means of running water systems either by solar or Hydro-electricity from the national grid. With better options, we also continue pursuing solar lighting options for refugee households. We look into having refugees being availed or having skills and access to better energy saving technologies and stoves. Nsamizi targeted providing alternative cooking fuel (briquettes) to 35 % of refugee households for settlement with priority going to all PSN households

Summary of activities: Distribution of charcoal briquette to the community, Sensitization on charcoal briquette use, Construction of Eco stoves, Construction of lorena stoves and Repairs for solar street light

Nsamizi provides community training on lorena stove construction as a better cooking energy source.

Distributing briquettes to the EVI’s of  Nyarugugu village -Nakivale

Nsamizi is training women groups in making sustainable fuels with locally available materials such as cow dung, char dust, anthill soil, bean husks and banana peelings.