Young African Refugees for Integral Development
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Robert Hakiza never imagined he would be living the life of a refugee in Uganda. Like millions of Congolese forced to uproot and flee their homes over the last several decades, he had no other option. A native of Eastern Congo, where he earned a degree in agriculture from the Catholic University of Bukavu, Robert was forced to flee to Uganda ten years ago from his home near Virunga National Park, one of the last and most pristine, bio-diverse ecosystems on earth. Mining in the region for minerals highly prized by the tech industry—including Tantalum, Tungsten, Tin, and Gold—has lured a variety of conflicting, vested interests, creating a climate of chaos and increasing instability. Few Congolese reap the benefits of their country’s immense resource wealth, making them victims of this paradox of plenty. Instead, violence that continually erupts among factions competing for the country’s natural spoils have driven an estimated 4.5 million Congolese out of their homes.
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Robert Hakiza (left) was forced to flee his nome near Virunga National Park in the Eastern Congo.
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For many Congolese, crossing Lac Edouard or Lake Albert into Uganda’s western region is the first step toward a new life. They arrive at transit and settlement camps situated along the border meant to provide only short-term relief. Unlike most host nations, Uganda permits its refugees to leave their camps and strike out on their own. Many do so, traveling on to rural or urban areas deeper in the country. “Why would you stay in a camp?” says Robert “There is no life in a camp. No dignity. You have no future.” His words carry the full weight of his displeasure with the global refugee regime that was purportedly established to support displaced people, but in reality provides scant resources for raising a family, rebuilding a life, or for simply healing the scars of trauma. Although Uganda permits its refugees to move about freely, it provides no support system after they leave the settlement camps. “We have over 100,000 refugees in Kampala,” Robert explains, “once you leave a camp, you are on your own. So we needed to created our own support system.” |
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Robert co-founded Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID) in 2008, and the organization has since become a critical lifeline for the urban refugees of Kampala. Its stated mission is to empower “refugees, orphans and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) around Africa to overcome the burdens of deprivation and vulnerability, to become healthy, educated, self-sustaining and contributing members of society.” Created by the community and for the community, YARID’s all-volunteer workforce continuously responds to the evolving needs of the refugee population.
Over the years, YARID has created numerous programs to meet those goals. Today it focuses on four key initiatives: Education, Women’s Empowerment, Sports for Development, and the Innovation Hub. At the heart of each of these programs lies an acknowledgement of the importance of continuous learning; whether that be to acquire a new skill, a new language, or to rebuild trust through sports. An organic exchange of information and knowledge continuously flows through every activity YARID supports. |
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Sports for Development began as a game of soccer, uniting Congolese, Rwandan, and Burundi refugees in the area. Gathering after the initial game, they discussed their common struggles and issues, triggering a desire for a community space. This program has since evolved, focusing on engaging youth through their favorite athletic pursuits including soccer, baseball, and volleyball. The program works to build confidence, nurture trust, and develop team building and conflict resolution skills. For many, however, there is simply no better way to escape the harsh realities of urban refugee life than to participate in a good game of sports.
YARID’s Education initiative, perhaps its most popular, consists of three main programs: Education for Adults, Bridge to Formal Schooling, and Functional Adult Literacy. For many DRC refugees, English is often the second or even third language they will acquire, after Lingala, Swahili, and French, and volunteers are available to teach English at all levels. For those seeking to further their education, RESPECT University (Refugee Education Sponsorship, Enhancing Communities Together) provides access to tutors from around the world through online distance learning, including business administration and office management courses. When, in 2015, OpenIDEO launched a challenge that posed the question: “How might we improve education and expand learning opportunities for refugees around the world?” Robert decided to respond on behalf of YARID. He knew first hand how his fellow refugee community members struggled to acquire sufficient funds to attend school in Kampala. After several prototyping engagements, YARID launched Bridge to Formal Schooling, a pilot program aimed at integrating students into mainstream education. Illustrating the truism that “it takes a village to raise a child,” this program uses a multi-stakeholder approach, working with students, parents, and teachers. Today, Bridge to Formal Schooling works with a select group of 30 students between the ages of 9-13, offering specialized teachers and mentors. Parents also have access to mentors who assist with positive parenting skills. Parents are also required to attend classes in small business development. In 2011, YARID created the Functional Adult Literacy program to address the disparity in women’s access to education. Noting that many women lacked literacy skills in their native tongue, YARID prioritized the acquisition of native language literacy before English, an implicit acknowledgement of the primacy of the women’s roots in the language and culture of the homes they had fled. While many never have had the opportunity to attend school back home, at YARID, this is now possible. Ad hoc workshops are also held throughout the year covering topics such as “Reproductive & Maternal Health” and “Peace and Conflict Management.” Business development workshops and special trainings aimed at assisting refugee entrepreneurs are also offered, as many YARID members were formally business owners and professionals in their home countries. The Innovation Hub is where community members gather to put into practice the prototyping techniques of the UNHCR’s Human-Centered Design model. Computer literacy, social media training, and entrepreneurial skills are also honed here, because, as Robert notes, “if refugees are to really integrate they should be computer literate.” Despite the significant presence of social media in Kampala, little is aimed at the refugee community. Consequently, refugees are filling the void by teaching themselves the social media skills they need to access information and engage with their network. Some are even reconnecting with family and friends back home. The Women’s Empowerment Initiative was my favorite YARID program, and is already enabling refugee woman to achieve self-sufficiency. The Initiative provides women with the materials and machines they need to train in tailoring and artisanal craft making. Women of the DRC, for example, who are learning to leverage their exceptional skills as tailors and fashion designers, are beginning to achieve economic security for themselves and their families through this program. |
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In 2016, YARID’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative won the Oxford-based Ockenden Prize, enabling the organization to secure its largest grant to date of $100,000. While YARID was the first and only refugee organization in Kampala to receive support from Oxford, this was not the first time it had engaged with the university. Robert had been a key researcher for Oxford in Kampala, assisting the Humanitarian Innovation project team with their research on Refugee Economies in the country. In 2017, Robert was also among 10 Africans named to the TEDGlobal list.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
YARID continues to struggle to secure funding for its trailblazing work, operating within a humanitarian ecosystem that allocates aid almost exclusively to settlements and camps. Robert is nonetheless hopeful that as the successes of YARID’s model become more visible, its grassroots efforts to address the refugee crisis will begin to receive the funding they deserve. We invite you to explore YARID’S website, to be inspired by its work, to share what you learn, and consider offering your support. |
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is known as the Paris of Africa. Its textile manufacturers based in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi produce colorfully patterned kitenge wax prints in the most distinctively tailored designs. Even on the streets of Kampala, a Congolese woman is easy to spot, as she walks with poise and confidence, dressed in her traditional garb. This vibrant display of distinctively Congolese style and culture adds to the richness and dimension of the global city that is Kampala.
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