Tag: partnerships
-
When INGOs Left, Abuba Stayed: Reclaiming Early Childhood Education in Rwamwanja
Recently, we spent time in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement in South Western Uganda, learning from Abuba, the founder of Ignite Hope Initiative; a grassroots refugee-led organisation operating in Mahani Zone. What we encountered through Abuba’s story is not just a local response to a funding crisis, but a quiet re-writing of how education, ownership, and leadership…
-
Reflections from Geneva on funding flows and the agency gap
R-Space returning to Geneva alongside the GRF Progress Review came with something the sector rarely gets right; a programme designed around refugee leadership. Over three days, the space brought together refugee leaders, organisations, and allies across protection, localisation, disability inclusion, climate, economic inclusion, gender, etc and with a clear signal that refugee expertise belongs at…
-
The Tailors of Kasisa
From Micheal and Jenny in Rwamwanja In the heart of Rwamwanja refugee settlement, in a small village called Kasisa, Basecamp 2, lives a quiet but remarkable couple; Mr. Bisimwa Mufambali and his wife, Ms. Fifi Balisesa. Their story is not one of large grants or official recognition, but of agency, humility, and the power of…
-
Voices from the Ground: Papa Banamazembe – The Man Who Refused to Wait for Help.
In this third episode of Voices from the Ground, I return to Rwamwanja refugee settlement. If you ask almost any refugee in Rwamwanja about “Banamazembe,” you will see a smile. They know the name. Behind it is Gustave Shambui; a man with a walking stick, a ready laugh, and an unshakable belief in the power…
-
The Crisis of Humanitarian Partnerships
Lately, I have found myself in countless conversations and sector convenings where the same question keeps surfacing: “Why are partnerships with refugee-led organisations (RLOs) still tokenistic and only pursued when INGOs face funding cuts or operational challenges?” Across the humanitarian sector, the narrative is becoming familiar: RLOs are called upon only when costs need to…
-
Why Partnerships Matter: YETA
In the refugee-hosting regions of northern Uganda, Youth Empowerment to Act Peace and Disability Initiative (YETA), based in Imvepi, Terego district, has worked closely with Cohere for many years. Throughout the partnership, they have demonstrated that when local expertise gets effectively resourced, real and sustainable solutions can flourish. Cohere shares YETA’s belief that the most…
-
Do the work, build a foundation first!
One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to the argument for building partnerships rooted in trust, is that one should trust immediately, absolutely and unequivocally. This cannot be further from the truth. Distrust within the humanitarian sector has deep roots in the sector’s history, structure, and power dynamics. Many of today’s systems were built…