Tag: trust
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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…
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Leaning In and Listening from the Ground: Insights from a conference with Rwamwanja refugee farmers
In January, I had, what I can honestly call, the most interesting “conference” I have attended for a very long time. This time it was not in a city boardroom, but in the farmers’ own compound, under the shade of an avocado tree in Nkoma zone, Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement (Uganda). Surrounded by their gardens, tools,…
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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…
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Advocating for us without us (Refugee Voices)
By Jenny Basika and Emmanuel Arika Samuel Refugee-led organisations are struggling for recognition, because when we talk about marginalisation in the sector it’s not always about funding but also trust and recognition. Refugee-led groups are often questioned for their capacity and accountability and a lot of mistrust on their core values and being talked about…
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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…
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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…
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Participation is Not the Path to Inclusion
This is the first blog in a series examining the participation and inclusion of displacement-affected communities in the humanitarian sector. In the humanitarian sector, participation has become a performance. INGOs and other intermediaries use it as proof of accountability and legitimacy to donors, but the way it is structured reveals a system built to preserve…
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Voices from the Ground: What a Refugee Barber Told Me That No Donor Ever Has
In this second episode of Voices from the Ground, I return to Nakivale refugee settlement; not with a survey tool, but with curiosity, time, and a willingness to listen. What I encountered wasn’t in reports or logframes, but in quiet, unfiltered conversations with refugees. I had returned to Nakivale in Isingiro District, Western Uganda, as…
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Voices from the Ground: When Visibility Replaces Value
In this episode of Voices from the Ground, I explore what it really means to be close to the community; and how trust-building and human relationships can reveal truths that reports and project metrics often miss. Recently, I spent time with a group of refugee women leaders in Rwamwanja settlement. I didn’t go with an…
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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…