When I first heard that we would travel to West Nile region of Uganda to visit refugee-led organisations (RLOs) in Bidibidi, Imvepi, Rhino Camp settlements and Arua, I was excited. It was my first time visiting that part of Uganda, and I could not wait to experience a different environment and meet communities hosting thousands of refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a refugee who spent more than ten years living in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda, I thought I already understood refugee life. I believed refugee settlements across Uganda shared similar realities. But this journey completely changed my perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I realised that even when people share the experience of displacement, the conditions around them can be very different. The land, the opportunities, the relationships with host communities, the presence or absence of organisations, and the level of visibility all shape refugee life in different ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the first things that surprised me was access to land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In my mind, I assumed that all refugees living in settlements outside urban areas in Uganda received small pieces of land from the Government for farming and survival, just as many refugees do in Rwamwanja. But when I reached West Nile, I realised this was not the case for many refugee families there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I met refugees who are finding innovative ways to survive while also building relationships with host communities. One example that deeply inspired me was how some refugees negotiate temporary access to land with landlords. Instead of simply farming on the land, they create agreements where they plant trees for the landowner in exchange for using the land until the trees mature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To me, this felt like solving two problems at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are supporting their livelihoods while also contributing to environmental conservation and peaceful coexistence with host communities. It showed me how refugee communities continue creating solutions even with very limited resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But beyond the innovations, what touched me most was the joy and appreciation expressed by the RLOs we visited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everywhere we went, community leaders welcomed us warmly and expressed genuine happiness that someone had come to listen to them and see their work. Their reactions reminded me so much of my own experience growing up in Rwamwanja. I remember how meaningful it felt whenever visitors came to our community. It made us feel seen. It made us feel remembered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One moment stayed with me throughout the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a young girl from one of the refugee-led organisations whom I approached and asked how she was feeling. She smiled and said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am very happy. I thought we stay far and no one would ever know what we are doing. But now I know we are not far for people who care.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Her words stayed in my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At that moment, I remembered how exhausted I was from the long journey and the many visits we had made. But after hearing her speak, I told myself that this trip was worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The visit also opened my eyes to the dedication of RLO leaders. Many of them are working tirelessly to support their communities despite having little or no funding. They are trying to address challenges that were left behind after NGOs reduced operations or shifted priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, they continue showing up for their people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They organise community programs, support vulnerable families, create opportunities for young people, and search for sustainable solutions not because they have enough resources, but because they care deeply about their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I also realised during this visit is that real change in refugee communities happens when leaders stay connected and close to the people they serve. Throughout our visits, I could clearly sense the impact these RLOs are making because their leaders understand the realities of their communities firsthand. They are present, accessible, and deeply rooted in the daily lives of the people around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To me, that is the true meaning of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not leading from a distance, but walking alongside the community, listening to their struggles, understanding their needs, and working together to find solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After this experience, I left West Nile feeling inspired and motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My biggest wish now is for more people, organisations, donors, and decision-makers to truly listen to refugee leaders, trust them, and give them space to lead conversations about the humanitarian challenges affecting their own communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because the solutions already exist within these communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is often missing is trust, visibility, and opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This trip reminded me that refugees are not just beneficiaries of aid. They are leaders, innovators, problem-solvers, and changemakers. If given the chance, RLOs can help create more sustainable and community-driven solutions in the humanitarian sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n West Nile gave me a different picture of refugee life. It stretched my understanding of what refugee life can look like in different parts of Uganda. It reminded me that lived experience is important, but it should never make us stop listening and learning. Every community has its own realities and its own solutions. That is what I will carry with me for a very long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I first heard that we would travel to West Nile region of Uganda to visit refugee-led organisations (RLOs) in Bidibidi, Imvepi, Rhino Camp settlements and Arua, I was excited. It was my first time visiting that part of Uganda, and I could not wait to experience a different environment and meet communities hosting thousands […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[14,73,46,20,25],"tmauthors":[56],"class_list":["post-478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs","tag-human-relationships","tag-mindset-shift","tag-refugeeleadership","tag-refugees","tag-trust"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-04-at-07.55.19.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":485,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions\/485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478"},{"taxonomy":"tmauthors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.wearecohere.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tmauthors?post=478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}