Rwamwanja Rural Foundation is a Ugandan based, refugee-led grassroots organisation. It works specifically with communities in refugee camps and other marginalised communities affected by climate change in East Africa.
Refugee populations the foundation works with are at high risk of hunger and malnutrition, exacerbated by high prices caused by the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, ecosystems that supply refugees with food, medicines and other livelihood needs are no longer providing their full services because of overexploitation through intensive agriculture, mass irrigation, overfishing and deforestation for firewood and charcoal needed for household energy.
These degraded ecosystems are less resilient to climate change impacts, creating a vicious cycle that amplifies the climate vulnerability of refugees and other displaced populations, by affecting livelihoods and health.
The Foundation was established to empower refugee youth to fulfil their potential and enable them to transform their lives. It aims to ensure these communities can restore local ecosystems, increasing climate resilience and biodiversity, while benefiting from regenerative agriculture activities that improve access to nutritious food. It brings together permaculture, Indigenous farming techniques, local languages as well as modern, affordable and easily accessible digital technologies to enhance reach and overall impact.
The Foundation is:
It hopes to reach 9,000 people in the next five years through its 12 training hubs.
