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Money dictates all for those in need – Jordan Refugee Crisis

September 1, 2022

Ten years after the start of the Syrian war, the destruction has  dragged along and the impact has not only been devastating to Syria, but also to Jordan, which saw an influx of Syrian refugees – birthing the now extreme refugee crisis. In an attempt to flee the war, Syrians find refuge in neighboring country […]

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Ten years after the start of the Syrian war, the destruction has  dragged along and the impact has not only been devastating to Syria, but also to Jordan, which saw an influx of Syrian refugees – birthing the now extreme refugee crisis.

In an attempt to flee the war, Syrians find refuge in neighboring country Jordan, with the latest census approximating that there are 1.3 million Syrians so far. However, although Jordan has been somewhat of a haven to those in need, it has its down sides with Jordan struggling economically. This economic hurdle is evident. Central government debt was over 106 percent in 2021 and a quarter of the population was unemployed. Currently 19.5 percent of refugees live in camps, mainly in Zaatari and Azraq, with the remaining living in concentrated urban areas. Notably healthcare, a decent living standard and employment opportunities are inaccessible. This means that many are unable to afford medical treatments, with 80 percent of the Jordan/Syrian refugee population falling below the poverty line.

The question of whether the conditions of the refugees in Jordan is better than in Syria is questionable. Azraq, described as the “least desirable” of the two camps, has a top-down system of management, with high security and remote location that leaves Syrians in limbo. Children account for over 50% of the population, with over 332,000 living in camps and many having never left the parimeter. This number grows monthly, with an average of 200 children born every month. These hazardous, inadequate, overcrowded conditions are no place to raise children, with 60 percent of families living in extreme poverty. Although there are a rapid number of births in these camps, many cannot afford to access medical care and treatments, even though they are confronted with complex medical challenges in the camps.

In 2013, the government provided free access to primary health care and hospitals. However, the generosity of the Jordan government was short lived. Quickly, the public sector was overwhelmed. A year later, in 2014 Syrians were made to pay Jordanian rate to access healthcare, which – with the rising poverty – was essentially not an option for many.

This economic crisis does not only affect the refugees within camps but also the ones living in concentrated, unsafe accommodation in the rural areas. In 2021, unemployment was 25 percent with youth unemployment at a record 48.1 percent. In Jordan – overall access to employment opportunities was limited with only 135,000 work permits issued. This restricted independence of many Syrians, perpetuating their dependence on humanitarian assistance. If authorities found Syrians in informal work, they would risk losing access to civil documents or their childcare arrangements. 

 

In an attempt to combat the financial factor restricting access to medical healthcare, IRT support the established Italian hospitals which provide lifesaving treatment and affordable healthcare. This then means that families can continue to use their minimal earnings on other necessities such as food and shelter. However, I believe that the government should do more to try to allow the refugees to have more independence by providing them with more job opportunities and more permits to work out of the camps as it is devastating that there is a perception that having work permits would limit assistance. I believe it is in the governments best interest to allow more refugees to work as surely more people working would boost Jordan’s struggling economy.


As another flight to Rwanda becomes more likely, how did the plan come to be? 

July 7, 2022

Two of our work-experience students, Amelie Cloughley and Georgia Lumsden, shares their thoughts on the UK’s policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.  Since the grounding of the first flight to Rwanda on 14th June by the European Court of Human Rights, it has become increasingly clear that a second attempt is on the cards. […]

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Two of our work-experience students, Amelie Cloughley and Georgia Lumsden, shares their thoughts on the UK’s policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. 

Since the grounding of the first flight to Rwanda on 14th June by the European Court of Human Rights, it has become increasingly clear that a second attempt is on the cards. With this in mind, we look at how and why the scheme came about and why it cannot work. 

On 14th April 2022, Boris Johnson announced that any illegal migrants and asylum seekers entering the United Kingdom will be sent to Rwanda, a country located in eastern Africa with a staggering population of 12.5 million people. Here, they will be offered a permanent residency or simply sent back to their country of origin. On 14th of June, the first flight due to take seven or eight people to Rwanda was grounded at the 11th hour. However, it was expected that the Home Office would plan another attempt to carry out its plan in the near future. The Guardian confirmed this on 3rd July, stating that it is likely to take off before a court rule on whether the plan is lawful or not.  

The British Home Office reported in a news briefing that the new scheme is fundamentally for those over 18 and not specific to any gender group and Rwanda have stated that it will only accept adults with no criminal record. Migrants who are not eligible for asylum in the United Kingdom will be detained in the country whilst their “suitability” for relocation is assessed by the Home Office. Refugees will aboard a chartered flight to the country of Rwanda where they will have to enter the country’s own asylum system; the migrants will not be permitted to return to the United Kingdom, all in turn marking a “dark day in British history”.  

To begin with, the migrants will be placed in temporary accommodation whilst their applications are considered by the Rwandan government – a tedious process which can take up to 3 months. Nevertheless, Rwandan officials have reported that this time for the migrants will not be a “period of detention”, whilst the Prime Minister marked the migration route to Rwanda as “uncapped”. 

The official reason given by the government for the decision to send refugees to Rwanda is to discourage refugees from attempting to cross the English Channel and stop people smuggling gangs which Home Secretary Priti Patel describes as the “evil trade in human cargo”. But, and this is a big but, it will not work. Australia has already trialled offshore processing for migrants, which did nothing to prevent arrivals via the sea and the resulting deaths. There is very little chance that the British Home Office is not aware of this. Therefore, this cannot be the real reason for shipping the refugees – that we should be welcoming – off to a country, which has an awful human rights record and a history of genocide.  

As it is clear that this policy is not a logical step to prevent the loss of life caused by channel crossings, it must be the product of the views of those residents in the Home Office – namely Patel. She has consistently voted in favour of tightening immigration laws and has previously voted against human rights bills, so it makes sense that she would be in favour of this scheme that cannot have any positive impacts other than appealing to the far-right conservatives that are strongly against immigration to the UK of any kind. Essentially, it is a despicable policy designed to appeal to the same people that voted for Brexit and other far-right conservative policies and to distract from the government’s other recent scandals and failures. 

There are many reasons why this plan is an awful idea. To start with, it could never be a good idea to send anyone to a country with the human rights record of Rwanda, including genocide, arbitrary killing by government officials, detention of LGBT+ people and political repression by the current president. And even if this wasn’t the case, many of the refugees expected to be deported, fled from the middle east, thus they have no cultural or familial ties to Africa, or Rwanda. Moreover, the financial and environmental cost of this plan is unjustifiable. £120 million has been promised to Rwanda as part of this plan and the whole scheme is estimated to cost the taxpayer £1.4 billion per year. Furthermore, not only has this plan already been heavily criticised by the European Court on Human Rights, it breaches the UN 1951 Refugee Convention, of which the UK is a signatory. This means that not only is this cruel and unjustifiable, it is also unlawful and must not only be reconsidered but abandoned immediately. 


Are Ukrainian refugees safe in the UK?

April 4, 2022

  Author:Will Morgan Date:22 April 2022 ‘Homes for Ukraine’ Scheme and the risks of paying Brits to host Ukrainian people in their homes. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has led to the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. With EU nations playing their part, and surrounding countries from the west of […]

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Author:
Will Morgan

Date:
22 April 2022

‘Homes for Ukraine’ Scheme and the risks of paying Brits to host Ukrainian people in their homes.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has led to the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. With EU nations playing their part, and surrounding countries from the west of Ukraine accepting refugees, the UK appeared reluctant about the prospect of helping those in need. Eventually, on the 14th March 2022, the UK government announced their ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme. This is a sponsorship scheme that ‘will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety – including those with no family ties to the UK’. Members of the public who host Ukrainians will be paid £350 a month for their part. So far, 150,000 people have registered their interest in hosting, however, the government has refused to provide figures on how many Ukrainians have arrived in the UK.


Individual sponsors will be asked to provide accommodation, whether that be homes or a spare room rent-free for as long as they are able, for a minimum stay of 6 months. The government announced that councils will be ready to help Ukrainians to settle in and have access to all public services, including access to trauma support. The government also stated that all sponsors will be vetted.

However, Michael Gove, the communities secretary said that hosts would have to only undergo “very light touch” criminal record checks, with the government clarifying later that they actually need tougher DBS checks. Additionally there is no government run portal with inbuilt safeguarding checks. Daniel Sohege, a specialist in international refugee law, wrote on Twitter that “the government has been liaising with certain groups, but it hasn’t brought in the refugee or child protection sectors on a large scale”. This is worrying for Ukrainians coming to live in England, as it appears the government is not doing nearly enough to protect them from risk of exploitation and trafficking. Those fleeing war should not be cast into another potentially unsafe, or even traumatising situation, if they were coming to seek refuge in the UK.

The £350 a month that will be provided for sponsors also could raise an issue. Will the vetting process check if the sponsors are taking in Ukrainians for the right reasons? Or whether they taking them in because they only need the extra money? With this cohort of refugees being different to other groups in the past, with lots of children and elderly people, there is an even greater need for care and the provision of genuine support upon arrival. Although the government has heralded this scheme as the answer to public pressure to create a safe place for refugees to come from Ukraine, there still are a lot of questions. More clarity needs to be provided on each level of the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ process, sponsor vetting, numbers, and continual updates about its progress. Until these are provided, it is difficult to believe that this scheme is as welcoming as the government says it is.

Photo Credits: Zuma Press, Inc/Alamy; Reuters


How the Sisters in Amman Hospital helped 88 year old Najah

April 12, 2021

By IRT volunteer Rosie McCall.   Najah in critical condition Eighty-eight-year-old Najah was admitted to the Italian Hospital in Amman, Jordan, suffering from kidney failure along with multiple complications related to her condition. Doctors considered her condition critical and immediately placed her in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), where she was overseen by the […]

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By IRT volunteer Rosie McCall.

 

Najah in critical condition

Eighty-eight-year-old Najah was admitted to the Italian Hospital in Amman, Jordan, suffering from kidney failure along with multiple complications related to her condition. Doctors considered her condition critical and immediately placed her in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), where she was overseen by the nephrologist who headed the Dialysis Unit.

Najah rapidly responded to treatment and her kidney function returned to normal. The result was so swift, she was taken out of the ICU after just 12 hours. Subsequent check-ups from The Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, who run the hospital, found she was happy and well – though she had to be pushed to take her antibiotics and drink more water!

 

Due to the success of the treatment, she was allowed to return home within 24 hours; a situation she much preferred as it enabled her to be surrounded by her grandchildren.

No free healthcare for Syrian refugees

Living in the UK, it can be easy to take the right to free healthcare for granted. But many Syrian refugees, like Najah, living in Jordan are simply unable to afford necessary and often life-saving medical assistance. Najah lives with her daughter and her daughter’s family. The eight of them live on just 300 Jordanian dinars a month – an income well below the country’s average and which almost entirely goes on rent (250 dinars a month) and water/electricity bills (30 dinars a month). The cost of her hospital treatment, meanwhile, was over 700 dinars.

Najah, like many of her fellow refugees, fled Syria following the outbreak of civil war in 2011. There are now more than 660,000 Syrians (more than 10 percent of the population) living in Jordan, a situation causing considerable pressure on resources like housing and healthcare.

Hospital crucial to refugees

Organisations like The Italian Hospital and the Karak Hospital have been crucial when it comes to providing medical assistance to the community. In 2020-21, the two hospitals admitted a total of 188 Syrian refugees for essential medical treatment as inpatients, and more than 2,000 outpatients. However, services such as these are under-resourced and over-stretched. The impact of covid-19 has placed additional strain on the hospitals as international funding has been redirected towards the pandemic.

All support the IRT offers these hospitals goes directly towards paying for treatment for refugees.


How IRT’s support helped Syrian refugee, Baraa

April 12, 2021

By IRT volunteer Rosie McCall.   Refugee’s in Jordan have no free healthcare In 2013, Baraa left her hometown of Homs in Syria, when her house was bombed and family members killed during the ongoing civil war. Since resettling in Amman, she has married and now has two children – a daughter and her son, […]

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By IRT volunteer Rosie McCall.

 

Refugee’s in Jordan have no free healthcare

In 2013, Baraa left her hometown of Homs in Syria, when her house was bombed and family members killed during the ongoing civil war. Since resettling in Amman, she has married and now has two children – a daughter and her son, now one-year-old.

Baraa, 27, was admitted to the Italian Hospital in Amman, Jordan, in January 2020 with labour pains and fearing another miscarriage.

Like many refugees in her situation, Baraa – who is originally from Syria – did not have access to free healthcare and her husband’s monthly salary left little extra after rent and bills. Fortunately, she was able to access the care and treatment she needed, including medical tests and examinations, at the Italian Hospital – an organisation that operates under an open-door policy and does its best to guarantee medical assistance to pregnant women like Baraa, as well as children with severe infections or who require urgent surgery.

Staff at the Italian Hospital in Amman, Jordan.

It’s a boy!

Despite her history of miscarriage, Baraa gave birth to a baby boy with the help of a midwife and both mother and child were discharged from hospital the following day. In a subsequent follow-up appointment, Baraa and her son were said to be doing very well.

While Baraa’s story has a happy ending, clinics like the Italian Hospital are facing increasing amounts of pressure, making it harder for them to fulfil their mission and assist refugees who may otherwise be denied potentially lifesaving treatment. The pandemic, especially, has exacerbated any existing financial strains on these services, as funding from international organisations is funnelled towards issues related to Covid-19.

All donation’s go straight to the hospital

Every bit of support the IRT provides the hospital goes directly towards the cost of treatment for refugees, like Baraa, in need of urgent medical care.

Baraa is one of more than 660,000 Syrians now living in Jordan.

A number that makes up more than 10 percent of the country’s total population.

 

 

 

 


Saving lives – Help our Children’s Homes

March 10, 2021

We are reaching out to you on behalf of the babies and children of The Moyo Babies’ Home and The Redeemer Children’s Home in northern Uganda. WHY? With around 44 deaths per one thousand babies, Uganda has the HIGHEST under-five mortality rate in East Africa (the UK’s rate is around 4.5). Deadly malaria is rife. […]

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We are reaching out to you on behalf of the babies and children of

The Moyo Babies’ Home and The Redeemer Children’s Home in northern Uganda.


WHY?

With around 44 deaths per one thousand babies, Uganda has the HIGHEST under-five mortality rate in East Africa (the UK’s rate is around 4.5). Deadly malaria is rife. Highly infectious diseases, such as typhoid, diarrhoea, pneumonia, and HIV/AIDS, are often passed from the mother to infant, and can be fatal to the parents too, leaving their children as orphans.

More than one million displaced refugees live in Uganda. Of these, more than two thirds are babies and children.

More than ten percent of these vulnerable children are unaccompanied, torn from their homes and loved ones to face extreme poverty, malnutrition, and virulent disease.

Orphaned CHILDREN growing up in poverty are especially vulnerable to PHYSICAL and SEXUAL ABUSE – even death –  and are often forced into early marriage, or child labour, usually missing out on vital education.

THE HOMES

The Moyo Babies’ Home (for ages 0-6 years) and The Redeemer Children’s Home (for ages 6-18 years), run by the Sacred Heart Sisters in Moyo, northern Uganda, provide a lifeline for children facing tragic circumstances. The Sisters do their best to feed, clothe, house, and educate these DESPERATE orphaned children. They also work to provide essential life skills. With NO government support, they rely on the kindness of individuals, such as YOU to give the children a chance in life.

IRT funds 100% of the running costs of the Homes.

 

Click here to see a short video of the children at The Redeemers Children home beautifully performing a traditional dance.

Meeting the Costs

IRT has helped the Homes to establish two small-scale farms, with pigs, poultry, cattle and a small dairy. They also produce a variety of crops, including maize, soya and millet. The Sisters are doing their best to achieve a high level of food self-sufficiency in order to defray running costs, but they cannot continue to do this without YOUR help,

THE COST OF COVID

Covid travel restrictions have disrupted the deliveries of foodstuffs and other vital goods. The Sisters are trying to cope as best they can – relying on the farms as far as possible, but prices in the markets have soared:

Item             Before Covid         During Covid

(Prices in pounds sterling)

Milk (1 tin)                                                £7.44                              £8.92

Ground nuts (1 basin)                          £3.97                              £4.96

Millet (1 kg)                                                40p                                50p

Maize (1 kg)                                                20p                                30p

Beans (1 kg)                                                59p                                79p

Meat (1 kg)                                                £1.98                              £2.38

Sugar (1 kg)                                                50p                                 75p

 

Education and vocational training

In northern Uganda, only 30% of children who enter primary school go on to complete their primary school education. The Homes are able to ensure that 100% of the children in their care receive a full education right through to the end of secondary school.

As they come close to their time to leave the Homes, the children are prepared with a choice of vocational courses.  Some qualify as nurses and midwives; others as agricultural business managers, mechanics and lab technicians. This amazing programme can only be sustained with YOUR support.

 

Building HOPE from tragedy

Most of the children at the homes have experienced some truly horrific trauma before arriving at the homes. Here are the stories of just a few of these children:

Rebecca’s story

Fleeing the conflict in South Sudan, Rebecca and her mother were living in a refugee camp in northern Uganda. Reports were received that Rebecca was at HIGH risk. Her mother had SEVERE mental health problems. She BEAT Rebecca, would STAND on her, and even threatened her with a knife.

Rebecca was also SEVERELY undernourished. Local authorities stepped in and, at 8 months, Rebecca was brought to the Moyo Babies’ Home. Initially UNDERWEIGHT and TERRIFIED of people, Rebecca has now attained a healthy weight, her appetite has returned to normal, and she is learning to play.


Diana’s story

In March 2020, Diana’s mother gave birth in the bush while foraging for food. All alone, she tragically bled to death. A villager heard Diana crying and arrived just in time to save the new born baby from a wild pig. The local Parish Priest arranged for Diana to be admitted to the Moyo Babies’ Home.

She is now almost a year old, is thriving and is already able to stand. Without YOUR support, the Sisters would not have been able to provide a home for Diana.


Faustine’s story

Faustine and his Sister, Gloria, were taken into the Homes when their mother persistently deserted them. Mentally unstable, she would wander away from home and sleep under trees in the bush. One day, she could not be found and local authorities brought both children to the Homes.


A word from IRT’s CEO Steven Smith MBE

Saving lives – brighter lives!

“The selfless work of the Sacred Heart Sisters will NEVER stop. But NOW especially, this relies more than ever on YOUR support!  The challenges faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, mean supply chains have been disrupted, affecting food, medicines and hygiene products. All have rocketed in price. YOUR help is VITAL in ensuring the children have access to these ESSENTIALS. You will have seen some of the desperately tragic circumstances affecting the children who enter the Homes. It is NOT their fault. But there are many more like them, and we want to continue to offer them love, safety, security and a REAL chance for the future. YOU can help lay the foundations for a better future and give these children HOPE! Thank you!” Steven Smith MBE.

Click here to see more about how your support helps the children.

Steven Smith with the Sisters at the Moyo Babies Home.

You can help!

To make a donation, please fill in the details below, or call our fundraising team on 0208 994 9120. Thank you.

 

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StepUp Success Stories: Gender Equality

December 10, 2020

Olivia Garner IRT examines how StepUp communities are improving intrahousehold relations, including an increase in gender equality and reduction in domestic violence. IRT’s StepUp training programme, in partnership with the Organisation for Community Action (OCA) in Uganda, has knock-on effects in all aspects of the community. The programme is responsible for changing ideas around the […]

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Olivia Garner

IRT examines how StepUp communities are improving intrahousehold relations, including an increase in gender equality and reduction in domestic violence.

IRT’s StepUp training programme, in partnership with the Organisation for Community Action (OCA) in Uganda, has knock-on effects in all aspects of the community. The programme is responsible for changing ideas around the household, gender norms and family values. By helping participants to envision a better life and providing the means to achieve it, married couples, families and widows, have turned their lives around.

We have observed from case studies of StepUp participants in the West Nile region of Uganda that developing pride in the home is particularly important for developing this ambition and for gaining respect in communities; turning feelings of hopelessness into empowerment. Programmes to improve sanitation and other domestic practices, for example, are thus very effective. As home dwellers change their living conditions it not only improves their health and economic opportunities but helps change their mentality. Husbands and wives coming together to implement their StepUp training and achieve their goals has reduced domestic violence and conflict and increased unity and gender equality. Women’s participation in the training has changed community perceptions of women and their abilities. Husbands have come to view their wives as empowered and knowledgeable, and widows have also gained more respect in their communities.

One especially inspiring story comes from Faiza and Malaika. This married couple say that “before OCA came to our village we had no focus in all that we did as a family. We were not organised because we did not have a picture of what our future would look like. We never worked together as a couple. We had no sanitation facilities like a latrine, refuse pit, dish drying rack, or clothes drying line. Our home was not fenced and the compound was littered with rubbish. We could only afford one meal and only ate what we were able to get each day meaning we did not care the type of food served. We did not have any source of income yet we never planned and budgeted together the little we earned individually. We fell sick more frequently from preventable diseases, such as coughs, typhoid and intestinal worms, due to the unhygienic home and poor nutrition.” In addition, the couple had little respect for each other, creating a source of conflict and unhappiness.

Faiza at the couple’s compound planted with a live fence

They continue, “When OCA came to our community, they created awareness and trained us in different skills. We specifically want to acknowledge that our perception of life and the future has changed. We now have a dream which we are strategically working to achieve. We have set our homestead well planted with a live fence, we constructed a dish drying rack and refuse pit and our home has become the cleanest in the whole Village. We are in the process of constructing our latrine with slabs, iron roofing and plastered with cement. We have planted a variety of fruit trees and vegetables and have been taught how to handle, prepare and preserve vegetables and fruits to ensure their nutritional values are maintained. With improved sanitation and hygiene and good nutrition, we do not fall sick frequently. We are becoming more food secure as a result of the various skills in agriculture. OCA taught us to stay in harmony as couples and with our neighbours, as well as to plan and budget together as couples, which has reduced conflict in our community.” Faiza says, “My husband values me more and feels proud being by my side. He supports me so much in what traditionally used to be regarded as the role of women such as sweeping, cooking, caring for children and fetching water”. Malaika adds “we are a living testimony of an improved relationship and rebuilt love. I love my wife more than ever before. I protect her against harm.”

Faiza, Malaika and their son participate in a StepUp meeting

With all the trainings and support given to us by OCA, we have a clear vision. We plan to construct a permanent house, start an income generating activity by engaging in intensive vegetable growing alongside a small-scale business that will support us financially, and open a bank account as we are now used to saving regularly in the group, something we never did before. We have a bright future for our children by working hard to pay for better schools for them,” shared Faiza and Malaika. The OCA staff testify to the remarkable love story of this couple. Malaika and Faiza now refer to each other as “honey”, a true reflection of their renewed relationship.


StepUp Success Stories: Nola

December 1, 2020

Madeleine Cuckson Nola embraces StepUp and becomes the administrator of her local programme #StepUpSuccessStories Nola lives in the village of Nyogo Anzupi in Uganda. Nola has lived alone for many years due to her husband Robert’s pursuits of casual work outside of the community, in order to support their family financially. This has left Nola […]

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Madeleine Cuckson

Nola embraces StepUp and becomes the administrator of her local programme #StepUpSuccessStories

Nola lives in the village of Nyogo Anzupi in Uganda. Nola has lived alone for many years due to her husband Robert’s pursuits of casual work outside of the community, in order to support their family financially. This has left Nola with a large amount of responsibility both in the home and on their land. 

Robert’s decision to migrate is not uncommon, many men in Nola’s community leave due to farming challenges. The difficulties of trying to earn a sufficient wage in the community include the small sizes of land plots available, these plots often have poor soil quality due to decades of tobacco growth, using inorganic methods which leads to scarce harvests. Many households in Nola’s community live off the equivalent of 1$ a day. The village is often set back by the following: regular food shortages which cause malnutrition, regular occurrences of preventable diseases due to sanitation issues, high rates of substance abuse and many dropping out of school, which has led to a high rate of illiteracy.

With the help of the Step Up Programme, implemented by OCA, communities like Nola’s are provided with crucial practical training to help increase their incomes, improve health and general wellbeing. Nola has been a great asset to the programme, upon joining she has successfully implemented the skills acquired from training and has become the secretary to the programme in her village. Nola now grows many different fruits and vegetables and has improved the quality of her soil with organic farming techniques, additionally Nola has made significant changes to the infrastructure of her household – with the building of a dish drying rack, a fence to surround her home, a latrine with a bath shelter attached and has prepared burnt bricks to build a more permanent house. Nola has also planted over 250 agroforestry and timber trees to help the environment.

The Step Up Programme not only improves individuals’ lives but has the capacity to bring people together, as Nola has found that through engagement with the programme she has gained leadership skills and is a respected, powerful figure in her village with authority to make decisions – therefore, the goal is for the whole community to prosper. Nola and Robert now have high hopes for the future, they intend to send their children to better schools, Robert plans to return home and join Nola to help harvest even more produce, start a small livestock business and construct a permanent house.

IRT needs donors to be able to continue our valuable work.

If you would like to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable farmers in northern Uganda, please consider donating today. You can do this through our website at https://www.irt.org.uk/donate/ or by calling our office on 020 8994 9120. Thank you!


StepUp: Education During Lockdown

November 17, 2020

Olivia Garner IRT explores how children in StepUp communities have been coping with lockdown and the closure of schools. International Refugee Trust is passionate about the importance of education as a way out of poverty. Through IRT’s StepUp programme in rural northern Uganda, families are taught the importance of sending children to school and the […]

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Olivia Garner

IRT explores how children in StepUp communities have been coping with lockdown and the closure of schools.

International Refugee Trust is passionate about the importance of education as a way out of poverty. Through IRT’s StepUp programme in rural northern Uganda, families are taught the importance of sending children to school and the enormous benefits and opportunities an education provides. As another component of the programme, the Organisation for Community Action (OCA), IRT’s partner, has established a scholarship scheme which pays school fees for girls in StepUp communities. In northern Uganda, national lockdown and the closing of schools has had a significant impact on children’s studies. Students from rural areas, without internet access, are unable to benefit from the remote online teaching embraced in other parts of the world.

At first, when schools closed it was a difficult adjustment for a lot of families. Many students were given holiday packages by their schools to complete whilst in lockdown, but the lockdown lasted a lot longer than anticipated. The students made other efforts to keep up with their studies by listening to remote education through the radio and having group discussions with classmates within their villages.

Emmy, a Senior Two student from Wisdom High School under OCA sponsorship, reviews his holiday package as his mother looks on.

StepUp participant Martine told OCA’s trained experts on the ground that “as a result of schools being closed, some irresponsible men are taking advantage of this situation to marry off the girls in the village by telling them that COVID-19 will not end and that school will not open again. However, parents that received StepUp training are talking to their children on the dangers of early marriage and engaging them on agricultural activities to keep them busy.” Martine said the children have really helped with domestic work. They have been of great help in growing cabbages which were harvested this season, with part of the profits to be kept for school fees when school reopens.

Martine’s family weed part of their remaining cabbages.

Angella, a Senior Two student with a StepUp scholarship at Wisdom High School, testified that she has been able to complete her school work in addition to helping out with domestic work. When interviewed, she said, “My parents are giving me and my siblings enough time to revise our books which we do in the afternoon, late evening and very early in the morning at around 5:00am since we have lamps. At my school we were given a holiday package which I have completed.” She added, “I want to thank my parents for being so supportive towards our education by giving us enough time for holiday studies. And I also want to thank OCA too for sponsoring my studies.” Angella’s grandmother Faustina was pleased to see her sons helping Angella and her other grandchildren with school work. She said, “Seeing all this makes me so happy because even though the children are not at school, they are showing a positive attitude towards education that shall make a better future for them.”

Despite the lockdown adding another barrier to education, especially for girls, it is rewarding to see that families in the StepUp programme remain committed to the future generation having an education. It is so inspiring to see the long-lasting impact that StepUp training has, and it is hoped that the students are able to continue their education throughout the duration of the pandemic and beyond.


StepUp Success Stories: Hope for Widow Gotiliva

November 10, 2020

Madeleine Cuckson IRT volunteer Madeleine Cuckson writes about how Gotiliva transformed her life with StepUp as part of our #StepUpSuccessStories series. Gotiliva is one of many beneficiaries whose life has been turned around with the help of IRT’s Step Up programme in Uganda. After losing her husband, Gotiliva was left devastated with little hope for […]

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Madeleine Cuckson

IRT volunteer Madeleine Cuckson writes about how Gotiliva transformed her life with StepUp as part of our #StepUpSuccessStories series.

Gotiliva is one of many beneficiaries whose life has been turned around with the help of IRT’s Step Up programme in Uganda. After losing her husband, Gotiliva was left devastated with little hope for the future. She had no financial support and lived within very basic means, describing how she had ‘no dish drying rack, no latrine, no refuse pit for dumping rubbish’. Gotiliva used traditional farming methods to cultivate her land but this incurred large amounts of time, excursion and didn’t achieve a good harvest, leaving Gotiliva with close to nothing to survive off.

The StepUp programme provided Gotiliva with the building and agricultural training necessary to live a full life again, earn a good wage and harvest crops using more effective farming practices. Gotiliva has now constructed a high-quality latrine with a washing facility attached, a dish drying rack and a better kitchen with a larger variety of vegetables on raised beds. Not only does Gotiliva feel happier with her home and livelihood, she is a self-sufficient member of her community – “I dress better and eat well…I am so much respected in the community”.

Gotiliva poses with her old latrine, and new, improved latrine that she was able to save for and build through StepUp.

The real impact of StepUp’s life-changing work is always shown through our programme beneficiaries’ stories. For Gotiliva, the programme has provided her with a new lease of life and a powerful future:

“I have followed my dreams to achieve a permanent house, serious savings to acquire those household items that I do not have now, such as better bedding, utensils, plant more fruit, agroforestry and timber trees. My dream is to live a better life and die a happy woman, a woman of value and substance who will always leave a legacy in the community for other women to follow.”

As Step Up continues to expand, we aim to bring our training and support programme to even more communities, with the help of our dedicated partners at OCA who implement this programme in communities across northern Uganda.

IRT needs donors to be able to continue our valuable work.

If you would like to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable farmers in northern Uganda, please consider donating today. You can do this through our website at https://www.irt.org.uk/donate/ or by calling our office on 020 8994 9120. Thank you!