EU invests €5million in Uganda Refugee Empowerment Initiative

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a €5 million contribution from the European Union to strengthen self-reliance and income-generating opportunities for refugees and host communities in Uganda.

Uganda hosts 1.9 million refugees and asylum seekers, making it the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa. While national policies allow refugees to work and move freely, economic opportunities remain scarce in remote settlements, keeping many dependent on humanitarian support. 

WFP, with support from the European Union, is expanding access to training, financial tools, and inclusive support systems that help people to progressively sustain themselves. 

“This partnership reflects a shift from delivering aid to delivering opportunity,” said Guillaume Chartrain, European Union Deputy Head of Delegation to Uganda. “Refugees and host communities are gaining the tools they need to shape their own futures. By investing in people’s skills and potential, we are supporting more stable, self-reliant communities—and that benefits everyone.” 

The self-reliance model aims to turn the time refugees spend in exile into an advantage by learning a skill that can transform them into productive members of society. The initiative will reach 18,000 participants in the Nakivale and Oruchinga refugee settlements in southwest Uganda. Of these, 70 percent are refugees and 30 percent are Ugandan nationals from surrounding host communities.

“This partnership with the European Union represents a transformative step toward sustainable solutions for refugees in Uganda,” said Genevieve Chicoine, WFP’s Country Director a.i. in Uganda. “We are investing in pathways that enable refugees to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the communities that host them”.

The programme focuses on four integrated areas, enabling refugees and host communities to meet their own food needs and providing the tools, skills and capital so they take care of their families: 

• Climate-Smart Livelihoods – Participants will gain skills in regenerative agriculture, sustainable small businesses, and post-harvest management to improve income and food security.
• Social Protection – Targeted cash-based transfers, including nutrition-sensitive assistance for pregnant and breastfeeding women, will help households meet immediate needs while building longer-term resilience.
• Financial Inclusion – Digitised Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and financial literacy training will connect participants with the tools and knowledge to manage and grow their resources.
• Social Empowerment – Community mentoring and dialogue initiatives will promote life skills, strengthen cohesion, and foster positive social change across refugee and host communities.

This initiative is part of the European Union’s broader Action for Protection, Assistance and Durable Solutions for Displaced Populations in Sub-Saharan Africa (EUPADS), supporting efforts to address the root causes of displacement while reinforcing national systems in countries like Uganda.

For more information, please contact:

Emmanuel Gyezaho: EU Delegation Press Advisor: +256 756 719882

Didas Kisembo, Communications Officer, WFP/ Uganda, Mob. +256 757 453232