YICE Uganda works with refugees in Bukompe refugee settlement and the neighbouring communities, seeking to provide smallholder farmers with access to regenerative agricultural training and flexible financial services to reduce hunger and poverty.
Bukome Refugee camp is one of the smallest camps in Uganda and attracts little attention from local government and development partners. The camp is home to over 2800 refugees, 75% of whom are women and children. Over 90% of the households survive on small-scale farming and grow on the same pieces of land every season.
They are consequently forced to use fertilizers and dangerous pesticides on their farms, which affects local biodiversity, degrades the soil, reduces food productivity and has led to food insecurity, poor child feeding and a lack of income. Massive deforestation for charcoal burning has also occurred in the area.
YICE Uganda has been working in Bukompe refugee settlement to engage the camp’s residents around sustainable farming techniques (including Permaculture, tree planting and the production and use of organic fertilizers). Over 100 women farmers have been trained in Permaculture farming, and 20 Permaculture gardens have been established.