Community Resilience and Dialogue   The IRC’s Community Resilience and Dialogue program (CRD) provides psychosocial rehabilitation, conflict resolution and HIV/AIDS services to victims of conflict in 16 war-affected Ugandan districts. Headed by the IRC and implemented through a consortium of four additional international NGO’s – Associazione Volontari per il Servizio Internazionale, CARE, Catholic Relief Services and Save the Children in Uganda – the program cooperates with government authorities and a number of other NGOs.

In line with Uganda’s policy to decentralize government services, the CRD facilitates the work of district governments, national agencies, and community-based organizations to address the needs of victims of violent conflict, abduction, displacement and torture. Efforts are made to build the capacity of local organizations to provide services themselves. As part of the CRD consortium, IRC staff directly implement long-term psychosocial, HIV/AIDS-, and peace-building projects.
The program is funded by the United States and various European governments as well as through private foundations.

Children and Youth Protection and Development IRC has been implementing psychosocial support activities in northern Uganda since 1998 in response to the needs of internally displaced communities affected by the LRA-related conflict. At that time, it worked in partnership with two reception centers in Kitgum town, northern Uganda, to rehabilitate and reintegrated formerly abducted children and adult returnees. Since then, the program has expanded its work to include community based activities with children and youth in nine IDP camps in Kitgum District focusing on youth participation and leadership in recreational activities, functional literacy classes and skills training. Assessments of the situation northern Uganda illustrated the need for more integration of related activities and interventions such as education, child protection and youth development with psychosocial support as an underlying approach. As a result, the overall objective of CYPD activities is to protect the rights of children and youth and to promote access to development opportunities, all contributing to improved well-being of children and youth, their families and communities in conflict-affected areas in Uganda. The program supports reintegration and rehabilitation of children and youth affected by conflict and strengthening families and communities to respond to the needs of vulnerable groups within the community.

In addition to funding from USAID mentioned under CRD, the IRC’s child and youth protection and development activities are supported by UNICEF, the Broetje Orchard Foundation, Johnson and Johnson, Jessica Seinfeld Foundation, and other private foundations. 

Protection IRC has been implementing protection programs in Kitgum since the beginning 2006. Initial assessments conducted by IRC from 2004 showed an alarming number of protection problems and rights violations in the internally displaced persons’ communities, resulting directly from the conflict in northern Uganda. The assessments showed a high prevalence of incidents of gender-based violence, abductions, torture, summary killings and other human rights violations perpetrated by the fighting parties in the conflict. The absence of any intervention to address these violations prompted the establishment of IRC’s protection program in Kitgum District, whose objective is to support the communities in addressing protection issues facing them and promotion of their rights. The program established and works with Women’s, Men’s and Youth Community Protection groups formed in nine camps to identify, report and respond to the protection issues. In promoting rights, the program conducts human rights training to the local leadership structures, elders, IDPs and conducts public awareness raising campaigns on rights in IDP camps.

The program also monitors and reports on the movements of the IDP communities from the camps to transitional sites and their areas of origin. The information gathered is shared with other IRC programs and partner agencies for programming, interventions and response The program implements its activities in nine of the ten Camps where IRC operates in Kitgum district.  Funding for protection programs was initially provided by ECHO and is currently from UNICEF.

Improving Health   IRC’s Health Program is operational in four districts in Uganda. In northern Uganda, IRC operates in 10 IDP camps in Kitgum district, working closely with DDHS, UNICEF, and other national and international NGOs implementing health, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programs to vulnerable individuals and IDPs. Funding for IRC’s health programs in Kitgum District is provided by ECHO.  HIV/AIDS funding comes from UNICEF.

IRC is also the lead implementing partner for Kiryandongo refugee settlement in Masindi district and Ikafe refugee settlement in Yumbe district, which comprise a population of approximately 15,000 and 10,000 South Sudanese refugees respectively and approximately 20,000 Ugandans in total.  IRC runs four district health centers in total within the two settlements, which service both refugee and national populations.  Health programs in the refugee settlements are funded by UNHCR and BPRM.
Additionally, IRC provides HIV/AIDS services through local CBOs and district personnel in three districts in the Karamoja region of eastern Uganda: Kotido, Moroto and Nakapiripirit.  HIV/AIDS services currently include Community education, sensitization (BCC) and prevention activities, distribution of condoms, Training of district personnel in VCT, facilitation of district personnel to conduct outreach VCT services, Support to home-based VCT, Support to OVCs, Formation and support to post-test clubs and drama groups, home-based care for persons living with HIV/AIDS, prophylaxis and treatment of opportunistic infections. Funding for HIV/AIDS activities in Karamoja comes from USAID.

Averting Maternal Death   In its efforts to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality among refugees, internally displaced, and the host communities, the IRC is helping mothers get access to quality services for the treatment and management of complications during childbirth and pregnancy. Programs are implemented in specific locations in Uganda, Tanzania, Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Under the project, 20 local health staff in three hospitals receive training. Hospitals are also provided with supplies and equipment.

Improving Water and Sanitation   The IRC’s environmental health program, targeting 300,000 IDPs living in six camps in northern Uganda’s Kitgum district, returning populations in Lira district and Sudanese refugees in two refugee settlements, helps reduce disease by improving access to water supply and environmental sanitation facilities. Promoting good hygiene practices is also an important part of the program, and the IRC encourages communities to play an active role in combating environmental health issues. The program involves the construction and rehabilitation of sanitary facilities and water sources.

Funding is provided by USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the European Commission Humanitarian Office.

Education  IRC Uganda implements a diverse education program targeting both Internally Displaced Populations and Sudanese refugees living in Uganda. Major goals in education programs are to provide a protective learning environment for children and young people affected by conflict by increasing access to quality education, improve awareness on children’ rights, especially their right to education, and contribute to positive alternative livelihoods of young people. IRC education teams work closely with various stakeholders to ensure that displaced and refugee populations’ unique needs around education are on the forefront of the education agenda in Uganda. This includes coordinating with UNICEF on emergency education, participating in the government’s Northern Uganda Education Forum, and providing valuable support to the regional teacher training institutions that prepare teachers to teach in these challenging areas.

Combating Child Labor in Northern Uganda IRC Uganda works to withdraw and prevent children and young people from exploitative child labor practices by offering them relevant educational opportunities, beneficiaries include former child soldiers, child mothers, and young people forced to work in mining, brick-making, and as domestic workers. The project supports existing community structures that stress the importance of education, especially for girls, and seeks to complement direct aid to schools and children from other humanitarian groups and nongovernmental organizations. With funding from the United States Department of Labor (US DoL), IRC Uganda implements two large education projects in Northern Uganda. These projects operate in the districts of Lira, Pader and Kitgum in northern Uganda. IRC works in consortium of NGOs such as AVSI Foundation, World Vision and Academy for Education Development.

Working closely in collaboration with the national Ministry of Education, and the core teacher training colleges, IRC helps to identify the needs and improve the skills and knowledge of teachers working with conflict affected children and young people through training in psychosocial well-being, child-centered approaches, reproductive health, and cooperative learning. Children and youth supported through these programs receive material support and the program organizes transitional and non-formal education programs, as well as access to family poverty reduction schemes.

Refugee Education In the districts of Masindi and Yumbe, IRC works in partnership with UHNCR, the US Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration and the Office of the Prime Minister to provide education for Sudanese refugees in Kiryandongo and Ikafe refugee settlements.  IRC supports students and pupils in early childhood development, primary, secondary and vocational through provision of teaching learning materials, construction of classrooms and sanitation facilities.

To improve the quality of education for the refugees, IRC works closely with the District Education departments and Teacher Training Colleges to provide in-service trainings for the refugee teachers. Teachers are further supported through regular visits to the schools to enhance on-job continuous professional development. The adult refugees who had no access to education benefit from the functional adult literacy program that focuses on life-skills, numeracy and literacy skills.

IDP Education IRC provides youth who had no access to education with a second chance to acquire literacy, numeracy and vocational skills through its functional adult literacy and vocational skills training program. In order to ensure that young mothers can attend these youth activities in Kitgum, IRC provides early childhood education opportunities for their young children. This initiative helps both the young mothers improve their literacy and engage in group activities while providing a safe environment for children under 6 to play, and engage in pre-school activities.

Peacebuilding Assistance to Karamoja   The IRC facilitates peace-building activities among the residents of Moroto and Nakapiripirit districts in Karamoja by working with local peace committees to facilitate dialogue and reconciliation amongst the various tribes, provides peace education in schools, and mobilizes communities to advocate for peace.  Funding is provided by USAID through the Community Resilience and Dialogue program and the Office of Conflict Mitigation and Management.
Assistance for Sudanese Refugees   The IRC manages a comprehensive assistance program for 25,000 Sudanese refugees living in Kiryandongo and Ikafe Refugee Settlements in Masindi and Yumbe districts, as well as displaced persons who fled the conflict in northern Uganda to Masindi district. Programs include food distribution, community services, primary and reproductive health care, and prevention of HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence. In addition, the IRC provides assistance in water/sanitation, education, agriculture and reforestation, income generation and vocational skills training. The camp’s many vulnerable groups receive special assistance.

Funding is provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations World Food Program, the U.S. State Department Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration, Stichtling Vluchteling, Europe Aid and private foundations.

Economic Development IRC’ Economic Development program focuses on small-scale interventions that can grow over time through linkages with local, national and international markets. This approach is intended to increase access to economic opportunity for everyone, from the most vulnerable to the small business owner. The program focuses specifically on those areas identified as crucial for economic growth, namely access to financial services, skills and business training and enhanced market linkages.

Currently, IRC is supporting Village Savings and Loan Associations together with a local partner, CHAPS (Christian HIV/AIDS Prevention and Support), intended to increase local, sustainable and appropriate financing mechanisms. In Kitgum District over 4,000 IDPs are involved in VSLA groups, mobilizing their own savings and using group resources as capital for investing in business activities. Capacity building is provided through the training and support provided to local partners.  IRC is also supporting local farmers through facilitating access to land, training, inputs, and collective marketing for both food and cash crops. IRC’s partnership with a private company has stimulated a suffering agricultural economy and increased links between local farmers and the company they supply. This has created a mutually beneficial economic environment in which farmers receive a larger share of profits and the company receives greater yield on investment. IRC is also focused on increasing the range of economically viable skills within the community by working with local actors to provide skills training. Coordinated programming between sectors is ensuring that youth are incorporated into economic activities with approaches appropriate to their particular circumstances, while the same is also true for particularly vulnerable populations, including formerly abducted persons. Through IRC’s intervention, community members are equipped with the skills they need to develop economic independence.

Funding for economic development activities is provided by USAID and DFID.