A refugee-led organization, the Congolese Refugee Community in Uganda (CRCU) has worked since 2018 to support the economic, social, and educational integration of refugees throughout the country. With members in all of Uganda’s major refugee camps, the organization is composed mainly of volunteers and led by a small professional staff. It is funded primarily through  grassroots donations, sourced nationally and internationally, as well as through regular contributions of members donating what they can personally afford.

Theory of Change

Grassroots community organizations provide an avenue to self-sufficiency and communal dignity for economically and socially disadvantaged populations. In so doing, they deliver a means to greater inclusion and cohesion with their larger communities.

Activities

As job creation is central to the association’s mandate, CRCU provides free three-month classes in hair care, tailoring, and English. Following the end of the sessions, successful graduates receive assistance in finding opportunities to leverage their new skills. CRCU also helps to manage close to thirty separate group savings programs in an effort to ensure refugees access to emergency funds. Members of the programs contribute to savings accounts for a period of six months, after which they can withdraw funds and start a new six-month saving period. In emergency situations, depositors are allowed early access to their funds. This is in addition to offering a wide range of legal services, ranging from conducting workshops on refugee rights to assistance in legal proceedings, such as asylum applications.

Results

Since its founding, the CRCU is estimated to have assisted over 2,300 people across the Congolese diaspora in Uganda. Through its job training program, the organization regularly graduates close to 150 every three months. In so doing, they provide a direct avenue to financial and personal stability.