On 24th December 2025, distribution points across Kampala’s five divisions – Makindye, Rubaga, Kampala Central, Nakawa, and Kawempe began receiving registered refugee households for the Christmas Solidarity Initiative. It was an initiative to address immediate shortages reported in the weeks leading up to the festive period.
Support from Brigitte and Friends (Switzerland) and Luisa and Family (Germany) made it possible to assemble and distribute both food and non-food items at scale. AORW-U acknowledges their efforts, ‘their compassion and solidarity helped us at addressing acute food insecurity and basic needs among vulnerable refugee women-led households in Kampala during the festive season’.
By the end of the day, 555 direct beneficiaries from 55 households had received food items. The distribution covered all five divisions of Kampala, with additional set-ups in Nakivale and Rubondo Base Camp in the days immediately following Christmas.
Food Access, Demographics and Income Constraints
Beneficiary selection was completed during pre-activity planning meetings. The process relied on an existing database and was cross-checked by community focal persons for transparency. Priority was given to women-led households, survivors of gender-based violence, and families with young children, elderly persons, and individuals with special nutritional needs.
On distribution day, verification was conducted at the point of collection. Registered households were called in, and each received a standardized package. The package had rice, beans, maize flour (high-quality, processed by W M Maize Millers Ltd, Wakiso District), cooking oil and chicken.
In addition, children from each household were given new clothes and shoes.
The distribution data shows a clear concentration pattern. Most beneficiaries (94.6%) were originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with Rubaga and Makindye hosting the largest refugee concentrations. The remaining households included refugees from Burundi, Rwanda, and Somalia.
Women and children constituted the majority of the 555 beneficiaries. It goes far to shed lights on the disproportionate impact of displacement, poverty, and food insecurity on refugee women and children. Across all five divisions, households reported similar conditions – unstable income sources, limited access to consistent food supply, and reliance on informal labour. 66.1% of households could afford only one meal daily, and income sources were largely informal. The urgency of needs was primarily livelihood support (91.1%), food assistance (76.8%), and cash support (69.6%).
It shows that food assistance during Christmas addressed an immediate gap but did not alter the underlying conditions. Households continue to live off unstable income, and a limited capacity to pay for additional expenses. That also compels us to put forward such initiatives more frequently than ever.
Post-Distribution Visit to Rubondo Sub Base Camp
Following the Kampala distribution, a two-day field visit was conducted in Rubondo Zone, Nakivale Refugee Settlement.
On Day 1, a focus group discussion was held with 31 women from the Abatishoboye Group. The session took place in a shaded community space and was lively with participants sharing daily struggles, aspirations, and coping mechanisms.
In addition, 14 women were interviewed in-depth, around topics like food insecurity, limited livelihood opportunities, and gender-based violence.
During the same visit, fresh vegetables were distributed at the agricultural demonstration site to members of the Abatishoboye group, and the beneficiaries were hopeful that these vegetables would supplement their limited food rations.
On Day 2, a second focus group discussion involved 23 women from the Ubumwe Group, focusing on household responsibilities and income challenges. The refugees shared the burden of women-headed households and the difficulty of maintaining both caregiving and income roles.
Several interviewees talked about risks associated with being the breadwinner of the family. Women reported incidents of rape when looking for food, labour or livelihood in their communities. That led to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and deep psychological trauma.
However, fear of stigma and lack of trust in justice systems discouraged them from reporting formally.
Livelihood Activities and Ongoing Projects
Vulnerable children from Kisura and Nyakagando communities received clothes and shoes. Beneficiaries included both children of women’s group members and others from the wider community. The distribution brought visible joy, with children smiling and mothers expressing relief that their children would be better protected against the cold and dust.
Some ongoing livelihood initiatives were already in place, such as ‘the goat project’, which provides both food and income. Others include planting trees for fodder, for sustainable feeding for livestock, and growing vegetable seedlings to stabilize household food security.
Another initiative provided mentorship to empower women with knowledge and confidence to manage projects effectively.
Many of the refugee women expressed interest in expanding agricultural activities and accessing more resources to reduce reliance on irregular income sources.
Operational Challenges During Implementation
The initiative encountered several constraints during execution, like limited resources compared to the high number of vulnerable households in need along with logistical challenges related to transportation across multiple divisions.
There were also time constraints during distribution due to high beneficiary turnout. Distribution time had to be extended, and transport limitations messed up with time schedules across locations.
However, the refugee women were patient throughout the process despite limited resources. The field officer mobilized the crowd with efficiency. Interpreter support was essential for managing the queues and collecting reliable data.
The distribution of items (vegetables, clothes, shoes and others) was well-received by the community. As per the findings, agricultural activities at the demosite are promising and should be expanded to benefit more households.
Also, Early planning and community involvement are critical for smooth distribution. Demand for food and non-food assistance among urban refugees remains high. We also concluded that integrating child-focused support can increase the overall impact of humanitarian assistance.
Not to forget that the gaps still remain at a societal level. We need to expand vocational training tailored to women’s interests and market demand, establish microcredit schemes and savings groups to support entrepreneurship, and build on agricultural programs and scale up demo site activities to reach more households.
Additionally, we need to provide safe reporting channels and psychosocial support services for survivors of SGBV, create safe spaces for women and girls to meet, share, and access services, and continue distribution of essential items to vulnerable children.
It would also be beneficial to conduct regular technical visits to track progress and adapt interventions.