UGANDA – New digital tool to empower farmers to access extension services The new digital tool is going to empower farmers to access extension services and market information through mobile telephones……The program is being implemented with the support of the Swedish government, through Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency, which is targeting women, youth, refugees and migrants, who are normally underserved when it comes to digital solutions.

Local Economic Development Strategy Launch – Moyo and Obongi Districts On 20 November, with support of their local economic development partners, UNHCR and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Moyo district and Obongi district are launching their Local Economic Development (LED) Strategy. Both these districts have had mass influxes of refugees over the last few years, with over 123,000 registered refugees in Palorinya settlement, Obongi. They have formulated their five year development plans under the Comprehensive National Development Framework with a vision to have a transformed population that is productive and prosperous by 2040. The main pillars of the LED strategy are enabling infrastructure, supporting local private sector development, upgrading human capital, attracting investment and changing attitudes towards local economic development. The inclusion of refugees in the district development plans marks a watershed in the humanitarian-development nexus, and provides stakeholders with a structure to transition towards resilience building interventions. Please find more information in the uploaded LED brochure and for further details contact Teresa Ongaro (Head of Field Office, Moyo, Uganda)

Uganda launches the “Jobs and Livelihoods Integrated Refugee Plan” (JLIRP) In line with the spirit of the GCR, the government of Uganda has launched in May 2021, the multi partner “Jobs and Livelihoods Integrated Refugee Plan” (JLIRP). The plan envisions self-reliant and resilient refugee and host community households in refugee hosting districts by 2025. The JLIRP will contribute to resilient, sustainable and inclusive development of refugees and host communities through the improvement of social cohesion; increasing economic opportunities by strengthening market systems; increasing household income, food and nutrition security and agricultural output for in-country and export markets; increasing productive coping strategies; increasing access to vocational and technical education; and improving social protection key to socio-economic inclusion of refugees and host communities in refugee hosting districts. The full plan can be downloaded here: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/86601

The Private Sector Can Bring Jobs, Development to Uganda's Refugee Populated Areas—IFC Report: Stronger and more focused private sector interventions in Uganda's refugee-hosting areas could deliver jobs, opportunities, and goods and services to several million underserved people, according to an IFC study of the country's largest refugee-hosting areas published today.

ILO - UPSHIFT to elevate youth in Uganda with skills and social entrepreneurship: In Nakivale refugee settlement in south-west Uganda, the air of excitement among local youth blew like a fresh breeze. After two long and difficult years of COVID-19, they were attending the launch of “UPSHIFT”, a social innovation and entrepreneurship programme of the ILO and UNICEF being implemented by local partner “Unleashed”.

IFC - Uganda’s refugee market valued at sh1.7 trillion – IFC report. Refugee hosting areas in the West Nile and Southwest region spend over $485m (sh1.7 trillion) per year to purchase consumer goods, according to a study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The West Nile region accounts for $246m (sh885b), representing 51%. This is largely driven by the host community's spending, at $201m (sh723b). On the other hand, the Southwest region contributes $239m (49%) to the total. https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/8fbe5df0-f2aa-4e40-a28a-8cb7e504edb2/IFC_Uganda+Consumer+and+Market+Study+December+2021.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=nWlm.Ug