Inauguration of the coffee laboratory marks a new milestone in the partnership between Italy and Kenya

Kiambu, 03/18/2024 - Today the Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics), Marco Riccardo Rusconi, took part in the delivery and inauguration ceremony of a coffee laboratory in the County of Kiambu, financed by the Italian Cooperation as part of the Arabika project. This event, held at the 'Kiambu Coffee Growers Cooperative Union', saw the presence of the owner of the AICS office in Nairobi, Giovanni Grandi, and various stakeholders and partners, including the local government, United Nations agencies and representatives of Lavazza and Illy. Coffee is a central element of Kenya's economy, supporting over one million families.

In recent years, Kenya has witnessed a notable increase in local consumption, reflecting changing consumer preferences and presenting new opportunities for economic growth and job creation. The inauguration of the coffee laboratory in Kiambu County marks a significant milestone in this partnership: equipped with roasting machines and coffee extraction tools, the laboratory will play an important role in improving the quality and competitiveness of Kenyan coffe .

The initiative is part of the 'Kenya-Italy Sustainable Development Partnership' launched in 2023 together with the Kenyan authorities: this is the strategic document that indicates the line of action of the Italian Cooperation with Kenya for the next five years, defining a programmatic framework indicative of wide-ranging cooperation between the two countries.

During the ceremony, AICS Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi underlined the importance of exchanging knowledge in promoting positive change. In highlighting the role of Italian experience in coffee cultivation, roasting and quality control, he reiterated Italy's commitment to supporting Kenya's journey towards coffee excellence.

Giovanni Grandi, Head of the Nairobi Regional Office of the AICS, underlined the importance of the technical support and capacity building offered by Italy, adding that the presence of the main Italian coffee companies, Lavazza and Illy, demonstrates the potential for stronger ties between Italian and Kenyan coffee producers.

 

*** Background info

The "Arabika: Relaunching Gourmet Coffee Production in Kenya" initiative is financed by AICS in Kenya and is implemented through the Civil Society Organizations CEFA, AVSI Foundation and with the collaboration of E4Impact. The initiative, in its fourth year of implementation, affects the entire coffee supply chain, with the aim of improving the income and resilience of small producers in rural communities and increasing the employment inclusion of women and young people. In practice, the aim is to improve access to markets, both locally and globally, ensuring sustainable production and a greater economic return for small coffee lovers. Arabika, the result of a dialogue that began in 2018 between the Italian and Kenyan counterparts, is in line with the coffee supply chain development strategies of the Kenyan government and the counties. Arabika takes place in seven counties, involving 21 producer cooperatives that bring together over 40,000 small coffee farmers. Among the main results achieved, we highlight the renovation of seven laboratories for coffee tasting with important infrastructural interventions and the provision of innovative machinery and equipment, the training of hundreds of trainers, farmers and cooperative managers.

The new office of the AICS regional headquarters was inaugurated in Nairobi

Nairobi, 18 March 2024 – The new headquarters of the regional office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics) in Nairobi were officially inaugurated this afternoon. The Nairobi regional office is responsible for Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Republic Democrat of the Congo.

The inauguration ceremony, which culminated with the cutting of the ribbon by the Italian Ambassador to Kenya Roberto Natali and the Director of Aics, Marco Riccardo Rusconi, took place in the presence of around 200 guests including organizations from the Civil Society, United Nations Agencies, representatives of Ministries and local institutions of Kenya, cooperation agencies and heads of mission from partner countries, representatives of the private sector and young local leaders.

The event took place during the mission of a high-level delegation from Rome led by the Director General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the International Cooperation, Stefano Gatti, engaged in a series of visits to the countries of the East African area (Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya) to identify projects together with the partner countries to be included in the Mattei Plan.

The guests were welcomed by the opening words of Ambassador Natali, who underlined the strategic importance of Africa: "It is said that Africa is the continent of the future, but I believe that Africa is instead the continent of the present; that's what we are for committed in Kenya to cooperate and to do it together with our partners, with a view to co-development and mutual benefit".

The Director of Aics, Marco Riccardo Rusconi, underlined in his speech that "The Agency also plays a key role within the Mattei Plan launched by the Italian Government: the strategy aims to write a new page in relations between Italy and Africa, investing in key sectors that represent shared priorities with the involvement of Italian excellence".

The Director of the AICS regional office in Nairobi, Giovanni Grandi, concluded by declaring: "The office we are inaugurating today is responsible for the implementation of cooperation initiatives in seven East African countries, including two priority countries for Italian Cooperation, which are Kenya and Somalia. This area presents immense economic potential for the development of Africa; it is therefore of strategic importance for Italian Cooperation".

With a total portfolio of approximately 255 million Euros, which includes donated, aid credit and European Union-funded initiatives, the Aics regional headquarters in Nairobi collaborates with a vast network of local and international partners, operating in field of development and emergency to respond to the various challenges and fragilities that characterize a region that is as promising as it is complex.

The new AICS Nairobi Offices

Ambassador Roberto Natali and AICS Director Marco Rusconi cut the ribbon at the inauguration

 

Participants at the inauguration ceremony

From the left: Valeria Buoninfante, Deputy Head of Office, Giovanni Grandi, Head of AICS Nairobi Regional Office, H.E. Roberto Natali, Ambassador of Italy to Kenya, and Marco Rusconi, Director of AICS

Tanzania, the launch of the Regional Health Project took place in Dodoma

Dodoma, Tanzania. The Kick-off meeting of the Tanzanian component of the Regional Health Project "Creation of a health network in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda" was held today in Dodoma, Tanzania. The launch event was organized by the Italian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Centro Mondialità Sviluppo Reciproco(CMSR), Doctors with Africa CUAMM and Cooperazione Paesi Emergenti (COPE), in coordination with the Nairobi Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and with the Ministries of Health of Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The specific objective of the project in Tanzania and Zanzibar is to increase the availability and quality of Primary Health Services for the health of women and children, by increasing the number of deliveries assisted by qualified personnel in institutionalized structures, strengthening and increasing the number of healthcare facilities providing Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) in the beneficiary communities and reducing the number of neonatal deaths in the target healthcare facilities. There will be a total of 9 health facilities involved in the project, 4 in mainland Tanzania and 5 in Zanzibar.

The main components will be the training of health personnel, advocacy at the community level, and the purchase and distribution of medical equipment and materials that can allow the development of the envisaged services. The project in Tanzania and Zanzibar will also benefit from two regional components of the programme, related to the creation of mobile units for the execution of ultrasound scans in the communities, in order to allow access to this service as much as possible to pregnant women in rural areas or peripherals, as well as the development and dissemination of data collection software for evaluating the performance of healthcare facilities in the maternal-child health sector, in the direction of maximizing impact.

In total, the estimated direct beneficiaries are 24,997, identified among the healthcare personnel of the initiative's target healthcare facilities and pregnant women who access the healthcare services of the target areas (24,637).

Group photo of the kick-off meeting held in Dodoma, Tanzania

Blue economy and coastal communities’ development: Kenya government officials travel to Italy to boost their skills and networks

In July 2023, 14 Kenyan County government officials travelled to Italy to attend a one-week workshop aimed at exchanging perspectives over the sustainable management of coastal territories and the development of blue communities through a set of meetings with sectoral experts, associations and representatives from the private sector, as well as field visits aimed at promoting exchange of experiences and best practices. The workshop counted on the participation of high-level government representatives, including Issa Abdallah Timamy, Governor of Lamu County, Andrew Mwadime, Governor of Taita Taveta County, as well as the Deputy Governors of Tana River, Kwale and Kilifi counties.

The workshop, held from 13th to 18th of July in Tricase, was managed by the Agronomic Mediterranean Institute of Bari (CIHEAM Bari), the technical partner of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in Kenya for the implementation of the Programme ‘Go Blue: Partnership between the EU and the Government of Kenya to advance the Blue Economy Agenda through Coastal Development’, funded by the European Union.

‘The workshop was organized concurrently with the conclusion of the training course ‘Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities’’ explains Enrico Nerilli, Scientific Coordinator of the Italian component of the Go Blue Programme. ‘It was organized with the collaboration of FAO. Two Kenyan officials received the diploma within this edition of the course’.

Main topics discussed during the workshop were related to the blue economy and the coastal management, such as small-scale fishery management and processing, multifunctional development of fishermen communities, environmental management, rural development and policy planning for land and coastal territories. Field visits included a center for seafood purification and a cooperative for seafood processing. In addition to that, participants had the chance to meet and network with Federpesca, the national federation representing Italian companies active in the fishery sector, AssoIttica, the National Association of Fish Companies bringing together companies operating in fishery, and the national office of LegaCoop, the Italian cooperative federation. This last meeting was particularly relevant, considering that the main target communities of the Italian component of the Go Blue Programme are the community-based organizations reuniting all stakeholders involved in the fishery value chain, the so-called Beach Management Units, that in the near future should assume the legal form of cooperatives, according to the Kenya law.

The workshop also represented an opportunity to discuss the achievements and lessons learnt of the EU-funded Go Blue Programme, whose component on the blue economy value chains enhancement is implemented by AICS. Some of the Implementing Partners, like AICS and UN HABITAT, intervened with presentations related to their components.

‘The Advanced course in Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities course was a valuable experience that provided us with skills, information and practical experiences on how to advance blue economy initiatives sustainably in our region through enhancement of the fisheries value chain’ says Gladys Mnjama, Financial Services and Investments Expert for the Jumuyia Ya Kaunti Za Pwani (JKP) Secretariat, the local partner supporting the overall implementation of the Go Blue Programme. ‘For the Jumuiya Region over the 4 editions that this course has been done it has equipped us and given us a vision of how to proactively design projects from production to market that will assist in the improvement of livelihoods for our communities across the Beach Management Units in the coast.’

‘The approach of AICS is to tackle complex issues such as the sustainable development of the blue economy and the sustainable use of the marine and coastal resources, through a multi-dimensional approach that involves various stakeholders including government agencies, civil society organizations, research institutions, private sector entities. Italy's coastline, geographic location, and historical relationship with the Mediterranean Sea have led the country to have a significant presence in marine and coastal activities, and we are willing to support our Kenyan partners in initiatives to manage its marine and coastal ecosystems’, concludes Giovanni Grandi, Head of AICS Regional Office in Nairobi.

 

Course participants during a technical visit to Marevivo, Italy

Course participants during a technical visit at Marevivo, Italy

The conclusion of the 'Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities' course

Kenya, Aics and local authorities activate a revolving fund scheme for boats management

A mechanism similar to a revolving fund will regulate the use of boats donated through European funds by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics) to target Beach Management Units along the coast of Kenya. The scheme, designed by Aics together with its technical partner CIHEAM Bari, will allow the 26 boats to generate more capital: fisherfolks will in fact have to deposit a small sum for the use of the boats, that will be kept in a dedicated account belonging to the BMU they belong to, which will be able, over time, to acquire new boats. On one hand, this action intends to limit the dependence of small-scale fishermen on intermediaries to whom Kenyan fishermen often have to turn to for the rental of boats upon payment of high costs, and on the other hand, to bridge one of the main gaps along the small-scale fishery value chain, which is the scarcity of boats and equipment.

This is one of the activities of the Go Blue Programme, funded by the European Union and realized by the Italian Cooperation in partnership with CIHEAM of Bari and with the JKP Secretariat, the economic block that represents the six coastal counties of Kenya. The 26 boats that recently donated by Aics to 9 BMUs will thus be managed according to an agreement that is being signed these days between the local partner (JKP Secretariat), the BMUs and the governments of the coastal counties. The agreement will not only promote an ethical behaviour within the BMUs, but also regulate the revolving fund management. Some of the Memorandums have been signed at the beginning of July with Kwale BMUs, during an event that took place in concurrence with the delivery of six additional flat boats to facilitate the transport of seaweed for women involved in seaweed farming.

'CIHEAM Bari has already tested this type of mechanism in other countries', declares Enrico Nerilli, scientific referent for the Go Blue initiative for CIHEAM Bari. 'Its success is linked to the behaviour of BMU members, and for this reason the intervention is associated with the introduction of a Code of Conduct, which we have been working on in recent weeks, which can transmit and strengthen the sense of belonging to a community'.

'We are proud to promote a sustainable fishery', declares Lorenzo Colonna-Preti, Project Manager of the Italian component of Go Blue, 'with actions that promote the empowerment of small-scale fishermen, making them protagonists of a sector with an enormous potential for the growth of the coast and of Kenya. The signing of the agreements for the management of the revolving fund also makes the local authorities accountable for the transparency and ways in which this growth must take place, so that it can benefit everyone, without leaving no one behind.'

Ali Mwanzei, the Go Blue Programme Advisor, presents the Memorandum of Understanding to Shimoni BMU

The delivery of the fishing equipment purchased through the EU-funded Go Blue Programme takes place in Kwale County

The 5 flat boats purchased by Aics to support the women operating in the sea-weed value chain

Education, health and infrastructure for the coast of Kenya: phase II of MISHDP kicks off

Malindi, 28th March 2023 – The second phase of the 'Malindi Integrated Social and Health Development Programme' (MISHDP) initiative was officially launched today during an event organized by the Coastal Development Authority (CDA) of Kenya. The ceremony was held in Malindi at the presence of Mr. Giovanni Grandi, Head of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics) in Nairobi, H. E. Gideon Mung'aro, Governor of Kilifi County, Idris Dokota, Permanent Secretary of the Department of State of the Arid and Semi-Arid Areas and Economic Development of Kenya, representatives of the CDA, local authorities and the beneficiary community.

The event marks the beginning of an important initiative which aims to accelerate the development of Malindi and Magarini sub-counties in Kilifi through interventions in the sectors of education, health, and infrastructure and for the strengthening of local institutions. The initiative is financed by Italy through a subsidized loan worth 6.4 million Euros, and is implemented by the CDA. The interventions include, among others, the construction of a tarmac road, which represents the only access route to the Ngomeni peninsula and is therefore of strategic importance for the economy of the entire area, the construction of an intensive care unit at the Malindi Hospital, the construction of classrooms and the introduction of an award scheme for young students.

The first phase of MISHDP was financed by the Italian Cooperation and implemented by the CDA: it ended in 2012 and was focused on the development of Malindi and Magarini. This first phase saw the construction of basic infrastructures in the health, education and infrastructural sectors in the areas adjacent to the "Luigi Broglio" Italian Space Center in Malindi, recently visited by the President of the Republic of Italy Sergio Mattarella.

'The first series of interventions was conceived as a first step towards the integrated development of the area' said Giovanni Grandi, Head of Aics Office in Nairobi. 'Through phase II, the Italian Cooperation intends to renew its support to the Government of Kenya in its efforts to improve access to basic services for the population, according to the approach of partnership that defines the relationship of friendship and cooperation between Italy and Kenya'.

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Giovanni Grandi, Head of Aics Office in Nairobi, during his speech at the launch ceremony of MISHDP II program in Malindi

Giovanni Grandi and Idris Dokota, Permanent Secretary of the State Department of Arid and Semi-Arid Areas and Economic Development of Kenya, interact with local press and media

Family picture with partners, stakeholders and local authorities involved in MISHDP II

Go Blue: Aics ready to deliver boats throughout the coastal counties

During the months of March and April 2023, nine Beach Management Units (BMUs) located across five coastal counties in Kenya will receive a total of 26 fiberglass boats, that will allow them to boost their catches and increase related income. The provision of fishing inputs, including boats and fishing equipment, is one of the core activities within the Italian component of the EU-funded Go Blue Programme, implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics) in a technical partnership with the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM Bari). Promoting the enhancement of fisheries co-management and of the fisheries value chain is one of the key objectives of the initiative, which stems from the recognition of the great potential that the blue economy has for the growth of Kenya. Fishery is in fact identified by the Kenyan Government as a sector with significant potential to spur national economic growth in its key economic blueprint, the Vision 2030.

The lack of adequate equipment represents one of the major constraints affecting small-scale fisheries in Kenya: due to the lack of owned boats, fishermen are generally obliged to pay a rental to use equipment from middlemen, sometimes at very high prices. In addition to that, fishermen have to cover the costs of fuel. These expenses clearly impact the revenues deriving from fishing.
With the ambitious objective of improving the small-scale fishery value chain at all levels, with special attention to the cold chain management, the Italian component of the Go Blue Programme is targeting the most challenging phases of the value chain, from the moment of capture, through the provision of boats, cool boxes and equipment, through the collection points, with the provision of cold storage facilities, access to clean water and cold rooms to ensure correct conservation of products, to the retail phase, by providing street vendors with cool boxes to ensure fish is well preserved under cold conditions. Aics is also working with the County Government of Lamu and Mombasa counties to build two fish markets that will ensure that target BMUs have improved access to markets. The infrastructure will be built in strategic areas to serve as agents of change and boost the development of the fishery value chain.

‘Our component is very ambitious, and we have designed it in a way that the multiple challenges currently affecting the small-scale fishery value chain can be addressed through a set of targeted and different interventions’ says Paolo Damato, component lead of the Italian intervention within the Go Blue Programme. ‘These actions range from the construction of infrastructure as enablers of change, to the provision of fishing inputs, from the introduction of improvement across the cold chain, to the realization of training activities for fishermen.’

In a view of ensuring sustainability, Aics is also working with CIHEAM Bari and the Jumuiya Ya Kaunti Za Pwani (JKP Secretariat), the local stakeholder, a mechanism to ensure that the boats delivered to BMUs can be managed through a sort of revolving fund where boats can generate a capital managed by the BMU to allow fishermen to acquire additional boats.

‘The blue economy is a driving factor of Kenya's development policy and a sector where the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation is planning to invest more in the future’, says Mr. Giovanni Grandi, Head of Aics regional Office in Nairobi. ‘It is our responsibility to use the blue economy in the most sustainable way while capitalizing its positive impacts on food security, healthy diets, environmental sustainability, and women empowerment. We stand by Kenya in putting small-scale actors at the heart of blue economy policies: our aim is to ensure that the community-led Beach Management Units established by the Government of Kenya are put in the position to adequately manage the ocean and its resources.’

The Italian component of the Go Blue Programme can build on the existing similarities between Italy and Kenya regarding the blue economy utilization and the efforts both countries are putting in place to ensure a sustainable use of the coastal resources and ecosystems: both countries have long coastlines, and both invest in significant economic activities related to the blue economy, such as fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. The countries have developed policies and initiatives to promote the sustainable use of blue economy resources and to support the growth of related industries; the Go Blue Programme opens great opportunities to capitalize best practices and experiences to ensure shared lessons learnt and development.

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President Sergio Mattarella visits Italian Cooperation projects in Kenya

The President of the Republic of Italy Sergio Mattarella started his official visit to Kenya on the 14th of march, kicking off a three-day event full of institutional meetings and ceremonies. The President is accompanied by a delegation composed of his daughter and first lady of Italy Ms. Laura Mattarella and the Deputy Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Edmondo Cirielli, among the others.

During the mission, Deputy Ministry Cirielli and Ministry of Treasury of Kenya Njuguna Ndung'u are expected to launch the "Kenya-Italy Sustainable Development Partnership" (Kisdp), a strategic document indicating the line of intervention of the Italian Cooperation with Kenya for the next five years, defining a medium-term indicative programmatic framework for the cooperation between the two countries.

During President Mattarella's mission, two additional agreements between Kenya and Italy are expected to be signed, marking the launch of as many cooperation initiatives: the first, "Professional and Scientific Training for the Development of Cultural Tourism", financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics) and realized by the National Museums of Kenya in partnership with La Sapienza University of Rome, concerns the implementation of a three-year training program for young Kenyan students. The second initiative, "Kenya Informal Settlement Redevelopment Programme" (Kirsp), concerns an integrated urban development intervention to improve access to basic services in the informal settlements of Kajiado, Kilifi and Siaya counties.

President Mattarella and the delegation will visit some of the Italian Cooperation's leading projects in the country, such as the St. Kizito Vocational Training Institute financed by the Cooperation in 1994 and managed by AVSI, which trains 800 young Kenyans every year through courses in IT, mechanics, plumbing, carpentry, catering, secretary, electronics, hairdressing, and beauty care. The Cooperation has deeply invested in the growth of the Institute allowing for the construction of the building, the supply of equipment, the start-up and various stages of expansion, allowing the Institute to consolidate and to offer young disadvantaged people adequate training, which would otherwise be inaccessible in most cases. The mission includes a visit to the E4Impact Accelerator founded in 2018 in Nairobi thanks to Aics support and through the Sacro Cuore Catholic University of Milan, which has quickly become a point of reference in Kenya's entrepreneurial ecosystem: it is of a hub offering legal, financial, training and mentoring services to businesses and start-ups, contributing to their growth and creating new synergies with international markets and investors.

"It is a real honour to welcome and follow the visit of President Mattarella and the delegation", says Giovanni Grandi, Head of Aics regional office in Nairobi. "This is an enormous privilege and a key opportunity to boost the consolidated friendship between Italy and Kenya. The launch of the multi-year strategy represents a milestone for Italy's cooperation with one of its priority countries, and the visit to the initiatives through which the Agency invests in business creation, employment, and in training young people are the concrete example of a cooperation that creates partnerships between businesses, universities and institutions and which looks at young people as builders of development of an increasingly resilient Kenya".

"Medium and Small Enterprises are the beating heart of Kenya's economic development," explains Mario Brataj, Program Officer for Economic and Private Sector Development at Aics Nairobi. "They contribute to almost 80% of GDP and represent around 70% of total employment. The young and dynamic entrepreneurial tissue needs support to best express its potential: for this reason, support to employment creation and expansion of small businesses is one of the pillars of our action in the country. At the same time we invest in human capital through the strengthening of vocational training institutes. An example of this approach is the experience of St. Kizito, which was built and consolidated thanks to the support of the Italian Cooperation and today it acts as a bridge between young people and the job market. The Institute collaborates today with 70 companies, carries out school-work alternation and promotes internships. In collaboration with Avsi, Res4Africa and Enel Green Power, Aics is also promoting the installation of a micro-grid that will make the Institute an excellence for training activities on renewable energy in Kenya and East Africa".

Photo of President Mattarella's visit to the St. Kizito Vocational Training Institute, financed by the Italian Cooperation, during the first day of his trip to Kenya. © Quirinale

 

TANZANIA: Launch of the initiative “Diverse Food System: Improving nutrition by supporting a diversified and sustainable food system”

Dodoma, 03/03/2023. On Friday, 3rd of March, we were at the launch event of the project "Diverse Food System: Improvement of nutrition with support for a diversified and sustainable food system", funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics) and implemented by LVIA – Associazione Volontari Internazionali Laici. The project partners are CUAMM – CUAMM – Collegio Universitario Aspiranti Medici Missionari, the local association Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Tanzania – MVIWATA and the College of Agriculture of the Sokoine University of Agriculture.

The initiative, which has an expected duration of 3 years, aims to improve the effectiveness and inclusiveness of the food and nutrition security system of the communities residing in the Dodoma region, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable categories of the population such as minors pregnant women etc. Indeed, in the Dodoma Region there are numerous cases of chronic (37.2%) and acute (0.4%) malnutrition and inequality in terms of food security particularly affects women and children.

The event was attended by Paolo Razzini, head of the coordination office of Aics Nairobi in Tanzania, together with government representatives of the districts of Kongwa, Chawmino and Bahi and representatives of partner organizations.
During his speech, Razzini underlined how improving nutrition and increasing food security is a priority sector of Aics. This priority aligns with several strategic development plans and guidelines of the United Republic of Tanzania, such as the National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan 2021/22-2025/26, the Tanzania Horticultural Development Strategy (2012-2021), the National Agricultural Plan (2022-2030) and the National Guidelines of Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition.

The direct beneficiaries of the initiative will be about 114,000 people, mainly in rural areas (about 85%), divided as follows: about 21,800 children under 5 will be screened for malnutrition, about 22,400 women and mothers of children under 5 years will be made aware of good hygienic-nutritional practices and gender equality, about 42,000 farmers (of which over 25,200 young people) will be trained and helped to achieve greater production diversification, 3,000 farmers will be supported with capacity building and access to markets for native vegetables and finally, through awareness-raising activities, 20,000 consumers in urban areas will be able to make more informed nutritional choices.

From South Sudan to Uganda in search of protection: a journey beyond borders

We went to Adjumani, a district in Northern Uganda at the border with South Sudan. We have followed the path that refugees take when they enter Uganda, starting from the moment of registration immediately after crossing the border until their arrival in the refugee camps. Where Aics intervenes in support of refugee and host communities

The border

To cross the border between South Sudan and Uganda from the Ugandan district of Amuru, you have to walk on a bridge over a completely dry river, crowded with trucks, motorcycles, animals, sellers of everything, soldiers, dust. From the Ugandan side, we only managed to cover half of it; the South Sudanese military then sent us back.

Every month, hundreds of people cross this bridge fleeing South Sudan, a country still reeling from a 5-year civil war, internal tensions and consecutive years of record floods that have caused one of the most serious humanitarian crises on the continent, with about 2 million internally displaced people and 2.2 million seeking protection in neighbouring countries.

Once passed the strict controls of the military on the bridge, you arrive at the Ugandan border offices. It's hard, even for us, not to feel relieved noticing the huge red sign above the offices: WELCOME TO UGANDA.

Collection Point

Elegu Collection Point is located 300 meters from the bridge. Here, the Ugandan authorities of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the entity managing the refugees’ reception system, together with UNHCR and a medical team register the newly arrived refugees and carry out the first health checks, administering vaccines if necessary, including the one against Covid-19.

Elegu is just one of the access points on the border between Uganda and South Sudan. Francis Kirya from the Ugandan OPM tells us that in Elegu alone they had registered 646 new arrivals in January 2023.

While he’s showing us the identification cards and bracelets to entitle refugees to receive food from the World Food Program (WFP), Francis sees behind us that a South Sudanese family is entering the Center: they walk slowly but decisively. They are nine; seven children, their mother and her brother.

‘How long did you have to travel to get here?’ we ask them, sensing their exhaustion in the burning equatorial heat.

'One month', answers the only boy who speaks English; 'we took a bus that crosses the whole country, we couldn't afford any faster vehicles’.

At the Elegu Center, each family member is registered on a platform through fingerprints. This system serves to identify refugees in a global database, where security checks are carried out by the intelligence services.

In the evening, the family will be taken to the Nyumanzi Reception Centre.

Reception Center and assignment to camps

At the Reception Center, newly registered refugees will spend a few days before being transferred to one of the camps nearby. Each family is assigned temporary housing; there are communal sanitary facilities and WFP daily distributes food aid. There is also an emergency medical center and a small playground for children.

Life in the camps

Uganda is the African country hosting the highest number of refugees: more than 1.5 million according to the 2021 census, of which 65.3% comes from South Sudan. Francis explains that assignments to the different camps are made based on availability and with attention not to mix conflicting tribal groups. Once in the camps, refugees are assigned small plots of land that can be used for subsistence farming.

According to UNHCR data, as of December 2022 Adjumani District alone hosted about 280,000 asylum seekers and refugees, registered in 18 camps. Of those, 86% were women and children. This is precisely the area where the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (Aics) concentrates its activities in support to refugees and hosting communities.

'Through our Civil Society Organizations present on the field and in collaboration with the local authorities, we intervene with training and business creation activities for young people, developing income and livelihood opportunities often through the collaboration between South Sudanese refugees and Ugandan hosting communities. We also promote actions that can facilitate the conditions for an eventual return to the country of origin to help its reconstruction,' explains Giovanni Grandi, head of Aics Office in Nairobi. 'In this way, we support Ugandan policies encouraging the integration of refugees and mitigate possible tensions that may arise between the two cohabiting groups, and which stem mainly from the joint use of the natural resources.'

The adoption of measures to prevent and mitigate tensions between Ugandan and South Sudanese communities is essential where, due to protracted insecurity conditions, the South Sudanese refugee population is gradually settling in Uganda. The story of Grace, 35, is emblematic in this sense: Grace arrived 31 years ago as a refugee in Uganda, and still nowadays she is a resident in Elema camp (Adjumani district). Here, Aics is supporting the realization of infrastructural interventions, including the installation of water supply systems and the renovation of spaces to host community recreational activities. 'These interventions have also helped to reduce conflicts between refugee and host communities,' she says, referring in particular to the well built by Africa Mission - Cooperation and Development (C&S) right behind our backs.

Grace is now a community leader, and she works as a translator at Elema health center, 'because the language barrier often creates problems of understanding between Ugandans and South Sudanese,' she explains. Grace completed primary and secondary education in Uganda. She has five children and has built her own house within the camp. 'The Ugandan refugees’ reception system works, they make refugees feel comfortable. My home, however, remains in South Sudan; my dream is to go back there one day, if there will ever be peace,' she confides to us as she looks far away.

***

Aics in Uganda intervenes with an emergency initiative aimed at promoting the integration of displaced, returning and refugee South Sudanese populations. The project intervenes in the refugee camps of Adjumani district through the renovation of community centers for young people and women and the construction of new water supply systems. The initiative also promotes agricultural activities and trade to improve the income of refugee families; some activities specifically target the integration between refugees and host communities to support peaceful coexistence. The initiative started in September 2022 and has an expected duration of 20 months; it is implemented by Africa Mission - Cooperation and Development in consortium with the Jesuit Refugee Service.

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The entrance to the Collection Center in Elegu, Northern Uganda ©M. Watsemba/AICS Nairobi

OPM's Francis Kirya explains how the registration process works in the Elegu Center ©M. Watsemba/AICS Nairobi

One of the women's community centers renovated by Aics and C&S at Nyumanzi Camp, Adjumani District ©M. Watsemba/AICS Nairobi

Refugees at the Reception Centre waiting to receive lunch distributed by WFP ©M. Watsemba/AICS Nairobi

A water system financed by Aics at the elementary school of Elema refugee camp, Adjumani district © M. Watsemba/AICS Nairobi

Grace, 35 years old, has lived in Elema refugee camp for 31 years ©M. Watsemba/AICS Nairobi

Grace shows us her home in Elema refugee camp ©M. Watsemba/AICS Nairobi