Thousands of refugees in Adjumani District have been left without food support following a recent food categorization exercise, prompting many to seek alternative means of survival, including skills training, small businesses, and hiring farmland from host communities.
According to recent data, more than 128,000 refugees fall under Categorization 3 and are no longer eligible for food assistance. The district currently hosts over 233,000 refugees across 19 settlements.
In response, skilling programmes and the provision of start-up kits have become critical interventions, equipping both refugees and host community members with practical skills and tools to generate income and rebuild livelihoods.
At least 49 beneficiaries from Nyumanzi Refugee Settlement and Egge Village in Dzaipi Sub-county have received start-up kits after completing a six-month vocational training programme.
The training was conducted by the Refugee Law Project with support from UN Women and funding from the Government of Norway. The start-up kits were provided under the Spotlight Initiative with support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Beneficiaries were trained in vocational fields such as tailoring and fashion design, welding and metal fabrication, motor mechanics, and hairdressing and cosmetology.
Officials from the Office of the Prime Minister said the programme targets individuals affected by the reduction in food aid and aligns with a broader shift from humanitarian assistance to a development-focused approach centered on self-reliance.
Nyumanzi Refugee Settlement alone hosts more than 48,000 refugees, many of whom continue to face economic challenges amid declining humanitarian support.
Alek Kuol Arok, 25, a mother of two who trained in tailoring, said the skills and tools she received will help her earn an income and support her family.
Adjumani Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wambi commended implementing partners for promoting skills development among both refugees and host communities.
“Government is promoting competency-based training to equip people with practical skills. I urge beneficiaries to be innovative, maintain good customer care, and grow their businesses,” Wambi said.
Janet Amadrio, a host community member who trained in welding, said the programme has helped challenge traditional gender roles and enabled her to work independently.
Ramadhan Abdul, Settlement Commandant at the OPM Adjumani refugee desk, said the initiative supports government efforts to promote sustainable livelihoods.
“We are building the capacity of refugees to earn their own income instead of depending on aid,” he said, urging beneficiaries to utilize the start-up kits productively.
Adekemi Ndieli, Deputy Country Representative of UN Women, said the intervention is timely given the reduction in humanitarian assistance and encouraged beneficiaries to form groups for greater impact.
Adjumani Assistant Resident District Commissioner Simon Peter Obumai noted that the growing refugee population has placed pressure on limited government resources, emphasizing the importance of empowering both refugees and host communities.
The initiative reflects a broader transition from emergency aid to sustainable development, with a focus on equipping vulnerable populations with skills and opportunities for self-reliance.