Finnish Refugee Council in Uganda

Uganda is a significant recipient country of refugees. The situations in the neighboring countries, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in southern Sudan, are reflected in the number of refugees. The Finnish Refugee Council is the only international NGO functioning in Uganda that is specialized in adult education for refugees.

_{FRC's adult literacy group gathering in Kyangwali refugee settlement. Photo: Markku Vesikko}

 When: Activities in Uganda began in 1997. 

What: Alongside teaching functional literacy and English, French, community media, entrepreneurship, computer skills, civic education and youth leadership courses are organized.

For whom: Mainly adult refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan living in the refugee settlement areas of Kyangwali, Kyaka II, and Nakivale, Ugandans living in the vicinity of the settlement areas, and urban refugees in Kampala.

The aims of the projects of the Finnish Refugee Council are to reduce poverty and to provide refugees with resources for coping. This also improves people's possibilities to elevate their standard of living and prepare for repatriation.

The foundation of the FRC's projects in Uganda is to provide adult education in form of functional literacy and of English, which, in addition to literacy and numeracy skills, increase the students' knowledge of matters related to health, nutrition, HIV/Aids, agriculture and civil rights and several other issues related to their everyday life.