Access to education, menstrual hygiene management, and psychosocial support are crucial for children growing up in refugee settlements. Thanks to funding from the European Union, Finn Church Aid (FCA) is addressing these challenges through the INCLUDE project in Uganda’s Rwamwanja and Kyaka II refugee settlements. 

By providing accelerated education programmes, menstrual hygiene support, play-based learning, and financial assistance, the project is giving refugee and host community children a chance to succeed academically and socially.

For 17-year-old Rinah Chambikwa, education seemed out of reach due to financial struggles. The eldest of 7 children in a single-parent household, Rinah and her family fled political instability in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, and arrived in Uganda in 2019.

“My father disappeared during the war, and we don’t know where he is or if he is still alive,” Rinah tells us.

Upon arrival in Kyaka II refugee settlement, financial struggles made it impossible for Rinah and her siblings to enrol in school. To help support her family, Rinah took on income-generating activities while her younger siblings were enrolled in Byabakora Primary School in 2020. However, she had to wait until they could afford her fees.

In 2022, FCA’s back-to-school campaign introduced Rinah’s mother to the Accelerated Education Programme (AEP), designed for older children who had missed school. The programme also provided financial support, allowing Rinah to resume her education.

“I couldn’t understand English, so I was placed in a lower class to keep up with the other students. At first, I wasn’t comfortable with it, but I was told that the Accelerated Education Programme would help me catch up to my agemates quickly,” Rinah says.

That year, Rinah and 2 of her siblings were selected for the Cash for Education programme, which covered school fees, learning materials, and other essentials.

“I don’t know where I would be if AEP and Cash for Education support were not in place. Maybe my mother would have married me off. This project has given me hope of a better tomorrow,” she adds.

Now preparing for her Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Rinah is determined to continue to secondary school and fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor.

Menstrual hygiene remains a significant barrier to girls’ education in refugee communities. Rita Atuhaire, a senior teacher at Mahani Primary School in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, has seen how myths and taboos about menstruation negatively affect girls’ confidence and school attendance.

“In a community where menstruation is often a taboo subject, girls face significant barriers in managing their periods with dignity and privacy, which severely affects their confidence and academic performance,” Ms. Atuhaire says.

To address this, FCA’s INCLUDE project introduced menstrual hygiene management sessions. Teachers received training on sexual and reproductive health rights, which they now pass on to students. Girls also learn how to make their own disposable pads, providing a sustainable solution to hygiene challenges.

“Many girls were using makeshift materials like toilet paper, old cloths, or even banana leaves. These practices not only gave them infections but also contributed to the stigma that menstruating girls faced as they leaked. The provision of sanitary kits has changed this,” she explains”.

“This initiative has transformed the learning environment and provided much-needed relief and dignity for the students. Thanks to the project, girls now receive sanitary kits that enable them to manage their menstruation with ease and privacy,” Ms. Rita adds.

Fidele Serukato, a 12-year-old Congolese refugee, enrolled in Primary Three at Rwamwanja Primary School, faced numerous challenges before joining the Team Up programme. Living in a refugee settlement, his family struggled financially, and the trauma from his experiences in Congo made adapting to life in Uganda especially difficult.

“I felt very alone and had no friends,” Fidele recalls. “I often got into fights at school because I didn’t know how to express myself,” he says.

Everything changed when he joined Team Up, a programme within the INCLUDE project that uses games and activities to build confidence and teach life skills. Initially hesitant, Fidele soon found joy in the group’s activities.

“At first, I didn’t want to join, but the games and dances were so much fun,” Fidele says. “I learned that I could enjoy myself and learn important things at the same time.”

As he became more engaged, Fidele’s social skills and academic performance improved. He made friends, participated in class, and felt a sense of belonging.

“I started making friends and felt like I was part of a community,” Fidele shares. “My grades got better, and I became more active in class. I learned how to work with others and be positive.”

Funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), the Innovative and inclusive accelerated education programme for refugee and host community children (INCLUDE) project is implemented by Finn Church Aid (FCA) in collaboration with Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council, Humanity and Inclusion, and War Child Holland. It is designed to address challenges to education for refugees and host communities, including newly arrived and out of school children in primary and secondary schools in Kyangwali, Kyaka, Nakivale and Rwamwanja Refugee Settlements.