Kikoba Nsengiyumva’s decided to flee to Uganda when her family was attacked and her husband shot by rebels in their native home, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, due to tribal conflicts.
Kikoba Nsengiyumva and her family of 12 members (her husband and ten children) arrived in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda on October 11, 2019 and settled in Sweswe Village. Life in the refugee settlement was undoubtedly challenging. Her household was provided with land by the Office of the Prime Minister, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees offered them non-food items such as a blanket, a jerrycan, a mat, saucepans, pangas, and hoes. They also received poles and a tarpaulin for constructing a shelter. They got into land wrangles and sickness of their children, which prompted them to relocate to their current place of residence in Itambabiniga Central Village.
“The World Food Programme provided us a monthly cash ration of UGX 120,000 (29 Euros), which we used for food, clothing, investing in poultry farming, and saving UGX 10,000 (2 Euros) in a 20-member community savings cash round group per month,” says Kikoba.
The 42-year-old and her household utilised their industriousness to cultivate maize and beans on a small scale for home consumption and, at times, sold off in cases of a good harvest. They also provided casual labour in the host community from which they earned UGX 5,000 (1 Euro) per day. From the income and the World Food Programme monthly cash ration, Kikoba expanded their livestock business to 12 goats, 60 ducks, and 100 chickens, which she sold off to sustain the household and construct a sufficient home for her 12-member family.
Our primary problem was poverty, lack of adequate food and school fees. Our sources of income were insufficient because of the size of our household. We chose to forgo other necessities because all the money went into building an appropriate home for the twelve of us. We also lacked the skills and knowledge necessary to make the most of the resources we possessed explains Kikoba.
Upon enrolment in the Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project, Kikoba’s household received a monthly cash stipend for food and basic needs worth UGX 117,000 (28 Euros) for eight months, which she used for food and invested in one pig and a goat for multiplication. Kikoba then utilised her one-off business cash grant worth UGX 825,000 (200 Euros) to start a piggery business in her backyard. She also participated in project activities including, Farmer Field and Business School, Coaching, Village Saving and Loans Association, business coaching.
"From the coaching sessions, we learnt conflict management and better parenting and this has enabled all the children to go to school and instilled respect and harmony in the household. We also share household roles and responsibilities with joint decision-making. One of the coaching topics emphasises the importance of nutrition-guiding participants on the basic nutritious meals and also eating enough (three meals) and safe foods that are easily available in the community, and now we enjoy three meals a day , In addition, we established a hand-washing station with soap, started boiling drinking water clarifies Kikoba.
Kikoba emphasised the learning of good agronomic practices—how to make organic pesticides and fertilisers, which they apply in their maize and bean gardens, thus improving the quality of their harvest.
“I used to cultivate as a trial and error–I cleared the land and planted and I let nature take its course with the crop, but presently, I know how to choose the right seeds, crop spacing, and pest management.
I sold two 50 kilogramme bags of maize at UGX 200,000 (48 Euros), which I utilised to construct a piggery structure. I also sold two hens at UGX 20,000 (5 Euros), which I topped up to the business cash grant in order to purchase seven pigs at UGX 840,000 (203 Euros).”
Currently, Kikoba has five ducks, one goat, four chickens, and eight pigs. She recently harvested 200 kilogrammes of beans and 300 kilogrammes of maize corn from half an acre. Her cumulative savings stand at UGX 116,000 (29 Euros) in the SMILES project Village Saving and Loans Association over a period of twelve months.
"While the refugee welfare ration is beneficial, it is not a sustainable solution. In contrast, the SMILES project provides project participants with skills and knowledge that aid in the appropriate use of financial support and family sustainability," says Kikoba who plans to expand her livestock business and sell the sows when they are fully grown. From the sales, she forecasts to purchase two motorcycles for her sons so that they can engage in the boda-boda business in order to diversify their household income.
About the SMILES project
The Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project is a five-year (November, 2022 – October, 2027) initiative funded by the IKEA Foundation. The project works with 14,000 households (extremely poor refugee and host community) comprising 70,000 individuals in Kyaka II and Kyangwali Refugee Settlements in Western Uganda with the aim of supporting them to become resilient.
The project delivers a graduation model integrated with a Market System Development approach targeting women and youth and their household members. Key sectors include livelihoods, agriculture, food security, protection, energy and environment. The project is implemented by AVSI Foundation in partnership with UNHCR and the Office of the Prime Minister and in a consortium with Innovations for Poverty Action, Renewable Energy, Powering Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Enhancement (REPARLE), Makerere University Kampala, and DAI Global LLC.