In the dusk of 2008, seven-year-old Suzan Bakulle moved with her family members from Kyaka I to Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, the two locations are 50 kilometers apart in Western Uganda. With the assistance of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Office of the Prime Minister, they were relocated to the Ndolelire Village while receiving a monthly cash ration of UGX 45,000 (10 euros) per head and a food basket containing beans, rice, maize flour, cooking oil, salt, and sugar from the World Food Programme.
“UNHCR assisted our family in relocation from the reception center whereas the Office of the Prime Minister provided us with a big chunk of land where we planted and harvested good yield for commercial and subsistence purposes.”
Suzan Bakulle, SMILES project participant.
However, the abundance ceased in the dawn of 2018 when more people arrived, “our land was divided and the monthly cash ration was reduced from UGX 45,000 (10 euros) to UGX 12,000 (2.8 euros),” Suzan explains how this negatively affected them as a family.
“We faced a drastic change. We ate once a day and having enough money for necessities became a dream, resulting into malnutrition, weight loss and ulcers. This also affected my education.”
Suzan Bakulle, SMILES project participant.
The scarcity of basic goods prompted Suzan to drop out at primary seven, resorting to casual labour in the host communities to support the household. In addition, she delved into agriculture growing maize on their small plot of land to add to what they had in possession.
It was through the Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project that a concrete transformation became possible. Coaching, coupled with Farmer Field and Business School sessions, gave Suzan and her household vital skills in goal setting and resource optimization.
“We acquired knowledge in food security, saving, business and setting SMART goals. Farmer Field and Business School sessions gave us skills on how to use fertilizers and pesticides which have improved our cultivation and diversified our food crops for subsistence and commercial purposes.”
Suzan Bakulle, SMILES project participant.
The project intervention has been effective and fruitful: Suzan and her family currently have a more balanced diet, eating three meals a day. She also used UGX 50,000 (12 euros) from her consumption support to start a cooking oil venture from which her estimated profit is UGX 5,000 (1.2 euros) to UGX 7,000 (1.6 euros) per week – serving as a significant source of income for the household.
“The coaching sessions emphasized a balanced diet so that we can consume the three food categories: Glow–vitamins, Grow–proteins and Go–carbohydrates, which we are currently adhering to. I can also afford clothing for my child and other family members thanks to the income from the cooking oil business.”
Suzan Bakulle, SMILES project participant.
The 22-year-old plans to build a better house for her family, shift from using a traditional cooking stove to an energy cooking stove and “in five months, I plan to get a loan of UGX 100,000 (23 euros) from the savings group to boost my cooking oil business,” she concludes.
About the SMILES project
The Sustainable Market Inclusive Livelihood Pathways to Self-Reliance (SMILES) project is a five-year (November 2022 to 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 (IPA), Renewable Energy, Powering Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods Enhancement (REPARLE), Makerere University Kampala, and DAI Global LLC (DAI).
