Traditionally, refugee camps have
always run a certain way with one main goal in mind: to get refugees into
peaceful host countries and to protect them from conflicts they try to escape
from. Once in camp, their options were limited. They either had to wait until
the refugees were able to obtain citizenship from the host countries that they
took refuge in, or become repatriated into their homeland if the conflict had ended.
This method never gave the refugee a chance to create a new life of their own
while in the camp. Even though these camps are protecting the refugees from the
chaos that they left behind, in many ways this style of camp should now be considered
barbaric. This method runs along similar lines of corralling cattle. It is to
the point where it is inhumane to keep these refugees from trying to live semi-normal
lives.
Since 1993 when AAH was first
formed, they have been the pioneers in revolutionizing the traditional refugee
camps. Kyangwali offers a new kind of life for refugees, which provides them with the
support and means for their survival while giving them the opportunity to develop
themselves and their own livelihoods. This gives the refugees a chance to build
a better life for themselves and their families even after all of the hardships
they have lived through. This style of camp also gives the refugees the
opportunity of making an income, which they would not be able to
do in any other camps.
New refugee arrivals are provided
with a plot of land which, depending on the size of their family, ranges from 20-50 square meters. With this plot of land they are able to grow and farm produce that they can sell in local markets in neighboring Ugandan communities. But that is
only just the tip of the iceberg of what Kyangwali has to offer its new
inhabitants. However, before they receive any provisions or land, all refugees that
seek refuge in Kyangwali need to go through a vigorous screening (health and
family relations) at various check points. With the case of Kyangwali, there
are three stages of arrival.
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| Refugees wait to be screened and questioned |
1.
When the refugees
cross the border from the Congo to Uganda they are placed in the transit center
in Kasese District, which is beneath Lake Albert on the Ugandan-Congolese
border. Though refugees cross in other areas, Kasese District is a main
transit point for many seeking refuge. Refugees stay at the transit center for
roughly 30 days and rarely exceed a period of 90 days. From there the
refugees are screened and tested (health checks, questions regarding family
relations, why they left and where they are from in the Congo).
2.
From Kasese
District, refugees are then sent to Bubukwanga in the Bundibugyo District. It is at
this point where the refugees are given the choice to decide if they would like
to come to Kyangwali or if they wish to go back home to the Congo. During this process there is never any influence on the decision and nothing is ever
forced on the refugees to go to a certain location. If the refugees choose to
come to the Kyangwali settlement camp, a convoy is arranged to transport them to
the next holding area within the camp.
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| UNHCR and AAH hand out basic survival needs |
All
refugees, regardless of their next destination, are given materials to help them survive (i.e. mat for sleeping, blanket, cooker, pots, plates, and other basic
survival items to ensure future survival). Since the area in which they are
held at this point is roughly 200 square meters and there are more than 12,000
people held at this point, food is communally prepared to avoid any issues with
the refugees gathering, preparing, or cooking their own food. This method also
guarantees equal distribution of food and prevents issues of sharing within the
check point.
3.
During the third stage, those refugees who
had chosen to come to Kyangwali are again screened and tested upon arrival.
After the tests are completed, the refugees then receive further materials such as plastic
sheeting for shelter, jerry cans, basins, sanitation kits and tools for making
pits, and other necessary survival items. There are special packages for women in the reproductive years and older women are given
underwear. Finally they also
receive their plot of land from the Prime Minister of Kyangwali, the size of
which is dependent on the number of people in the family.
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| Refugees waiting in the Reception Area |
Once in Kyangwali:
For the first two days in Kyangwali,
the food is provided by the WFP (World Food Program), which is all prepared
and rationed out to families using a scale based on the number of people
within that family. All three daily meals are prepared for the refugees,
(breakfast, lunch, and dinner). After the two days at the reception area, OPM
(Office of the Prime Minister) for Kyangwali will transport the refugees with
all of their materials to their new plots of land.
From there the refugees are able
to go to use all the facilities that Kyangwali has to offer. Aside from the use of
the medical facilities, the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector will set up communal water tanks
so that refugees have a fresh supply of water which they are able to use at their
convenience. The refugees will also get agriculture kits along with seeds for
maize and vegetables so that they can stop relying on WFP, UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), and other
organizations for their food. Fortunately, there are very few refugees who still rely on them for their food.
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