Dear journalists, we want to be more honest with you. For starters, don’t call us charities.
Yumbe is tucked away in the northwest corner of Uganda. A dozen years ago I worked in this region, and I recently went back. Much has changed. Civil war in South Sudan has created two million refugees, half of whom have crossed into Uganda.
You might expect strife, but in fact the combination of South Sudanese and Ugandans is sparking enterprise and growth. Refugee spending is supporting more businesses, bringing market opportunities to a previously remote part of Uganda.
In response, organisations like mine are working with the private sector and government to support not just individuals, but the market systems they rely on. That includes promoting land sharing between refugees and hosts, subsidising seed purchases from agro-dealers, and improving access to quality seeds from national companies. It is complicated social and economic work.