© Australia for UNHCR/Hugh Rutherford
Uganda
Reuniting refugee families in Uganda
With your support, UNHCR is helping unaccompanied children like Omwali* reunite with their loved ones and reclaim their childhoods.
Uganda
With your support, UNHCR is helping unaccompanied children like Omwali* reunite with their loved ones and reclaim their childhoods.
Conflict is tearing families apart and forcing refugee children to flee to Uganda on their own.
Orphaned, lost, or cut off from their loved ones – children arrive at the border in need of urgent assistance. With support from generous New Zealanders, UNHCR is there to guide unaccompanied refugee children to safety and provide ongoing care and protection.
UNHCR and partners work tirelessly to help children like Omwali, 16, reunite with their families and rebuild their lives in Uganda.
Tragically, Omwali’s parents were killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). She fled with her grandmother, Nia*, and her aunt and siblings, but became separated from them on the chaotic journey to the border.
In Nakivale refugee settlement, UNHCR and partners found a safe and trusted foster carer for Omwali while family tracing took place. Four months later, they were successfully reunited.
“We ran and hugged,” says Nia. “We were so happy that we cried.”
Omwali now lives in safety with her family. She is taking English classes at a local vocational training centre. When her course is finished, she plans to return to school.
“I love spending time with my family,” she says. “After English class, I cook for my siblings, help with chores and spend time with my family.”
With your support, UNHCR is also helping refugee children find loving foster homes when family reunification isn’t possible.
Congolese refugee Gloria*, 14, has lived in Kampala with Edith*, her foster carer, since 2009. Edith is also a refugee. She fled the DRC in 2008 and has six biological children. She has also fostered 10 children – nine of them refugees like Gloria, one of them Ugandan.
Today, Gloria is in high school, where her favourite subjects are social studies and politics. She also enjoys cooking.
“I want to own a restaurant. I like when I’m cooking – I feel it is my talent,” says Gloria. “I want to do my own things to help myself and help my family.”
“Gloria knows how to cook,” agrees Edith. “Her best dish is beans and rice. She makes it sweet.”
Thanks to generous supporters, UNHCR is helping unaccompanied children:
With this support, refugees like Omwali and Gloria are able to find the safety and stability every child deserves.
But war in countries like Sudan and the DRC continues to take a devastating toll.
Hundreds of children are arriving in Uganda each month without their parents or guardians. Your donation today can help these extremely vulnerable children survive, heal and thrive.
*Name changed for protection reasons