In Uganda, ZOA has activities in the field of food security, livelihoods, peacebuilding, land rights, WASH, and basic education. ZOA works in four different regions. In West Nile, Acholi and Bunyoro Regions, ZOA works on relief and recovery with refugees from South Sudan, DRC, and host communities. In Karamoja Region, ZOA works on basic education. Working in close cooperation with the communities we serve, our goal is to create viable impact.
We are here in Uganda
Refugee crisis, disease outbreaks, hunger and land conflicts: these are the daily realities for the people of Uganda. The country is known as the “Pearl of Africa”, but it is currently hosting more than 1.9 million refugees from neighbouring countries such as South Sudan, Sudan and DR Congo. ZOA supports these refugees as well as their host communities through livelihoods support, education, land rights & WASH.
Uganda stands out in refugees hospitality
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Relief and recovery
Building on a future together
Every day, refugees are arriving from Sudan, South Sudan and DRC. At the same time, in the northern part of the country, people are struggling with the aftermath of civil war and entrenched poverty. ZOA responds to urgent needs of both refugees and host communities.
West Nile: refugees and host community
More than half of all refugees in Uganda are children. Schools in and around the settlements in West Nile are overwhelmed by the enormous needs. Through ZOA’s work, access to education is increased through rehabilitation and construction of classrooms and teacher houses, support of learners with scholastic materials and girls with sanitary kits, access to safe water and sanitation facilities, as well as tailored support for children with disabilities. The quality of education is enhanced through the provision of learning materials, and by supporting the government of Uganda with training of qualified teachers.
ZOA furthermore builds capacity and resilience of youth, equipping them with employable, societal and business skills. In addition, we implement the PIP approach to build climate resilience among refugee and host communities. ZOA has been a leader in rolling out land tenancy agreements for refugees as well as securing land tenure for vulnerable smallholder farmers.
Acholi Region: refugees, host community farmers and vulnerable youth
In Acholi Region, ZOA works in the region’s only refugee settlement, Palabek. In Palabek, ZOA implements Group Cash Transfers, prioritising vulnerable youth groups. We partner with local organisations to deliver Mental Health & Psychosocial support (MHPSS) to traumatised refugees and support them on the path to self-reliance through the PIP approach. ZOA works towards improved land security by supporting farmers to register their land and secure their livelihood. Our farming skills training further supports farmers to engage in climate-smart agricultural practices.
Bunyoro Region: refugees and host communities
ZOA is implementing WASH in and around Kiryandongo refugee settlement ensuring safe and equitable water access. Working with a local partner, we are implementing MHPSS support for new arrivals. In Kiryandongo, we are piloting Group Cash Transfers, skilling support for women and youth, the PIP approach, and land access for refugees, and tenure security for smallholder farmers.
Karamoja Region: pastoralist communities
In Amudat district, ZOA supports (agro)pastoralist communities with access to quality primary education. We create awareness among communities about the importance of education as key towards development.
The impact of our work in Uganda
With a team of over 65 colleagues, we supported 153,171 people in 2024. This includes:
- Improving learning for 34,000 learners, supporting girls’ wellbeing, training 300+ teachers, upgrading school facilities, and strengthening community school governance.
- Promoting climate‑smart agriculture by training local partners, reaching 6,700 farmers, and supporting 138 communities with nationally aligned resilience actions.
- Cutting emissions and waste through expanded solar use and a shift toward electric vehicles.
- Enhancing land tenure security by issuing 400 CCOs, training 5,000+ district staff, and facilitating 500 land tenancy agreements.
working together
Donors and partners
We work with funding from Education Cannot Wait, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stichting Pharus, the Driestar College, Stichting Dioraphte, GIZ, ZOA Business Ambassadors, Danida Green Business Partnerships, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Stichting Wees Een Kans, RVO and Florys.
We work together with Save the Children, PALM Corps, Cordaid, THRIVE Gulu, UCOBAC, Refugee Law Project, and Fiber Foods.
Celistino from Nwoya, Uganda