Category: Uganda

SDI Youth Exchange in Kampala

In a collaboration with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Agency for Exchange Cooperation (Norec) partnered with the SDI Secretariat to facilitate a transformative youth media exchange in Uganda.

This initiative saw me, Xola Mteto as the Know Your City (KYC) TV Coordinator, participate in a five-month exchange in the second half of 2024. I was based at the ACTogether office in Kampala. The exchange aims to support youth-led media groups with hands-on learning and strategic campaigns.

The exchange focused on two key objectives:  

• KYC TV Learning by Doing Exercises: Youth media groups received training in KYC TV revitalization, videography, social media management, and communications skills. These skills were applied to create impactful media products showcasing their work.
• Strategic Campaigns: Participants planned and initiated both on-the-ground and online campaigns to address pressing community issues.

I travelled extensively across Uganda and witnessed the remarkable impact of the SDI Ugandan Federation’s work. This blog describes some of the inspiring federation’s initiatives I visited.

The National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda savings groups and projects

Mbarara Savings Groups – River Rwizzi 

Mbarara has about 30 savings in the western region of Uganda. During the Norec exchange we documented the savings groups efforts to conserve and restore the River Rwizzi which is the second-longest river in Uganda, after the Nile.  The river plays a crucial role in supplying water for the entire city of Mbarara and the entire western region. But climate change has been one of the main reasons for the river’s deterioration as well as the proliferation of water Hitchen, an invasive species which grows along the river’s edges.

In 2016, a bridge connecting the Kansanyarazi community to the city of Mbarara broke due to flooding.   The National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda savings groups, which live along the river, explained how they responded to the challenge of the bridge collapse. They used their savings to fix the bridge which helped workers, school goers and traders who travel daily to the city. They also and developed locally made tools to scoop out growing Hitchen in the river.

Watch a short video about the project >

SDI Youth Savings groups and youth projects  

I was excited to see the growth of SDI Youth-Led groups in three regions in Kampala central namely, Mbale and YesWeCan, Brotherhood, Balisaka Madda and the Tshinawataka Biogas center. All these savings groups are organised around SDI’s core rituals. With support from the SDI and Safe and Inclusive Cities, youth groups from different regions received funding to strengthen and scale up their efforts.

Baliska Madda Group: Turning Waste into Sustainable Energy 

The Baliska Madda youth groups proves that through innovation, the youth can create their own solutions for many of our burdens. Comprising of 15 men and 15 women in Nakawa, Uganda, Baliska Madda meets weekly to save for their own projects to transform their settlements.

When COVID-19 disrupted waste management and charcoal transport, the group turned this crisis into an opportunity. They collect plastic and organic waste, process it through carbonization, and use a briquette machine to create clean-burning fuel. Each mini briquette burns for 5–6 hours, providing an affordable cooking alternative to charcoal or electricity.

This initiative not only cleared waste and reduced flooding, but also provided income during the pandemic, helping members support their households. Today, their briquettes meet the growing demand for clean energy, showing how youth-led innovation can solve environmental and economic problems while strengthening community resilience.

Watch a short video about the project >

Youth-Led Urban Farming: The rise of urban farming in Kampala Central

In the bustling streets of Kampala Central, where the hum of traffic and rhythm of city life dominate, I witnessed a quiet revolution taking root. Amidst the concrete and chaos, a growing movement of young people is transforming idle spaces into thriving urban farms.

Watching the young farmers at work was truly inspiring. While urban farming itself is not new, in Kampala it has taken on a unique character, fuelled by the energy and innovation of the city’s youth. This youth-led movement is more than a trend—it’s a testament to their resilience and creativity in the face of adversity. With limited access to arable land and rising unemployment, these young farmers are turning underutilized spaces into productive food sources, redefining sustainable living in an urban environment.

Brotherhood Youth Group 

The Brotherhood Youth Group is a collective of 28 young individuals based in Tshinawataka, Kampala Central, which addresses food insecurity and community challenges through three core activities:

Urban Farming: The group utilizes limited urban spaces for farming, growing vegetables (e.g, sukuma wiki, tomatoes, onions) and spices in repurposed containers and sacks. The urban farmers refrain from using pesticides and other toxic agricultural chemicals. This initiative reduces reliance on distant markets, cuts transportation costs, and provides fresh, affordable produce directly to the community. Similar urban farming practices in Kamwokya slums have shown success in boosting nutrition and income.

Community Clean-Ups: Focused on waste management and environmental conservation, the group organises clean-up drives. These activities align with youth-led initiatives in Kampala’s suburbs, where waste recycling—such as eco-briquette production—helps combat pollution and generate income.

Outside Catering: The group offers catering services using produce from their urban farms. This creates livelihoods while strengthening local food systems. By localising food production, they aim to reduce costs and improve access to nutritious food—an issue faced in both rural and urban Uganda.

Watch a short video about the project >

Biogas project  

The Bio-Gas Centre, launched in 2023, is a transformative model for sustainable urban living, addressing multiple environmental and social challenges in one integrated solution.

Harnessing renewable energy through biogas for cooking and solar lighting, educes reliance on fossil fuels and curbs greenhouse gas emissions. The center’s rooftop urban farming initiatives promotes local food production and fosters biodiversity in an otherwise concrete environment.  The multifunctional design; combining sanitation, housing, and green technologies; enhances climate resilience by reducing waste, improving air quality, and promoting water conservation.

Overall, the Bio-Gas Centre serves as a holistic approach to mitigating climate change, empowering communities while promoting a cleaner and more sustainable urban future.

Watch a short video about the project >

Personal and Professional Growth

Through the Norec exchange program, I gained firsthand insight into living and working abroad. This experience strengthened my global competencies, particularly through collaboration with a national NGO such as ActTogether Uganda, which deepened my understanding of the daily challenges local affiliates face.

Visiting grassroots communities reinforced this idea, where I met passionate federation members—women, men, and youth—who are making a real difference in their communities. I learned that lasting progress happens when communities are directly involved in decision-making, with those affected by the issues playing a key role in driving change.

Cultural Understanding

My cultural awareness expanded significantly during this exchange. Learning some words and phrases in Luganda (the most widely spoken language in Uganda), was a highlight. I discovered linguistic similarities between Luganda and my native language (isiXhosa), which bridged communication gaps and enriched my connection to local communities.

Insights into Ugandan Politics and Regional Dynamics

I deepened my knowledge of Uganda’s political history and its role as a strategic player in the Great Lakes region. Through networking and observation, I gained perspective on the country’s evolving trajectory and its potential to influence socioeconomic and political developments in the region.

Technical Skill Development

The exchange honed my ability to communicate more effectively in multilingual settings. Facilitating presentations to various audiences taught me to navigate language barriers creatively. Additionally, co-planning, co-leading, and co-facilitating initiatives with the national federation sharpened my skills in collaborating with international teams. Participating in grassroots campaigns underscored the importance of strategic communication in mobilizing communities and building solidarity among activists, leaders, and movements.

Conclusion

This experience reaffirmed the power of collective action and the value of listening to local voices. The lessons I’ve learned—from cross-cultural adaptability to inclusive leadership—will continue to shape my approach to advocacy and global collaboration.

“We have the problems, but we also have the solutions”

During February 2025, the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda (NSDFU) and ACTogether in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity in Uganda facilitated dialogues in Nakawa, Kawempe and Lubaga divisions in Kampala. These dialogues brought together government officials and informal settlement residents to co-create solutions for settlement upgrading and create space for communities to influence legislation, bylaws and policies related to informal settlements.  

“We have the problems, but we also have the solutions,” explains Lubega Edris, the National Data Coordinator of the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda. He emphasizes that local governments must establish inclusive platforms and encourage active participation from slum communities to collaboratively design informal settlement upgrading plans. Lubega adds that, “district councils often come up with generic plans for informal settlements and some get approved without even consulting the community.”

Joan Beatrice Anioka the Programme Manager for Advocacy and Documentation at ACTogether Uganda says that these dialogues provide a critical space for communities to contribute to participate in drafting legislation. “Many people are not aware of their rights. These dialogues show residents how to shape bylaws,” she adds.

Francis Mawejje Programme Manager Community Led Data  ACTogether Uganda emphasised that housing is more than just the four walls. Dignified housing includes a range of basic services, “how do we provide services with a more integrated approach rather than working in silos? Dialogues such as these strengthens collaboration between the community, government, civil society and other sectors.”

These critical dialogues form part of the Habitat for Humanity’s Home Equals campaign. Home Equals is a five-year global advocacy campaign dedicated to achieving policy change, at all levels, to ensure that people living in informal settlements have equitable access to adequate housing. In partnership with organised communities and governments, the campaign seeks to advance policies which address key barriers to adequate housing, including empowered participation of community members, reliable and basic services, climate resilient homes and secure land rights.

Home Equals Campaign G7 Petition

The Home Equals campaign includes a petition, urging G7 nations to take decisive action to improve the lives of the more than 1.1 billion people living in slums and informal settlements. The G7 leaders, who represent the world’s largest economies, have the power to help remove the structural barriers which prevent slum communities from accessing adequate housing.

The next G7 summit takes place in Canada during June 2025, and the petition is calling on G7 leaders to:

• Prioritize programs and policies which ensure housing for the most vulnerable, particularly people living in informal settlements.
• Dedicate foreign assistance to improving homes in informal settlements.
• Champion upgrading projects that adopt a women-led approach, addressing the unique needs of women and girls.

The SDI Network supports the Habitat for Humanity’s Home Equals campaign and strongly encourages all federations to mobilise members to sign the Home Equals petition.

Namulase Market Upgrading Project

In March,  ACTogether Uganda and the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda, celebrated the successful handover of phase one the Namulase Market Upgrading Project to Jinja City.  The Namulase Market is an essential hub for local commerce. The upgrades are meant to create more inclusive spaces for migrants, displaced persons, and host communities by providing better market services, fostering a more gender-sensitive environment and ensuring greener safer spaces.  The project was possible with support from Cities Alliance/UNOPS and a strong consortium of partners, including Women Rights Initiative, Ensibuuko and Eco-playstyle.

This project sought to create and enhance work opportunities in the form of green jobs by more effectively integrating labour migrants and host community members into the local labour market and to improve the provision of climate-smart city services for Jinja City dwellers by upgrading a market site and improving the waste recycling value chain resulting in better waste collection and reduced adverse environmental, health and climate impact through less inappropriate waste disposal, soil, and air pollution.

Phase 1 upgrades included fencing off the market area with two gates for better security, a waterborne toilet facility with five stances (2 for women, 2 for men, and 1 for people with disabilities) and two shower rooms.  The walkways and the parking area is now paved for better accessibility. A drainage channel was constructed to better manage water flow and prevent flooding.  Three solar-powered security lights were installed to improve safety at night.

From Recovery to Resilience: Community-led Responses to Covid-19 in Informal Settlements

In 2020, as Covid-19 spread rapidly across the cities where SDI is active, federations recognised the need for both urgent responses to the acute humanitarian crises facing their communities and longer-term strategies to engage with government and other stakeholders to address the prolonged effects of this global crisis. Through a partnership supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Cities Alliance , and Slum Dwellers International (SDI) we were able to channel much needed resources to organised communities of the urban poor in 17 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to facilitate these processes.

Over the past 20 months, the Covid-19 pandemic and pandemic responses such as government lockdowns have highlighted and exacerbated many of the chronic stresses urban poor communities live with and struggle against daily. As such, the strategies supported by this SDI / Cities Alliance partnership are about more than Covid-19 response and recovery: they are about sustainable, inclusive, and pro-poor urban development that provides communities with meaningful opportunities to work with government and other stakeholders to address issues such as food security, access to livelihood opportunities, skills training, and basic services like water and sanitation, as well as the need for accurate slum data to drive government responses in times of crisis.

SDI’s urban poor federations have shown that they have the social networks and systems in place to respond efficiently and effectively to disasters and chronic stressors. They have demonstrated their critical role to governments and development partners as reliable actors at the forefront of provision of information on and services to the most vulnerable. Indeed, with lockdowns and government restrictions, many external organisations were unable to access the vulnerable communities where SDI federations live and work, highlighting the immense value of working directly with these communities. 

The following examples highlight how federations have the information, knowledge, and skills to work with government and other stakeholders to implement effective, scalable solutions to chronic and acute urban challenges.

Improved public health and safety

Many residents in slums live in overcrowded homes without access to on-site water or sanitation and face the constant threat of forced eviction. This means that preventative Covid-19 measures such as hand-washing, disinfecting, physical distancing, and quarantine are often impossible for the urban poor.

Outcome Story: Bridging Knowledge and PPE Gaps in Tanzania

There was a gap in knowledge on Covid-19 awareness, especially in informal settlements. Through this project, federation teams have been able to provide support to ensure that communities and schools awareness and knowledge on the pandemic is enhanced and precautions are being taken against the pandemic. This went hand in hand with the provision of hand washing facilities and PPE in places which had no facilities such as in market places and schools. 

This has contributed to behavior change in terms of improving hygiene as a way to stop the spread of Covid-19. Communities now have the knowledge and facilities to wash hands. Correct information sharing around Covid-19 has helped groups such as boda boda drivers (motorcycle taxis), food vendors, and school children which had limited access to information about the pandemic. Interactions with such groups provided an opportunity for them to ask questions and seek clarifications, which enhanced their understanding on prevention and treatment methods. Another significant outcome is the recognition of the Tanzanian SDI Alliance as a partner in addressing pandemics by the government. This has improved the relationship and established new ones with other units/departments within the municipalities such as the public health unit and the regional office. These relationships will help to provide more engagement and opportunities for the federation, and the alliance in general as well to discuss and negotiate further interventions related to the health and public safety of people living in informal settlements. The pandemic has taught us lessons on hygiene promotion, in particular hand washing behaviors, which is a serious issue the community needs to practice beyond the pandemic.

The federation led the process of planning and implementation of these activities and interventions. This included gathering information from different groups on the pandemic, identifying needs, and supporting awareness as facilitators in schools, markets, households, and settlements.

In Ghana, the federation was able to identify and map Covid-19 hotspots. Community members were trained to manufacture and install hand washing stations for community use within these hotspots. Additionally, the grant enabled the installation of in-yard water connections to poor and vulnerable households in slums/informal settlements to increase access to water supply. In Zambia, the federation was able to support provisional WASH interventions and set precedents for water provision to slum communities through community-led processes. Through the provision of water storage and hand-washing facilities in slums, communities are now able to regularly wash their hands in public places and this also enabled market committees to enforce preventive regulations since the infrastructure to wash hands is now available. At the household level the Zambia Alliance identified 75 women with health vulnerabilities who are at greater risk when collecting water from congested public taps. Additionally, through engagement meetings with water trusts and utility companies the federation was able to lobby for pro-poor water subsidies.

Enhanced livelihoods

Despite the negative effect and impact to individuals, communities, and countries the Covid-19 response actions have also brought opportunities with them. Some which came as a result of this programme are income generating projects, for example liquid soap-making and sewing of reusable face masks respectively have equipped community members with skills which some families are now using to earn a living. Federation members in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were trained in sewing reusable face masks and the production of liquid soap and sanitizers. In Malawi, federation women and youth trained in design and tailoring produced and distributed 17,300 reusable face masks to vulnerable members of the community and primary school going children.

Outcome Story: Building Resilient Livelihoods in Zambia

The Zambia SDI Alliance facilitated trainings to capacitate slum dwellers with skills necessary to build resilient livelihoods. The trainings were conducted in two typologies namely sack gardening/organic farming and metal fabrication. Sack gardening involves the use of biodegradable waste in urban agriculture to provide nutritional support and sustainable livelihoods. At household level, sack gardens significantly reduced food shortages and helped in reducing garbage that has been indiscriminately disposed of in informal settlements, thereby creating healthy and safe environments. Sack gardens have a lower production cost as their main input is organic waste, which is readily available in informal settlements. The sack gardening enterprise consumes about 20 tons of organic waste in a month and with the plans to scale up production, the enterprises will be a significant consumer of garbage being produced in informal settlements. Besides the environmental benefits of the enterprises, slum dwellers secured resilient livelihoods that are set to provide employment to more slum dwellers when the intervention is scaled up.

Metal fabrication training also brought some positive changes to youths, as it created an opportunity for them to produce products that are on demand as well as helping their communities to meet their community demands. Currently the enterprise has been  instrumental in harnessing fabrication techniques for  Covid-19 prevention. The enterprise created a touch-less hand washing facility that has special features to avoid contact with the facility. The facilities have since been distributed into public spaces as well as for other interested organizations. The enterprise has created a viable livelihood for the unemployed youths and this intervention will continue into all settlements to create local technology that can easily be managed and maintained locally.

Pro-poor data driven development

SDI affiliates adapted Know Your City profiling and mapping tools to gather household and settlement level data on the impacts of Covid-19 on the urban poor. In Zimbabwe, youth were trained on data collection tools used to collect information on the level of awareness and community preparedness to Covid-19 as well as the pandemic’s impact on community members in terms of livelihoods, housing, and WASH. In the Philippines, the federation undertook a vulnerability mapping of 22 communities in which localized Covid-19 hotspot maps were produced and included the identification of households with vulnerable groups such as seniors, children, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women. In Botswana, the federation interviewed 33 savings groups to gather information on how Covid-19 has impacted the livelihoods and savings of urban poor communities. Findings revealed that many members stopped saving due to loss of employment and income. Most of the small businesses collapsed during the first lockdown and many of the street vendors that would travel across the border to buy their goods were no longer able to work with borders being closed. Students also faced hardships due to disruptions in education. Findings also showed that schools not only provide education but also provide students with social development skills. The pandemic has contributed to an increase in psychological and economic pressure leaving many without jobs or the ability to put food on the table, which has also highlighted the spike in gender-based violence.

Outcome Story: Using Community Data to Improve Basic Service Access in India

As part of this project, slum profiling and collecting data on community toilets was undertaken from 10 settlements across 10 cities. While conducting these profiles, Mahila Milan leaders realized the different issues communities are facing in the area of water, sanitation, drainage, jobs, etc. They found out which settlements have or lack access to toilets, what water facilities are available to residents, what mechanisms are in place to collect garbage, and how people are dealing with job issues. In Pimpri, Mahila Milan leader Rehana highlighted how in one of the settlements the community toilet that was constructed in 2018 was neither connected to the main sewer line nor was maintained properly which meant people were facing difficulties using the toilet. The women in the settlement approached the local councilor, spoke to him about the problem, and sought his support to fix it. In her own settlement, the drainage water enters people’s homes especially during the rains giving rise to many water borne diseases and skin infections. The dirty water from the community toilet as well as drainage water from individual houses is let out into one drainage line that causes this problem. They have been approaching the local councilor for the last five months but there was no relief. They again visited the local councilor and said that if you don’t take it up then we will have to approach the ward. We work for an NGO and are aware of all the processes and procedures that need to be done to sort out issues. They then got in touch with the health department in the ward office, did site visits, and within eight days they had laid down new drainage pipes. Six such pipes need to be laid down in the settlement in different places which will be completed soon.  

Similarly, the Mahila Milan leaders from Surat were facing drainage issues where water would overflow onto the roads and into the homes. Coordinating and negotiating with the local councilor and ward, they were able to resolve the problem.

In both cities these problems arose during lockdown and community members could not travel to the ward office. However, the Mahila Milan women were adamant to resolve their problems and so they started communicating with the officials via phone on a daily basis until the problem was resolved. At times the officials try to avoid these women, don’t take their calls, and say they forgot what it was about, but the women say even if we have to call them 100 times, we do that and should keep doing it. This is a way of showing how serious the organization and communities are about resolving their own issues, how accountable the leaders feel for their own settlement and people, and how this can be a means of strengthening their relationship with the city and authorities. The end result has been that these women are now called by the city to help them with certain programs or implementing schemes that benefit the city as well as communities. They also get an opportunity to start thinking of upgrading their settlements in different ways.

The Sierra Leone SDI Alliance, in consultation with Freetown City Council (FCC), developed an app (FISCOVIDATA) and live dashboard in which communities can identify hotspots and link to government service providers in real time. The mobile app and dashboard provides two-way communication – it relays information to appropriate authorities and notifies communities of actions taken. Piloted in 10 specific slums, this community-based approach has proven that empowering communities to mobilise actions for response and mitigation of health pandemics, is an effective way to mitigate the spread. This resulted in the reversal of the spread of Covid-19 in these settlements. This work has attracted the interest of other partners, namely Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC) and College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) to collaboratively work with DICOVERC to develop the app further so as to intervene in any future health emergencies.

Institutional collaboration between the urban poor and government

The need to address basic services, health needs, and decent shelter is critical in the Covid-19 fight and this project supported communities to highlight their plight and push for meaningful change. Applying rules created for the formal city into an informal settlement is challenging and may paralyze the action. Agreements need to be reached and governments need to find flexibility on policies and regulations so that formal interventions can take place in informal settlements. In South Africa, the Federation in the North West province started to implement the Asivikelane campaign in October 2021. The campaign collects data about basic service delivery (water, sanitation, and waste removal) in 21 informal settlements and uses this information to pressurize local municipalities to deliver. Fifteen settlements were mobilized to select 35 representatives to join a meeting with the Madibeng Administrator, the Department of Electricity, the Department of Human Settlements, and the Housing Development Agency as a united front. Through multiple engagements, the SA SDI Alliance is now in the process of signing an official MOU with the Madibeng municipality that will bind the municipality to the working partnership with the Federation in terms of addressing informal settlement upgrading, housing delivery, and formalizing structures.

Mbarara, Uganda: An informal community uses collective savings to deal with Covid-19

The slum dwellers in Mbarara city, Uganda are using collective savings to deal with the global pandemic and investing in new businesses. Sarah Nandudu reports

This is the fortieth in the series of stories from Voices from the Frontline initiative by ICCCAD and CDKN and was originally posted on the ICCCAD website. 

Mbarara city, located in south western Uganda, is the main municipality of Mbarara district and it is the largest urban center in western Uganda. The city is densely populated with low and medium income class population and just like other developing towns, Mbarara is experiencing a rapid growth of slums for example- Biafra, Kiyanja, Kirehe, Kijungu, and others. People living in slums are mainly day labourers and small scale business holders.

Slum dwellers are generally excluded from formal financial markets and are often forced to borrow money from money lenders who charge extremely high interest rates—creating a vicious cycle of debt and ever-deepening poverty.  Slum Dwellers International facilitates the economic empowerment of urban poor communities through direct support to local affiliates, such as the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda (NSDFU) and their support NGO  ACTogether Uganda.

The Federation is a network of community savings groups that practice daily savings, while using their collective strength to improve the lives of urbanites who reside in six of Uganda’s growing municipalities – Kampala, Jinja, Mbale, Mbarara, Kabale and Arua. Members save at least 100 shillings per day to this group and they loan to members, generally with interest but no collateral. These loans are usually for household and livelihood needs such as school fees, health care, and small business support. Such collective savings have helped the slum dwellers many times in upgrading their communities and have also come handy during the global pandemic.

Impacts of Covid-19 on slum dwellers of Mbarara

Katongole Deus is a boda boda (traditional African motorcycle taxi) rider who lives in Mbarara city. Deus has a family, a beautiful wife and one little boy of 7 years. He is a member of Abamwe group, one of the slum dwellers federation groups mapped in Kakiika, Rwemiyeje cell within Mbarara Municipality.

“I have been in the transport business for three consecutive years and like any other person I have been strongly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The transport sector was, among other sectors, locked down, as boda bodaswere deemed to be  risky operations that can easily transmit the virus. The announcement  of the ban on carrying  passengers definitely and automatically disrupted everything,” Deus says.

Although boda boda drivers were allowed to carry luggage, this alone was not sufficient to earn income that could sustain Deus’s standards of living and that of other family members, since the biggest percentage of his  income comes from carrying passengers.

“Before coronavirus, I used to earn 30,000 shillings (8.2 USD) per day, of that; 10,000 shillings was for my boss, 12,000 shillings for family activities and the rest was saved for school fees and other financial goals. I had great ambitions of buying my own motorcycle but unfortunately the process was disrupted and my ambitions received a great setback,” he laments.

Ibrahim is a market vendor with five children and two wives. He has a stall of shoes (both second hand and new ones) which he initiated long ago with a capital of approximately 500,000 shillings (137 USD). Ibrahim is also a saver in a family support initiative, which is one of the groups that are registered with the federation located in Kiyanja slum.

“Before this period I was earning an average profit of 70,000 shillings (19.1 USD) on a weekly basis. However, these profits multiplied during the festive season, when demand for shoes is high. My target for a long time has been stretching my profits to approximately 100,000 shillings per week and this is something that I have relentlessly been working on through saving and injecting more money in my business,” Ibrahim shares.

But Covid-19 has seriously blocked all Ibrahim’s income-generating plans. Market places where he operated were closed due to the lockdown instituted by the government, which has persisted for months. The lockdown forced all businesses to close and only market places were left for food vendors and this has greatly impacted his social-economic life. His daily meals were also reduced to one meal a day and basic services barely were met.

Using collective savings to tackle the crisis

To sustain life during the lock-down, both Deus and Ibrahim had to revert back to their savings groups. They had to channel the savings that were meant for future goals to the day-to-day demands of their families. But eventually they hope to use the savings in future endeavors as well.

In order to be financially stable in the face of future disasters, Deus is planning to start up a business for his wife (grocery) after the pandemic and boost family income. The pandemic has taught him a lesson to not depend on one business.

The lockdown has further forced Ibrahim to use the savings that he had put aside as a way of mitigating the effects of this pandemic. He wanted to start a merchandise shop using the savings but now, due to lack of capital, he has to suspend this intention.

But he is now exploring bricklaying as a new opportunity where he can generate some income. One of his friends has provided some space for starting the new project. This is a project that he hopes will complement his other business that has been constrained by the pandemic. He also hopes that it will help in multiplying his savings if the situation is settled.

“The saving is another discipline that we will reinforce, it has evidently illustrated its purpose during such times, and we will definitely carry on this with the federation and also encourage other people to join federation schemes” they conclude.

Interviewer’s Perspective

The Covid-19 pandemic has created a disproportionate impact on the people living in slums around the world as they already lack access to basic services. Volatile livelihood options and limited income have been further challenged and tested by the Covid-imposed lockdown. While they lack access to formal banking services, community-based savings groups have been the only resort for them to rely on. Though people like Deus and Ibrahim can meet their basic needs with the savings, and plan for investing on new endeavors based on their savings, such initiatives may not be sustainable due to lack of funds. Governments as well as non-government organisations should consider the plights of the urban poor differently and should invest more on providing financial security to them. Provision of formal banking services at subsidised interest rates can be one of the ways of dealing with the problem.

About the interviewer

Sarah Nandudu is the national coordinator of the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda. She is the Vice Chairperson of the movement and monitors the consolidation of plans and budgets from communities as well as the implementation of all Federation programmes across Uganda.

About the interviewees

Katongole Deus is a boda boda rider who lives in Mbarara city. He is a member of Abamwe group, one of the slum dwellers federation groups mapped in Kakiika, Rwemiyeje cell within Mbarara Municipality.

Ibrahim is a market vendor with 5 children and two wives. He is a member of a family support initiative which is one of the groups that are registered with the federation located in Kiyanja slum.

Mitigating the Impact of Covid-19 on Informal Settlements: An update from the Uganda SDI Alliance

The following is an account from the National Slum Dweller Federation of Uganda (NSDFU) and ACTogether Uganda, with updates on the current work of the Uganda federation and ACTogether.

***

Introduction

ACTogether Uganda is an independent Ugandan organisation affiliated to Slum Dwellers International (SDI). Since its establishment in 2006, ACTogether Uganda continues to support the community savings groups that constitute the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda. ACTogether Uganda facilitates processes that develop organisational capacity at the local level and promote pro-poor policy and practice in Uganda’s urban development arena. In partnership with organised urban poor communities, ACTogether Uganda strives to increase access to secure tenure, adequate shelter, basic services, information and many of the other building blocks required for healthy communities.

ACTogether Uganda aspires to create fair and inclusive cities in Uganda and strives to ensure that Ugandan communities of urban poor will unite, be empowered and have the capacity to voice, promote, and effectively negotiate their collective interests and priorities.

Background

The outbreak of COVID-19 has moved governments the world over to implement stringent measures to control its spread. These are a test to the social economic stature of many developing countries, including Uganda.  The scourge of the pandemic has worsened the social-economic and political well-being of society, with urban poor settlements (slums) worst hit. The pandemic has had immediate and long-term effects yet to unravel, as it strains the already ailing health system, weakens established child protection mechanisms, shrinks civic space, undermines education systems and generally derails progress registered towards social-economic empowerment of the urban poor.

This has further strained informal settlement families, especially young mothers and child headed families that may not be able to afford basic needs such as food or access general medical care including sanitation supplies. In addition, the effects of the ban and lock-downs have greatly affected young women who rely on small and medium size businesses for a daily income to support themselves and their families.

To this end, Slum Dwellers International through National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda (NSDFU), ACTogether Uganda and partners Cities and Infrastructure for Growth (CIG) and Cities Alliance for the Kampala Jinja Express Highway- No One Worse Off  project and Plan International Uganda for the Safe and Inclusive Cities project have sought to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on Uganda’s urban poor communities, focusing largely on improving access to sanitation.

NSDFU and AcTogether, with support from its partners, have joined hands with municipal and divisional task forces in Jinja, Wakiso, Mbarara and Kira Municipal council and Nakawa, Makindye, Kawempe, Lubaga and Kampala central Kampala Capital City Authority Division councils to support a number of health facilities during this tragic moment, in the hopes that improved access to clean, hygienic sanitation facilities will avert the spread of the virus in informal settlements. The table below gives a summary of health centres, sanitation units and IEC materials produced.

Support to health centres and sanitation units;

The support rendered to the Uganda Alliance was geared towards supporting the sanitation units and health centers in Kampala, Lubaga, Kawempe, Makindye, Jinja, Wakiso, Kira, Nakawa, and Mbarara. The support to health centres comprised of N95 respirator face masks, surgical gloves, examination gloves, liquid soap, and Dettol, whilst the support to sanitation units included: Sanitation units liquid soap, bar soap, outdoor hand washing stand, toilet paper, Dettol, and face masks and gloves for the caretakers.

Support to village teams and settlement forum committees

Personal Protective Equipment was also given to the Community/ Village Health Teams involved in sensitization and surveillance. This comprised  N95 Respirator Face masks, Examination gloves, Hand Sanitizer (pocket-size), Gum boots, Mega-Phones and Coordination Airtime.

Settlement forum committee members were also provided with airtime for a month to enhance awareness creation in the community.

Awareness creation support

Support for awareness creation was given in the form of information, communication and education (IEC) materials, a van with public address system, community awareness coordination airtime and posters. The posters had locally transmitted pictorial messages customised to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

Support to young women and young men

A total number of 30 vulnerable young men and women were supported with money amounting to 100,000shs (+/- USD 25) each to procure food items for their families.

Conclusion

The support offered by the different partners in form of personal protective equipment, information, education and communication posters and support to community teams to create awareness has played a pivotal role in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the different informal settlements in Uganda.

Special thanks to all the partners that joined hands with the urban poor communities for such a time as this.

Responses to COVID 19: Uganda Federation & ACTogether Uganda

Cities and Infrastructure for Growth (CIG) programme in Uganda, in collaboration with Cities Alliance, AcTogether and PLAVU, have partnered to support vulnerable communities in Nakawa market and Kinawataka and Kasokoso areas that are facing challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. For more on this work, click here. 

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On behalf of the the National Slum Dweller Federation of Uganda (NSDFU) and ACTogether Uganda, SDI presents the work to fight COVID-19 in Uganda. The following is an account from the SDI affiliate in Uganda, with updates on the current work of the Uganda federation and ACTogether.

Under the best of conditions slum dwellers live from hand to mouth. With outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Uganda, the national government has, through the Ministry of Health (MoH), issued a series of guidelines to curb its spread throughout the country. This includes a freeze on much of the economic activity slum dwellers rely on for their incomes. Even though these guidelines are vital in curbing the spread of the virus, their implementation is expected to have an adverse effect on the millions of Ugandans living in slums. For weeks, many will have to survive without income and will likely be unable to sustain themselves or their families.

Slum dwellers are in a catch-22: their already vulnerable position is made worse  even before the virus reaches their community. If not addressed, this desperate situation will likely lead to a rise in lawlessness, violence and crime. The Uganda SDI Alliance, comprised of the National Slum Dweller Federation of Uganda (NSDFU) and ACTogether Uganda, has put together a set of proposed interventions to support the communities of the urban poor where they are active. Below is a detailed description of the proposed interventions:

Support Health Centres in Informal Settlements (Target: 13 Health Centres)

Select health centres located in slum settlements and serving the population there will be supported with equipment and tools, enabling frontline medical workers to execute their duties safely. These include: face masks, examination and surgical gloves, disinfectant, hand sanitiser, and hand-washing soap.

The Health centres to be supported are; Kisugu (Makindye), Kitebi (Makindye), Kisenyi (Kampala Central), Kiswa (Nakawa), Kawala (Kawempe), Nabweru (Kawempe), Komamboga (Kawempe), in Kampala; Wakiso Health Centre (Wakiso Town Council; and DANIDA (Masese), Kibugambata (Masese), Kimaka, Mpumudde and Walukuba in Jinja.

Support to Sanitation Units in Informal Settlements (Target: 6 Sanitation Units)

Access to clean water and safe, hygienic sanitation facilities is a major challenge for slum dwellers globally, resulting in health risks such as diarrhea and dehydration that pose threats to millions daily. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, yet another risk has been added to the list with the virus passing via contaminated surfaces and handwashing being one of the best preventative measures to avoid infection.

Over the years, the Uganda SDI Alliance has set up water and sanitation Units in a number of informal settlements across Kampala, Jinja and beyond. These have been instrumental in not only extending affordable water and sanitation to slum communities but also providing communities with meeting space. The sanitation units are located in markets and densely populated settlements with each serving between 200 and 300 people daily. Therefore, it is essential that they are well-equipped to control the spread of Covid-19, along with a number of other waterborne diseases that threaten millions of lives daily.  Each sanitation will be equipped with an external hand washing tank, liquid hand-washing soap, disinfectants, sanitisers, and face-masks and gloves for the caretaker.

Information, Communication and Education Materials

Essential in the effort to curb the spread of the corona virus is access to credible information on how individuals can protect themselves and their families from getting infected. To this end, information, education and communication materials have been developed from the general messages issued by Ministry of Health and customised to respond to the conditions of informal settlements, such as the use of shared facilities like water points and toilets. This is vital to counter misinformation about the symptoms, spread, and prevention of the virus. The messages will be pictorial and placed at strategic locations throughout the informal settlement in order to reach as many people as possible.

Household Support (Target: 5000 Vulnerable Households)

Households are heavily dependent on the informal sector for both their incomes and to access basic needs like food, housing, clothes and more. The strict implementation of well intentioned public health guidelines such as the 14-day ban on public transportation and non-food market-trade (both major sources of income for slum residents) pose a devastating threat to these populations, even before they have been exposed to or infected by Covid-19. In light of this, the Uganda SDI Alliance has proposed a support package to assist vulnerable households to access at least 30 days worth of basic needs. This will be made possible through a cash grant of a  minimum of $50 via cash-transfer using mobile money services.

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Please keep following SDI as we highlight the initiatives of SDI affiliates across Africa, Asia & Latin America in the fight against COVID-19 to support the most vulnerable throughout this pandemic.

Follow the 2019 Community-Led Habitat Awardees

Last year SDI and the CoHabitat Network launched the inaugural Community-Led Habitat Awards for Africa. The awards recognise inspiring community-driven habitat solutions from across the continent with the aim to advocate for the expansion of community-led urban development and housing.

Five awards were given in 2019 to the following categories:

• Best Project Award (3 winning projects)
• Best Partnership Award (1 winning partnership)
• Best Short Film (1 winning film)

Click here to read more about each of the winning community-led habitat projects.

Each of the winning teams were awarded $1,000 for continued learning to leverage visibility of the project within their country. Below find an update from each of the awardees on continued local recognition facilitates by the CoHabitat Award.

Best Project Awardees 

Walukuba Material Building Training Center (Uganda).

The Uganda Alliance used their prize money to capitalize on the training center, by igniting activities and projects that can further benefit from the center within Jinja. These included:

• The signing of a charter for Walukuba Building Material Training Center and Community Hall. The training center had been lacking clear roles and responsibilities on the day-to-day management of the center. In August 2019, a stakeholder meeting was convened and a charter was developed and signed to ensure proper and sustainable management of the center.
• Near the training center is the Kawama Housing Project. This project had been stalled for some year, however the Uganda Alliance was able to assess how much land is still available for the housing project to ensure proper planning.
• The Uganda Alliance undertook a structural assessment of the existing Kawana housing structure that is intended to accommodate 30 families who have been living in transit houses. A structural engineer visited the housing site to assess the structural strength to build more than one floor for the housing project.

Dzivarasekwa Slum Upgrading Project (Zimbabwe).

The Zimbabwe Alliance planned to capitalize on their award by establishing and consolidating the position of the project as a key slum upgrading learning ground for communities, government, universities and other stakeholders across the country. By inviting targeted local authority officials and government, a celebration event was scheduled to demonstrate and influence policy regarding informal settlement responses in Zimbabwe. The event was scheduled for August but has been postponed due to unavailability of key government and council officials.

Home Improvement/Upgrading Project in Flood-prone areas // Appui á la reconstruction de l’Habitat en zone sinistrée (Senegal).

The Senegalese Federation (FSH) and urbaSEN took the award as an opportunity to present their most recent program to key government officials, ministries, and non-governmental organizations in Dakar. The PING-GIRI project seeks to mitigate flood risks in six municipalities of the suburbs of Dakar, in which the Federation is active, and to finance small-scale urban upgrading projects through the Federation’s revolving fund, which to date has allowed 350 families to rehabilitate their homes. The extension of the revolving fund mechanism to semi-collective sanitation and urban upgrading projects in the public space, designed and implemented by savings groups, is an ambitious step for the Senegalese Federation. The award allowed for gaining greater visibility and recognition of the achievements of the Federation, which are essential for leveraging public support and collaboration for upcoming activities.

Best Partnership Awardee 

A Multiple Partnership Approach for Community-led Housing and Services in Namibia.

The Namibia SDI Alliance used their award money to host a ceremony with local officials and leverage the recognition of a partnership approach to housing during the opening of houses in Okongo-north. During the ceremony, Standard Bank handed over the Buy-A-Brick contribution of 13 million rand to the Namibian federation!

Best Short Film Awardee

Undevelopment: Forced Evictions in Nigeria

The Nigerian federation has screened “Undevelopment” almost a dozen times in a variety of different forums. There have been community screenings in Lagos (Orisunmibare, Ago Egun Bariga, Arobadade, Tarkwa Bay), and in Port Harcourt (Deinma Polo). It has also been screened at the Federation General Meeting in Lagos and Port Harcourt, the West Africa Storytelling for Change KYC TV Summit, and also at a Media For Advocacy Training the team led in August for other CSOs in Lagos.

Additionally, “Undevelopment” was screened the week of September 16, 2019 in Abuja for a collection of civil society organizations and UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing at the Norwegian Ambassador’s residence as part of an advocacy push for legislation prohibiting forced evictions and displacement.

Winners of the 2019 Community Led Habitat Award for Africa

SDI is excited to announce the winners of the 2019 Community-Led Habitat Awards: Project Call for Africa, an initiative of the CoHabitat Network implemented in partnership with urbaMonde and World Habitat. The aim of the call was to highlight innovations produced in relation to community-led habitat and the built environment. The winning teams will be awarded USD 1000 for continued learning to leverage visibility of the project and will present their project or partnership at the inaugural Habitat Assembly in Nairobi later this month.

The call was open to all resident-led or grassroots organizations, with three award categories available:

• Best Project Award (2-3 winning projects)
• Best Partnership Award (1 winning partnership)
• Best Short Film (1 winning film)

The following have been selected as winners in the Best Project category:

Walukuba Material Building Training Center (Uganda). The Jinja Material Training Center is a social enterprise and a resource center for Incremental Upgrading in Jinja. The project was established by National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda (NSDFU), ACTogether and SDI. It is comprised of a materials workshop used for the production of innovative low cost building materials and training, a community hall for the Walukuba Community, a hostel for trainees and Federation visitors, and a selection of demonstration projects such as sanitation units and a demo house. The three-story hostel and community hall were constructed entirely from products produced on site. Project impact includes: Skills-training on production and improvement of low-cost housing materials; income-generation through the hostel; and community-building, both through project planning and implementation and thanks to the provision of a community hall as part of the project itself.

Dzivarasekwa Slum Upgrading Project (Zimbabwe). The Dzivarasekwa Slum Upgrading Project is a housing project based in the community of Dzivarasekwa extension. This projects forms part of the greater Harare Slum Upgrading Project which is being implemented by the alliance of the Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation and Dialogue on Shelter for the Homeless Trust, in partnership with the City of Harare and the Zimbabwe central government. Construction began in 2011 and is still ongoing with 480 families as primary beneficiaries of land for housing development, leading to secure tenure and provision of adequate water and sanitation facilities among other essential services.

Home Improvement/Upgrading Project in Flood-prone areas // Appui á la reconstruction de l’Habitat en zone sinistrée (Senegal). A home improvement and reconstruction programme stewarded through the federation’s revolving fund,  benefitting to date more than 300 households affected by floods. The programme provides an opportunity for low-income communities in the suburbs of Dakar to improve and rebuild their homes through an affordable financing mechanism and with technical support. The programme is currently being expanded to include community-wide infrastructure and sanitation projects. To date, 313 home improvements have been completed, in addition to 80 micro-projects. Another 300+ home improvements are in the planning phase. 5000 savings group members have been mobilised, and 100 local craftsmen trained in construction skills.

The winner in the Best Partnership category is Namibia for “A Multiple Partnership Approach for Community-led Housing and Services in Namibia.” Partners include: Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, Namibia Housing Action Group, Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Local, Regional and National Government of Namibia, and private sector.

The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) has, over a number of years, formed an active partnership with the Namibian government in order to work together towards pro-poor, participatory housing and urban upgrading policies – including financing, land tenure and participatory planning and upgrading aspects. Today, SDFN is negotiating conditions and the framing of the policies. It manages the urban poor fund and negotiates partnerships with third actors. In addition, SDFN is working to forge new partnerships with the private sector Standard Bank who started the a Buy-a-Brick public fundraising campaign, as well as a partnership with Ohorongo Cement Factory, First National Bank and Pupkewitz Foundation with donations of N$3 million a year. They have contributed N$ 10 million since 2016.

The impact of this partnership has been far-reaching, and has included the development of a pro-poor housing development program resulting in the construction of houses throughout all the regions of Namibia and an Informal Settlement Upgrading in Gobabis for more than 1,000 households. In addition,  a Memorandum of Understanding exists between SDFN and Namibian government for the collection of settlement data to be undertaken by the federation, and the peoples’ housing process is included in the National Housing Policy as updated in 2009. Building on the experiences of community, the Flexible Land Tenure Act of 2012 was approved to cater to the community to register their blocks of land. The Namibia government has, since the year 2000, assisted 2,284 households to obtain housing through donations of N$ 59.6 million which forms 35% of the N$ 165.3 million channeled through Twahangana Fund – the Namibian urban poor fund – to more than 10,000 households to build houses, install services and improve incomes. The community contributed 37% to the fund through repayment (N$58.9 million) and their own contributions (N$2,2 million).

There was a very close call in the Best Short Film category, where the Nigeria and Kenya KYC.TV teams tied as winners of the Audience Award, with each team mobilising over a thousand votes. The award for overall Best Film was given to Nigeria, for their film “Undevelopment: Forced Evictions in Nigeria,” with a special mention to Uganda for their submission.

“Undevelopment” focuses on the impact of forced eviction, defined by the United Nations as “the permanent or temporary removal against their will of individuals, families and/or communities from the homes and/or land which they occupy, without the provision of, and access to, appropriate forms of legal or other protection.” The Nigeria federation has compiled data on 114 forced evictions in Nigeria since 1973. This video seeks to bring the scourge of forced evictions to the forefront of the Nigerian social and political conscience. It weaves together the stories of eight evictees as they describe life before, during, and after eviction, and makes an appeal for more inclusive urban development. The video draws on footage collected over several years and countless contributions of many individuals from Justice Empowerment Initiatives and the Nigerian federation. Elijah Atinkpo, who lost his home in the forced eviction Otodo Gbame eviction of 2017, led the visioning and post-production processes.

We are inspired and encouraged by the response to this year’s Community Led Habitat Awards and look forward to watching as winners continue to spread the learning from their projects to still more communities. Stay tuned for news of the 2020 CLH Awards. We are excited to continue on with this initiative.

Solar for the Slums of Jinja

Organize

As of 2017, the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda (NSDFU) has organized 2,052 groups in 20 cities and towns. In Jinja, as in many cities in Uganda, the poor generally pay significantly more for electricity than formally grid-connected city residents. In addition, they are often exposed to grave danger by illegally tapping the main supply, or mixing kerosene with diesel to prolong its use — exposing themselves to respiratory risk and fires that quickly wipe out entire settlements. The federation has been organizing in Jinja for over ten years and is recognized for having one of the strongest community-government partnerships in the SDI network. In 2017, the federation began to organize for clean energy solutions, starting with targeted profiling and enumeration of informal settlement energy needs and priorities.

Collaborate

With support from SDI, the federation was able to develop and sign an MOU with Jinja Municipal Council (JMC), leveraging a 10% subsidy for 650 solar home systems and securing support for a pilot for solar-powered off-grid public street lighting. This contribution was subsequently increased to a 50% financial contribution by the Mayor. The project demonstrates an alternative basic energy service delivery model delivered by a community-based service cooperative with a membership drawn from the regional federation. The Jinja Basic Energy Service Cooperative provides subsidized access to home systems and will work in collaboration with the JMC to fabricate, install, and maintain pedestrian street lighting. The project aligns with settlement upgrading spatial plans co-produced by the federation, university and NGO partners, and the Council to provide visible and tangible change around which the community can organize to achieve more complex aims, such as land sharing agreements. Project finance is managed through the federation savings and loans systems. The project design offers a cost optimization model for clean energy service delivery for low-income households and public spaces in low-income communities.

Thrive

Uganda is known for having some of the best conditions for solar energy in the world. Although the solar market in Uganda is well developed, the sector has yet to accommodate the majority of the urban population who reside in slums. With this project, Jinja has become a learning center for solar energy solutions, hosting peer-to-peer exchanges and trainings with federations from across East Africa. The project aims to improve the built environment and the lives of the poorest and, critically, build the agency of the urban poor and their capabilities related to project management and design. The project is directed by a multi-stakeholder advisory committee to the office of the Town Clerk, a body which includes federation members and has proven highly influential in the project’s success to date.

The project demonstrates the potential for inclusive and collaborative energy solutions to combat energy injustice and build greater urban resilience.

Innovations in Solar Energy for Slums

Posting on the newly formed East Africa Solar Hub instant message group, Sammy Lema Manfere (Dar-e-Salam) wrote, “Hey guyz we nw cross the border.”

Compatriot Kasugga Abubaker (Jinja) replied from Nairobi, “Waawo, checking out now at the hotel!”

Such is the interconnectedness of the SDI Federations which inter-country exchanges enable.

Between the 24^th and 29^th of April 6 members of the Tanzanian and Ugandan slum dweller federations completed a 5 day solar PV technical training course in Nairobi. The course gave the 6 comprehensive knowledge for the design and optimisation of PV systems and makes them thought leaders and potential innovators in their national Federations.

“I learned all about calculations to arrange the number of batteries according to the number of PV panels, and the type of charge controller to use,” reported Sammy Lema Manfere (Dar-e-Salam, Tanzania).

The week prior Federation leaders had secured political support from Jinja Municipal Council for a targeted subsidy for solar home systems and budgetary allocation for off-grid street lighting.