“We Care” Emergency Food Package is a short-term solution, to support and complement wider humanitarian efforts that are responding to the immediate needs of vulnerable refugees in relation to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). We recognise that a mix of short-term and long-term strategic solutions are required to address the challenges presented by COVID-19. 

Our goal with this campaign is to raise funds to provide emergency food packages and soap for at-risk young children and their families, to prevent malnutrition and the spread of the coronavirus in the Bidi Bidi refugee Camp in Uganda.  

Hand washing with soap is critical to effectively combat the spread of COVID-19. However, most households lack access to sufficient water storage facilities. We understand that households also cannot afford soap, which is essential for the hand-washing required, as a critical precautionary measure in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. 

‘’We Care’’ Emergency Food Package for Refugees is underpinned by the concept of “Ubuntu”: the belief in the universal bond and the interconnectedness of humanity. The belief that “I am because we are” – that a person is a person through others, and on the premise that as humans,  we all care dearly  about one another. 

We are appealing to the kindness and compassion of every individual who is able to support an ultra-vulnerable community of people. We believe no contribution is too small. 

Why Refugees? 
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates the global refugee population to be about 25.9 million people. Of this number, about a quarter are in camps and settlements across the continent of Africa. 

We are targeting this ultra vulnerable group because they are the most severely at risk during this pandemic. Refugees have no reliable safety nets and have lost their livelihoods, as a result of being displaced by war and disasters. They rely heavily on humanitarian aid for their basic needs and for survival. 

Additionally, most camps have weak infrastructure and limited resources needed to adequately combat and safeguard refugees from COVID-19. These challenges put refugees in camps at the greatest risk in this humanitarian crisis. They are doubly disadvantaged. The facilities in camps sites are overcrowded, with immense pressures on food and hygiene products, as local markets are in shock and vendors cannot access urban centres due to ongoing lockdown measures. 

Why the focus on refugees in Africa, and in particular, Bidi Bidi ?
With comparatively weak healthcare facilities and inadequate safety nets, Africa is likely to be struck the hardest by COVID-19 and its associated socio-economic impact. A quarter of the world’s refugees are based in Africa, according to UNHCR data.  Uganda hosts the highest number of refugees in Africa. As at March 2020, there were estimated to be 1.4 million refugees in Uganda. 

Bidi Bidi, located in northwestern Uganda, is the largest camp in Africa and the second largest refugee settlement in the world after the Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh. Of the total number of refugees in Uganda, around 224,000 are located in Bidi Bidi. When coupled with the poor infrastructure and the limited support available in and around the Bidi Bidi camp, there is considerable risk to the refugee population there. 

The team behind the campaign have strong ties to Africa. We have local knowledge, a solid understanding of the camp, and have established relationships with reputable Non-Government Organisations (NGOs). We are thus able to quickly gather intelligence to get a better sense of the most current need at the front line.  

Who are the beneficiaries within the Bidi Bidi refugee community and why? 
As at February 2020, and of the nearly 224,000 refugees in the Bidi Bidi camp, approximately 65% were aged 17 years and under. We understand from our partners that children, especially unaccompanied minors and separated children, tend to be most vulnerable to undernutrition and malnutrition. 

We are aiming to provide food for about 1,200 households, approximately 4,600 at-risk children within the camps at an estimated cost of $US 20,000. Any additional funds will go towards providing more packages to other vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and persons with disability. 

How the funds will be spent ?
All the funds raised will go towards providing essential items required to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and alleviate its impact, through the provision of food and hygiene products, such as soap. 
A portion of the funds will also be earmarked to purchase a 20-litre water storage container for each household, which on average comprises about 4 people. Most refugee households rely on communal water facilities and a few have their own water storage containers. Providing households with containers will ensure they can hold adequate amounts of water to ensure these hygiene measures can be duly followed. 

What would my contribution provide?  
We are appealing for a range of donation amounts to suit different abilities. We believe no action is too small. Every donation counts.  You can give $15, $50, $100, $250, $500 … $1000. 
A typical “We Care” package, which cost around USD 15 would provide the household with the following items:
5kg rice/maize flour
3 litre oil 
3kg beans 
A bar of soap for hand-washing 
20 litre water container 

FRONTLINE PARTNERS 
We have partnered with two credible grassroot NGOs, and one reputable international NGO. 
Social Innovation Academy (SINA)
SINA LOKETA (SINA) is a youth-led non-profit organization in Bidi Bidi that works with young refugees to empower them to take charge and change the trajectory of their lives. A UNHCR Innovation Award winner, SINA does this by providing  entrepreneurship training, mentorship, life coaching, and services aimed at trauma healing for refugees.  With funds generated through this campaign, SINA will distribute hand-washing items such as liquid soap and sanitizers to households as well as install water tanks in the local markets.

Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment (RICE)
The Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment (RICE) is a local NGO whose work focuses on improving access to quality health services, and peacebuilding, for refugees and the host population. Under the partnership, RICE will distribute foodstuffs to unaccompanied and separated refugee children in Bidi Bidi. 
Due to the level of approval required with our third partner, we have agreed in principle to channel the donation of supplies to their Uganda Office to ensure swift and timely response to address the need. 
All three partners operate across the Bidi Bidi camp, and have been instrumental in  providing us with real time updates and data to inform the campaign. They will collectively be responsible for ensuring that the supplies get to the households that need them the most, and will also assist with the packaging, transportation and distribution of supplies to the targeted groups.

The Team - Who we are 
As young Africans, we felt an intrinsic motivation to channel our efforts to support this vulnerable community. We wanted to leverage the support of our villages, networks and communities of friends, acquaintances and colleagues to assist in providing immediate help to lessen the impact of the crisis on an ultra-vulnerable group. Pinaman and Innocent met at the London School of Economics in 2018/2019 during their postgraduate studies  and both were part of the Programme for African Leadership (PfAL). 

Pinaman Owusu-Banahene, the chief instigator of the ‘’We Care’’ campaign for Refugees, is a Ghanaian-New Zealander Social Entrepreneur who is passionate about social and economic advancement of Africa. She is the founder of ADJOAA, a Fash Tech venture aimed at improving access to the global fashion market for sustainable premium fashion brands from Africa and other emerging markets to enable access to sustainable employment, income and dignified work for designers and their artisans. She has a multi-functional background with over 10 years experience in health and social policy and regulation, and project implementation gained through positions held in New Zealand and Australia. Pinaman holds an MSc in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics, an MSc in Public Policy from the Victoria University of Wellington and a BSc in Health Sciences from the University of Auckland.

Innocent Anguyo is Ugandan, and a native of the region that hosts Bidi Bidi camp. He grew up among refugees (in West Nile) with some of his closest friends being South Sudanese and Congolese refugees. Innocent also speaks a few of the languages - Ma’di, Kinubi, Lugbara and Lingala -  spoken by Sudnaese and Congolese refugees. He holds an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and an MA in Financial Journalism and International Political Economy from City University of London. Innocent's latest research explores the role of microfinance initiatives in Ugandan refugee settlements, and the extent to which they enable young members to improve their livelihoods through income generating activities. He also has a BA in Mass Communication and Political Science from Makerere University.

Contact Us
Want to support the campaign in other ways? You can contact Pinaman and Innocent at [email redacted] or [email redacted] respectively. 

Reference
Global Trends At-a-Glance. https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/statistics/
Where are refugees camps located? https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/camps/
https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/69442
Government Of Uganda Office of The Prime Minister. Uganda Refugees & Asylum Seekers https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/75455
Uganda - Refugee Statistics March 2020 https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/75456