Reducing Conflicts through Better Living Conditions
HEKS/EPER also partners with the organization "Community Empowerment for Rural Development" to increase the income of both the local population and refugees through joint agricultural activities and to promote peaceful coexistence. The project improves access to food and creates additional earning opportunities, strengthening the self-sufficiency of the people. It includes the construction and maintenance of water infrastructure, training for water committees, and awareness campaigns on hygiene and sanitation in the communities. Additionally, new sanitation facilities and drinking water points are being established. This directly benefits 31,500 people, including over 2,000 refugees from South Sudan and about 10,500 members of the local community in Bidibidi Camp.
The project targets two groups: the refugees and the Ugandan villagers from surrounding areas who also live under difficult conditions. In total, 900 households from the local population and approximately 5,500 people from the camp benefit. The project's goal is to sustainably improve the living conditions of both South Sudanese refugees and the Ugandan population in Bidibidi Camp, promoting harmonious coexistence. It also fosters peaceful relations between South Sudanese refugees and the Ugandan community in the camp. The needs of local communities regarding water, sanitation, and hygiene are also addressed in a new project in the Zombo district, south of Bidibidi.