WOMEN IN REFUGEE SETTLEMENTS EMBRACE SMART FARMING TO OVERCOME CLIMATE CHANGE, LACK OF ACCESS TO LAND

A farmer in Keguru, draying Cassava produced in her own farm

By Samson Ganiko Bulleni

As of May 2018, Palorinya Refugee Settlement in Uganda hosted approximately 166,000 South Sudanese refugees. Women and children constituted 82% of this population, with females making up 53%.

The settlement, according to the UNHCR, comprised 30,368 households, with a significant number headed by women. A 2019 assessment indicated that 67% of households were female-headed.

Regarding livelihoods, many refugees engage in agricultural activities. Favorable environmental conditions, such as the nearby river and suitable climate, offer opportunities for large-scale agriculture, including fish farming and irrigation.

At least 50% to 80% of refugee women are engaged in small-scale farming due to the prioritization program, where refugees have been categorized into three groups. The food ratio has been reduced, with the top category being cut off from receiving WFP food rations, even those receiving monetary support.

While detailed statistics on poverty levels within the camp are scarce, challenges such as limited access to essential non-food items, inadequate physical infrastructure, and insufficient educational facilities have been reported, indicating economic hardships among the refugee population.

In the Palorinya Refugee Settlement, the strain on land resources is undeniable. Women, who make up 53% of the population and head 67% of households, are at the forefront of efforts to cultivate the land and secure food for their families. 

However, with a population density exceeding available farmland, competition for arable land has intensified, forcing many to rely on small, fragmented plots that barely sustain their needs.

Despite favorable environmental conditions such as proximity to the river, the challenges are immense. The dry season leaves many without water for irrigation, pushing some to abandon farming altogether. 

Those who persist must navigate stereotypes surrounding land ownership, as traditional beliefs often sideline women from accessing and controlling agricultural land.

Limited access to farming tools and quality seeds further hampers productivity, exacerbating poverty levels within the camp.

With food insecurity on the rise, these women are determined to break barriers, adopting innovative farming techniques like kitchen gardens, irrigation farming, and collective land-sharing initiatives.

Their efforts, however, require stronger support from humanitarian agencies, improved infrastructure, and greater recognition of their land rights to transform agriculture into a sustainable lifeline for their families and the settlement at large.

A visit to Keguru village in Zone Unity A, Palorinya Refugee Settlement, reveals the struggles of Stella Sofia, a mother of three, who owns less than a hectare of land. She explained that the land given to them by OPM is only 30×30 meters, which is insufficient for both settlement and farming.

“The best thing we do is build relationships with the host community so that we can be given a piece of land for cultivation,” Stella said.

“As I did my part, I approached the host community and requested land, and they gave me one hectare because I could not afford more than that,” she added.
In her garden, she planted sweet potatoes and sorghum to help support her household since the food provided to them is insufficient.

“To make it worse, we also need to pay school fees, buy medical supplies, and purchase clothes for the children since the food rations we receive monthly can be sold,” Stella disclosed.

At the refugee household level majority of those farming is either women led or is wholly undertaken by women whose activities though on a relatively small scale is contributing towards environmental conservation and sustainable utilization of the natural resources.

“I use agroforestry in line with climate-smart agriculture to improve my farming because, sometimes, heavy rains destroy the crops,” she explained.

Dawa Gloria, based in Unit C, stated that farming is a necessary undertaking to most refugee women, due to the reduction in food rations, but the main challenges they face are environmental factors, including extreme heat, excessive rainfall, long distances to farmland, and high rental costs imposed by landlords.
“At times, you look for tractors, but they cost UGX.150, 000, which is too expensive for refugees,” Dawa added.

She further noted that most women in the settlement are household heads. Some lost their husbands, while others are alone, and although they have an interest in farming, the supportive role of humanitarian agencies supplying seeds like groundnuts, soybeans, and maize, and financial assistance needs strengthening.
Celina Namaua, a farmer based in Kuguru village, Block 11, who initially acquired more than one hectare of land five kilometers away in Kali, said she cultivated for a year, but due to a lack of money, the land was taken away from her.

Now, she farms on a small block allocated to her by OPM because she cannot afford to rent land from the host community.

“On my small plot, which is about half an acre, the sun scorches my crops, and excessive rain washes away everything, yet the food provided to us is not enough,” Celina explained.

She added that heavy rains have also destroyed their houses, and crop yields remain poor due to extreme weather conditions.

“If you dream of harvesting sacks, you end up with just one basin. The only way we survive is by forming savings groups,” she emphasized.

Celina sells vegetables from which she saves UGX.10, 000 per week in their savings group. When the season for opening new gardens, or harvesting crops like cassava and sorghum set in, she withdraws the money to hire casual labourers to work her gardens.

Dramundu Anthony Moga, the Refugee Welfare III Chairperson for Palorinya Refugee Settlement, stated that the refugee community in Uganda is constantly experiencing changes.

“We had a prioritization process where several households were placed in Category Three. Due to a lack of funding, there is already information that another prioritization process is coming,” Dramundu explained.

Regarding livelihoods, he encouraged implementing partners (IPs) supporting refugees to ensure their programs are inclusive, particularly in assisting women, who are key stakeholders at the household level.

“Whoever has funding should prioritize supporting women,” the RWC III Chairperson emphasized.

Siraji Karala Karala, the LC 3 Chairperson of Itula Sub-county, Obongi District, disclosed that the local government is promoting production activities to enhance the economy, household income, and individual financial stability.

“How do we do that? We preach the gospel of hard work so that women actively engage in agriculture and food production,” he stated.

He noted that the government educates women on suitable food and cash crops to boost both household consumption and economic stability.

“We integrate women into government programs, especially through the PDM initiative and other programs like small-scale irrigation schemes that bring women together in farming groups,” explained Karala.

The production of this story was supported by InfoNile in partnership with Palladium under the Climate Smart Agriculture Reporting Project.