Nakivale refugee settlement area currently hosts over 170 000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Although many refugees in the area have been living there for several years, recent conflicts in nearby countries are increasing the number of arrivals per day. The majority of refugees in the settlement are Congolese although the population is largely heterogeneous with many cultures and groups from different nationalities. The settlement is divided into 79 villages with an average of 800 to 1,000 people per village.

"I’m not going to spend the years I have in Uganda waiting to return home. If we want development, change must start with ourselves," says Innocence Chance, a young man in his twenties who lost his entire family in an armed group attack in Congo.

Family in Nakivale refugee settlement area in Uganda. Uganda´s government donates the refugees a smalla piece of land where they can build a house and cultivate.

Residents of the area play basketball after heavy rain. Teams are often based on nationality. In recent years, life in the refugee settlement areas has been overshadowed by extreme fluctuations in weather. The same areas suffer from both severe drought and heavy rains, which wash everything away.

Joseph Mutay at the doctors appointment in Nakivale.
Malaria, diarrhea and typhoid are common and serious diseases at the area.

Charlotte Tibigambo has lived in Nakivale for over 15 years. She is a banana farmer and belongs to the wealthier part of the residents of Nakivale.

Young somali boys plays football in Nakivale. Some of them were born in there.

Iramkuda Francine has lived in Nakivale over ten years. She suffers from brucellosis, which she got from contaminated lake water. She is trying to make a living by doing sewing work .

An etiopian restaurant. Climate change effects on the residents of Nakivale, whose daily lives are driven by hunger. Differences in food access and wealth are large. Some of the refugees are running businesses and are in a less vulnerable position than those who obtain additional income by selling vegetables.

The refugee's monthly grant seven euros byt the Ugandan governemnt is not enough for a large family for a month. However, starting a business is difficult, because in order to survive, families have to prioritize food, medicine and children's school fees.

Leila sells clothes at the local market. She is raising money for her studies. She does not plan to start a family until she has a profession.

Nakivale's main street by night. Many refugees long for their homes, and for some, Uganda is merely a resting place while waiting for conflicts to end. However, many have decided to stay. Although refugees' lives are overshadowed by chronic shortages, diseases, trauma, and unpredictable weather, there is something much more important in Uganda’s refugee settlement areas. There is peace, and one does not have to stay awake at night in fear.