Uganda hosts more than 1.7 million refugees, with Nakivale Refugee Settlement accommodating approximately 170,000 refugees from multiple countries. In recent years, humanitarian funding constraints have led to reduced or reprioritized assistance across many refugee response programs.
These changes have resulted in shifts in livelihood programming, including reduced coverage, shortened support cycles, and increased targeting based on vulnerability assessments.
Through Uplift Her Hub engagements with young women and teenage mothers in Nakivale (2024–2025), we explored how these changes are affecting economic survival, especially for women and girls.
This publication is based on qualitative insights from approximately 25 community participants, including teenage mothers, young women in livelihood groups, and households classified under different vulnerability levels.
Humanitarian programming in Uganda generally applies a vulnerability-based targeting approach, which groups refugee households into categories to prioritize limited resources. In practice, these categories commonly include:
While this system aims to prioritize the most at-risk groups, participants reported that classification does not always reflect lived realities, especially for teenage mothers and young women transitioning between categories.
Participants reported a noticeable decline in consistent livelihood support, including fewer training cycles, reduced material assistance, and limited follow-up after program completion.
With reduced assistance, many households—particularly those led by young women—have experienced increased pressure to generate income independently, often without adequate skills or capital.
Teenage mothers are among the most affected due to:
Through community engagement, Uplift Her Hub identified several coping strategies used by women and girls:
However, these coping mechanisms are largely unstable and do not provide long-term economic security.
Across discussions with participants, a consistent concern emerged: reductions in humanitarian support have not been matched with strengthened pathways to economic independence.
Many participants described feeling “stuck between categories”—not receiving sufficient assistance to remain supported, yet not having the resources to become fully self-reliant.
The shift toward reduced humanitarian funding and more targeted assistance has unintentionally created gaps in protection for vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls.
Without stronger transition mechanisms, many individuals risk falling into cycles of instability where neither aid nor sustainable income is sufficient.
Humanitarian aid reductions highlight the urgent need to rethink how livelihood and protection programs are designed. There is a growing need for systems that not only prioritize vulnerability but also ensure long-term pathways to economic inclusion.
Uplift Her Hub continues to document these experiences and explore community-led approaches that strengthen resilience among displaced young women and teenage mothers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement.
