Community level advocacy

In both Kampala and Nairobi, Re:BUiLD conducts community-level advocacy through partners PLAVU and Pamoja Trust, respectively. Our community-level advocacy promotes social cohesion, peaceful co-existence, inclusion of refugees in governance spaces and amplification of refugee and host community voices. The community-level advocacy is complemented by the national level engagements the program has with city authorities in Kampala and Nairobi.

National-Level Engagements done by Pamoja Trust 

Refugee Led Organization capacity enhancement on institutional governance and sustainability    

In its efforts to promote integration of refugees with host communities and build cohesion within urban communities, Pamoja trust has been conducting capacity building sensations to 15 Refugee Led Organizations in Nairobi and its Metropolitan to compliment on the organization’s efforts on refugee rights and inclusion. Rebuild program believes in the narrative that building strong RLO institutions creates an enabling environment to amplify integration efforts in Nairobi County. The RLOs have undergone series of trainings on institutional management, governance structures, key policy documents, internal control mechanisms, resource mobilization, stakeholder engagement and sustainability mechanisms. 

The trainings have enabled RLO advance in their operations and simultaneously widen their scope of work. In Kitengela, 4 RLOs (Oak solution, Pamoja Twaweza, Port of Manna, Ubuntu refugee, Jump over Seven Feet) have not only managed to develop finance and procurement policies but have also been able to secure in kind support from donors and well-wishers. RLOs have been able to draft strategic plans that have seen them have more guided interventions featuring local players and government offices. In streamlining operations, working on governance structures and expanding partners base, Oak solution in Kitengela for instance have been able to attract bigger international donors with probability of securing bigger funding. Othe RLOs like Umoja Refugees and Kivuli curving have since established greater relations with Nairobi County government to an extent of securing exhibition booths in the county’s trade fair conducted quarterly. 

Refugee and Host Community engagement with county government on advocacy    

Pamoja trust has facilitated conversations between refugee and host communities with Nairobi County Government in efforts to have refugee issues feature in government programs and policies and simultaneously respond to community needs. In the invited county spaces, refugee and host communities in the form of social movements have effectively engaged duty bearers in community project prioritization forums that led to formation of sub-county strategic plans. In the aftermath of the 2022 general elections, refugees and host communities through facilitation by Pamoja Trust took part in intensive rigorous processes to identify and prioritize key issues and projects in respective sub counties. 

This led to the formation of community strategic plans that portrayed citizens’ aspirations and simultaneously addressed refugee service provision in key sectors like health and education. The strategic plans were developed in the sub counties of Westland, Dagoreti Noth, Kibra, Mathare, Kamukunji, Embakasi Central and South, Kasarani and Roysambu. The process saw participation of more than 100 refugees in this policy development process that later found their way into the Nairobi County integrated Development Plan for 2022-2027. In the pretext of marginalized groups, the document addresses refugee needs and even goes ahead to designate critical offices to respond to refugee concerns in Nairobi. 

National-Level Engagements done by PLAVU 

Strong Markets and effective responsive city services accessible to all    

In its efforts to strengthen community participation and link refugees with local governance structures, PLAVU has been conducting capacity building sensations to 30 local council leaders from 15 villages, aiming to register 200 refugees in to the local council registry. As a result of this initiative, there is a notable increase in refugees' access to services, particularly the ability to obtain official recommendation letters, which are critical for accessing education and employment. Furthermore, this inclusive model has been adopted by other villages within the city, demonstrating its effectiveness and potential for broader scale-up. 

PLAVU has also convened 2 dialogues and awareness sessions with 113 market leaders from five public city markets to advocate for refugee access to market spaces and align city access policies with inclusivity goals. The discussions engaged market authorities, vendor representatives, and refugee traders to foster economic integration. Public market authorities and leaders pledged to support in registration and allocation of stalls to interested refugees. The market leadership also committed to conduct regular mapping and updating of the register of spaces/stalls/pitches available at the markets for refugee access. 

Enhancing Access to Public Services for Refugees and Host Communities    

As part of documenting its efforts to improve access to public services, PLAVU developed an Access to Services Map to support urban refugees and host communities in Kampala. The map identifies government health facilities and community-based development programs available across the city’s five divisions. It also outlines the types of services offered—such as healthcare, youth and women empowerment initiatives, and social protection programs—along with their eligibility criteria. This tool is designed to empower communities with accurate, up-to-date information, enabling them to navigate available services more effectively and advocate for their rights.