Fostering Victim-Responsive Transitional Justice (TJ) In Uganda

Since 2020, RFPJ has been implementing the “Fostering victim-centred Transitional Justice (TJ) in Uganda” project. Currently, in its third phase (2023-2025), the project aims at incrementally furthering victims’ realization of Transitional Justice in Uganda through; 1) Strengthening the organizational and technical capacities of at least 2,000 victims of past conflicts in the Rwenzori and Northern regions of Uganda in furthering victim-centered and responsive TJ and; 2) Progressively influencing at least 200 policy makers, leaders, and other actors towards the implementation of the 2019 National TJ policy and enactment of the National TJ Act in a victim-centered and responsive manner.

The project deliberately targets and engages with victims of different conflicts in the two regions, the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda, relevant Ministries, and other state and non-state actors involved in the furtherance of TJ at local, regional, and national levels. In these engagements, RFPJ strives to amplify the voices of victims as first-hand advocates for their own rights, needs, and interests and creates platforms for them to dialogue with duty-bearers in shaping the direction of the responses to their peculiar needs and interests.

Closing the Gap: Secondary Education for all Girls in Ntoroko and Bundibugyo Districts

This action targets two districts of Bundibugyo and Ntoroko neighboring the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This project, supported by Seleve Foundation, seeks to rally girls in secondary schools and different stakeholders within the district and at the national level to further the implementation of the USE program and also, further girls’ right to education as per Article 30 of the 1995 Uganda Constitution and Sustainable Development Goal Number 4. In this rallying call, this action has two orientations. In the first orientation, the action mobilizes girls in selected secondary schools to write their district-specific education manifestos, detailing their plight and what they think needs to be done to enhance their access to and retention in secondary schools.  In the second orientation, the project seeks to disseminate girls’ district-specific education manifestos on local radio stations and also, at district and national levels for purposes of enhancing an evidence-based advocacy for girls’ education. The dissemination of girls’ education manifestos is also intended to influence public attitudes toward girls’ education and also, bring girls’ plight and interests to the attention of district and national-level policy makers.

Skills Development for Enhanced Livelihoods and Peace

Since 2018, RFPJ has been investing in skills development for vulnerable youths and women to enhance their capacities in business entrepreneurship, and market-oriented skills through offering work-based learning and enhancing their employability and graduation from vulnerability to social and economic resilience. The provision of livelihood skills to vulnerable youths is seen as an alternative to violence by offering them opportunities to be financially self-sustaining and minimizing chances of social exclusion and conscription into acts of violence. Among the targeted and trained categories include ex-combatants, youth heading households, those infected or affected with HIV/AIDS, the disabled, and other socially vulnerable persons in the districts of Kabarole, Ntoroko, Bundibugyo, Bunyangabu, and Kasese. A total of 834 youth and women have since benefited from RFPJ’s skilling programs and were duly assessed by the Directorate of Industrial Development (DIT).

From May 2024, RFPJ with support from Enabel is training 152 youths in Group Formation, Group Dynamics, and VSLA model. This 3-month training is meant to equip youths with organizational skills and VSLA formation and management, to improve their access to finance for business development and self-employment.