Refugees Taking the Lead in Community Service and Environmental Awareness
People For Peace And Defence of Rights (PPDR) Uganda and Lead 4 Africa are transforming lives by giving back to society through community outreach. Poni Grace, a student at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) and a refugee from South Sudan, believes giving back is the best way to help the community. Poni mentions that they also hold fellowships at the university, teaching them to become disciplined leaders.
Nelly Achola from Lead 4 Africa explains that their goal is to build disciplined leaders, focusing on university students.They are empowering students every semester to go out and give back to society. Achola adds that Lead 4 Africa is working with PPDR, which includes refugees from Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mugisho Joyeux from PPDR says that, in partnership with Lead 4 Africa, they are doing a community outreach to give back to Uganda, their host country.
They chose Kibuye Market because it is a big market, and they want people to shop in a clean environment. Mugisho believes this outreach shows that refugees are active and helpful, not lazy or dependent. By doing this, people can understand that refugees are committed to improving their community.
Pastor Mugabe Chris from Munyonyo says the outreach is a way to give back and serve. By cleaning Kibuye Market with refugee university students, they are raising awareness about refugees in Uganda and spreading a message of peace.
Jean Fraterny, a journalist, climate advocate, human rights activist, and refugee from the DRC, shares that they are raising awareness about protecting the environment.
By joining the cleanup, Jean believes it is important to take action. As refugees living in Uganda, they feel responsible for keeping the country and environment clean.
Sumaya Awill Muhamad, a social media advocate for PPDR, adds that through this outreach, they are engaging with the community and raising awareness about the refugee community’s contributions.
Ayella Moses, Supervisor Kibuye Market , expresses gratitude for the involvement of PPDR in the community cleanup activity. “We are blessed to have received PPDR, and we appreciate the efforts being made,” he states. Ayella notes that PPDR is the second group to participate in such initiatives at the market. He advises vendors to maintain the cleanliness of the market now that it has been cleaned, urging them to avoid littering to keep the space welcoming for everyone
By continuously organizing these outreach events, PPDR and Lead 4 Africa are changing the perception of refugees, showing that they are not just receivers of aid but also active contributors to improving their host communities.