Antoinette’s husband, Claude Mbariyanga, was killed in 2022 during a rebel attack, and she was separated from her 20-year-old daughter. The attack left her emotionally scarred and facing the daunting challenge of starting over in a foreign land with her two remaining children.
“The rebels were ruthless, shooting indiscriminately,” Antoinette recalls with tears in her eyes. “My husband sacrificed himself to save us, directing us to safety before facing the rebels head-on. I saw them shoot him before we could find cover. It’s a memory that haunts me to this day.”
Forced to flee with nothing but her children, Antoinette arrived at the Nakivale refugee settlement in Uganda, where life was harsh and resources were scarce, especially with aid from relief organizations being significantly reduced.
However, her fortunes began to change when the Uganda Red Cross Society - supported by a partnership between the EU, IFRC and National Societies including the Austrian Red Cross and the Netherlands Red Cross - introduced a non-conditional cash assistance programme in Nakivale.
With the cash assistance, Antoinette was able to purchase two goats, which multiplied and now provide her with a sustainable source of income.
“The support from the Uganda Red Cross was a lifeline,” she says. “It allowed me to buy essentials, pay school fees for my children, and invest in livestock that now sustain us.”
Vanessa Lubowa, who leads the cash transfer project at Uganda Red Cross, explains that it is designed to help refugees overcome the challenges they face when rebuilding their lives in a new country.
Cash assistance, which is provided over a six-month period, allows people to meet their basic needs while establishing livelihoods and the community connections that will improve their resilience.
The Uganda Red Cross works closely with Nakivale’s residents to ensure that their needs and wishes are reflected in the design of the programme.
Francis Amulen, the Community Engagement and Accountability lead for Ugandan Red Cross, says, "We engage all people in need of support as early as during the setting of the project objectives. This gives them a sense of belonging and inclusion, ensuring that their needs and current demands are effectively met."
The non-conditional cash support available in Nakivale is supported by the Programmatic Partnership between the IFRC network and the European Union. The partnership provides strategic, flexible, long-term and predictable funding, so that National Societies can act before a crisis or health emergency occurs. It is being implemented in 24 countries around the world.
