Trauma Counseling Support For Refugees In Uganda

Uganda continues to host the most refugees in Africa. Therea are over 1.4 million refugees in our nation and the majority are from South Sudan. I Live Again Uganda is a Ugandan founded and led organization.   We are incredibly grateful to be a part of the healing journey of South Sudanese refugees.

Refugees that have fled into Uganda from South Sudan have shared with I Live Again Uganda that they came due to conflict in their nation.  Men, women and children have all been exposed to violence and conflict in their home villages but also during their flight to saftey in Uganda.

With support of generous donors through this project we have been able to provide trauma counseling support in group sessions, individually and family counseling support.  During this season of COVID-19, there were increased tensions of gender based violence and suicide attempts.  I Live Again Uganda has been able to respond to these needs, bringing emergency mental health support to refugees. 

We are able to report that there is a signicant drop in suicide attempt in the zonal areas in the refugeee settlement where I Live Again Uganda has provided its counseling programs. I Live Again Uganda has been able to not only assist in providing counseling in families and marital couples dealing with Gender Based Violence but we have also be able to help bring greater awareness to the issues of Gender Basied Violence through community dialogue programs.  Our work in the refugee settlement has been recognized, well received and encouraged to spread to other areas of the refugee settlement by the Ugandan government, Refugee Leaders, Tribal Leaders, Local Leaders,Refugees and other Non Governmental Organizations. 

One leader in the refugee settlement shared,

"Lives have changed in our community. Before you came to our area suicide was very common.  You have helped us.  Since you came we have not had any cases of suicide."

A Community Development Officer shared,

"There has been high cases of gender based violence since the pandemic came.  But since your progam came in Zone 6 and 5A no case of Gender Based Violence has been registered in these areas.  This really shows us how impactful your program is."

A refugee woman shared with one of our Counseling Staff how she was violently gang raped by a group of rebels in her village in South Sudan before she came to Uganda.  Upon reaching the border with her children, she was unable to share with other agencies about the trauma she faced in South Sudan.  She told our Counselling Staff that, "I had to be strong there because my children were there with me.  They were standing right next to me when they asked me if I had experienced any sexual violence.  I couldn't let them see or know what had happened to me... what those boys did to me."  Our Counseling Staff has been able to meet with this mother one on one to not only help her with the trauma she faced in South Sudan, but also to lead her to other safe organizations providing medical support due to internal wounds from the sexual violence she experienced in South Sudan.

We are continuing to serve South Sudanese refugees in Uganda and are extremely grateful for partners that have given to our project to ensure we can provide urgently needed counseling support to men, women and children.