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Global Refugee Aid
Due to poverty and conflict, women and children are more vulnerable. The lack of adequate health care, the absence of income-generating activities and the difficulties in organizing the protection of young refugees are the triggers for Global Refugee Aid’s commitment
ALL OVER THE WORLD AND ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA, WE ARE WITNESSING:
The explosion of breast cancer cases;
The increase in poverty among women and young mothers in refugee camps.
And the flagrant lack of support activities for young refugees
Global Refugee Aid
Global Refugee Aid (GRA) is a UK registered charity, founded in 2018. GRA provides counselling, access to maternal health services and livelihood training for refugees (particularly vulnerable women and girls). GRA aims to heal the lives of traumatised women and girls, men and boys who have fled from brutal regional conflicts across East Africa. GRA projects are Trauma Healing for refugee Survivors of Sexual Violence in East Africa and Transforming the Physical and Emotional Health of Albino Refugees
Project summary
Global Refugee Aid is committed to providing critical support across several key areas to improve the well-being of vulnerable populations, including refugees and marginalized groups. Our primary areas of intervention include:
1. Health: We are particularly focused on combating breast cancer among women in crisis, offering essential care and early detection to those who face additional barriers to healthcare
2. Protection: We prioritize the protection of young refugees, including those with albinism, who are at heightened risk of violence and discrimination. Our programs aim to safeguard their rights and ensure their safety.
3. Support for Single Mothers: We offer continuous monitoring and assistance to single mothers in distress, helping them access the resources and support they need to rebuild their lives.
4. Sports and Trauma Relief: Through sports programs, we engage young refugees—both girls and boys—in therapeutic activities that foster healing, emotional resilience, and social integration, using sports as a powerful tool for overcoming trauma.
At Global Refugee Aid, we believe that through targeted interventions in these areas, we can help build safer, healthier, and more empowered communities.
Global Refugee Aid
GRA aims to heal the lives of traumatised women and girls, men and boys who have fled from brutal regional conflicts across East Africa. We provide support and care for refugees in the Navikale camp in Uganda.
The organisation was created by a group of African health professionals that live in the UK. This team of people are determined to use their skills and knowledge to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable refugees from their home countries.
GRA’s health support team of doctors, gynaecologists and therapists has a combined 35 years of professional experience. Since 2018, our staff have provided counselling for hundreds of refugees coping with a mental health condition, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We have also delivered medical support and one-to-one health care.
GRA also work with discriminated refugees including Albino adults and children. We distribute skin protective equipment and provide people living with Albinism with health education to prevent skin cancer. We also deliver campaigns to tackle the daily stigma that Albino refugees face.
Who we are
Our work
Our work is delivered on the ground in Africa by local doctors, psychotherapists and gynaecologists who provide their skilled services on a voluntary basis.
Our Vision
We seek a world where every refugee achieves self-reliance with dignity and control over their lives
Our Mission:
We empower refugees to establish gainful livelihoods and we make a difference by enabling refugees to integrate into their community until they can support themselves.
our mission
Welcome to Global Refugee Aid (GRA), a UK-registered charity established in 2018 with a mission to provide critical support to refugees, particularly vulnerable women, girls, and marginalized communities. GRA is committed to offering trauma counselling, maternal health services, and livelihood training, with a special focus on empowering survivors of sexual violence and enhancing the well-being of albino refugees. Our holistic approach fosters healing, promotes health, and builds self-reliance among individuals affected by conflict and displacement. In addition, GRA has initiated a breast cancer diagnostic and treatment project, equipping healthcare facilities with essential tools and providing specialized training to ensure women have access to timely and life-saving care. Through these vital initiatives, we strive to restore dignity, hope, and opportunity to those most in need.
Global Refugee Aid intervenes in the field of
1. Health more precisely in the fight against breast cancer among women in distress;
2. Protection of young refugees including Albinos who are particularly in danger;
3. Monitoring and support for single mothers in distress;
4. Sports, focusing on young refugees, girls and boys, to treat trauma through exchanges and sport.
The problem
The Nakivale refugee camp in southwest Uganda is home to thousands of refugees who have escaped from armed conflicts in the neighbouring countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi.
Hundreds of these refugees are people with Albinism which is a genetic disease resulting in extremely pale coloured skin and poor vision. Albinos suffer daily discrimination and physical and emotional abuse. Across Africa traditional superstitions and beliefs have often led to the appalling murder of Albinos for their bones and blood to make charms for healings.
Within the Nakivale refugee camp Albino adults and children suffer double hardship – they live with the traumatic experience of violence in their countries of origin and, as people with Albinism, they suffer abuse from other refugees within the camp.
What we do
Global Refugee Aid improves the health and self-reliance of Albino adults and children. We also confront discrimination and abuse of people living with Albinism.
Stop discrimination and abuse – GRA establishes five Albino peer support groups that includes other refugees who are not Albinos. The groups plan and and deliver weekly community campaigns to stop discrimination against Albino refugees
Increase self-reliance – GRA provides entrepreneurship training for refugees with Albinism to help them launch a business enterprise and produce much needed income. The income-generating activities include local auto repairs and agriculture. GRA offers ongoing business development mentoring to each person.
Improve health and well-being – people with albinism are very sensitive to sun exposure and are at a high risk of skin cancer. Global Refugee Aid provides health education workshops and distribute skin protective equipment to prevent skin cancer. We also provides eye tests and diagnose and treat eye condition diseases and disorders
The impact of the project
The people living with Albinism who participate in this health and wellbeing project will feel healthier and happier. Regular social connection through the Albino support groups overcome feelings of loneliness and depression. Joining a support group and engaging in campaigns with other refugees create greater confidence amongst people living with Albinism. Regular medical advice enable Albino refugees to get the health treatment they need. Participation in business skills training provide economic opportunities for people living with Albinism. Establishing a small business in the community gain them respect and recognition, improve their standard of living within the refugee camp, raise their self-confidence and move them towards a more fulfilling life.
Trauma Healing for Survivors of Sexual Violence in East Africa
Nakivale Refugee Camp - Uganda
An appeal to restore the lives of traumatised women and girl refugees
Project summary
GRA provides counselling, access to maternal health services and livelihood training for refugees (particularly vulnerable women and girls) living in the Nakivale refugee camp in Uganda. The people who benefit from our support fled from wars and armed conflicts in the neighbouring countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi.
GRA helps women and girls recover from rape and sexual violence. Each of these young women witnessed or experienced extreme sexual abuse before they escaped to safety, leaving lasting mental health problems.
We provide trauma therapy, mental health treatment and entrepreneurship skills training for up to women and girls living in the Nakivale settlement.
GRA establishes a network of refugee support groups across the Nakivale camp. We also train and support women to create small business enterprises to generate an income, build their self-confidence and raise their status in the community.
Global Refugee Aid – who we are
GRA aims to heal the lives of displaced women and girls, men and boys who have fled brutal regional conflicts across East Africa.
The organisation was created by a group of African health professionals living in the UK. This team are determined to use their skills and knowledge to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable refugees from their home countries.
GRA seeks to transform the lives of traumatised women and girl and men and boy refugees. Our health support team of doctors and therapists has a combined 35 years of professional experience.
Since 2018, these staff have provided counselling for hundreds of refugees coping with a mental health condition, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), medical support and specialised one-to-one health care.
We have created 40 peer support groups. These groups have enabled women to regularly meet and share their feelings and emotions following the violence and sexual abuse they experienced.
GRA have created a network of community-based workers across the Nakivale refugee settlement. These workers are refugees themselves and act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of their community. They identify individuals and vulnerable families who need assistance and providing them with ongoing care and support.
We have offered reproductive and maternal health trainings to more than 160 teenage women, providing information to prevent pregnancy, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
GRA also work with particularly disadvantaged and discriminated refugees including albino adults and children. We currently assist a group of 85 albinos distributing skin protective equipment and providing them with health education to prevent skin cancer. We also deliver community-based campaigns to tackle the stigma that albino refugees face.
The problem
The Nakivale refugee camp in southwest Uganda is home to over 90,000 refugees who have escaped from armed conflicts in the neighbouring countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi.
A tragic feature of these regional wars has been the use of sexual violence against women and girls. Before being forced to flee their homes, thousands of women were raped and assaulted.
These shocking experiences have led to mental health issues, such as depression, PTSD and suicide attempts among women and girls now living in the Nakivale refugee settlement.
Within the camp, a large number of female rape survivors are now pregnant or single mothers. Many of these young women are stigmatised and face rejection from their families and the refugee community before or after childbirth.
Although Nakivale camp provides food, water, shelter and the right to work, the settlement neglects the mental health needs of these young women.
They end up alone with no emotional support. Teen mothers also face enormous financial difficulties in providing for their children and economic support is essential to sustain the lives of these young mothers.
How GRA helps
Since 2018, GRA has helped hundreds of vulnerable women and girls within Nakivale refugee camp. We plan to build on our experience and reach more women through the delivery of the following programme:
Trauma Healing
GRA psychotherapists provide one-to-one counselling sessions and mental health support for up to 500 vulnerable women and girl refugees who are coping with the impact of their traumatic experiences. Survivors of sexual abuse are given support that lasts from a few months to a year, depending on the individual involved.
We organise refugees into a network of peer support groups across Nakivale refugee camp. These groups meet regularly to enable women to share their experiences. The groups provide a confidential, non-judgemental space for each woman to discuss their feelings and emotions around the effects of conflict and sexual violence on their lives.
Each group be organised and guided by a team of GRA volunteer facilitators who will carry out weekly home visit checks on each woman and girl refugee.
By creating a safe space to talk and share, GRA enables these victims of rape and sexual violence to come to terms with their experiences and move forwards with their lives.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Advice
GRA’s gynaecologists provide advice on maternal and reproductive health issues that concern young women. They provide medical examinations and advice on issues relating to pregnancy, contraception, fertility, new born-child care and sexually transmitted infections.
When required, our medical professionals refer women for specialist care at hospitals or health centres in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
Business Entrepreneurship Training
GRA deliver a dedicated programme of small business training to help teen mothers establish an income generation activity. We teach young women entrepreneurial and personal development skills to help them launch a business enterprise and produce much needed income.
These entrepreneurship activities include small scale agriculture production for the sale of fresh vegetables in the refugee camp and traditional crafts and basket weaving for sale in local markets.
GRA offers ongoing business development mentoring to each woman.
Nina’s Story
Nina is 17 years old and she arrived in the Nakivale camp in 2017.
Benefits of the trauma healing project
The project enable women and girls to make positive, lasting changes to their lives and transform their relationships with friends and family. Traumatised women and girls benefit from specialist, individual support which enable fewer crisis situations and more women and girl refugees able to manage their mental health condition. Joining a support group and engaging in activities with other refugees within Nakivale camp will reduce feelings of loneliness and create a greater sense of well-being and confidence amongst women and girls. Regular medical advice enables women to make informed responsible decisions and get the health treatment they need. Women’s participation in business skills training provide economic opportunities for teenage mothers. Establishing a small business in the community gain women respect and recognition, improve their standard of living within the camp, raise their self-confidence and move them towards a more fulfilling life.
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