The ongoing construction of Maracatu Bee Center in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement gives hope to the refugees. Evelyn Nyarabya fled the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2007. “I am sick, I have malaria and a cough and so do my children.” Said, Evelyn Nyarabya – Refugee, Kyangwali Settlement. “And currently we have bloody diarrhea as one of the cases that we are responding towards this particular facility.” Said, Rachel Kyalokoba – Health Worker, MTI. The women in the settlement were relieved that they would not have to deliver their babies at a home where they could develop complications that would need emergency care. However, they had some health issues with health workers. “We had no beds and used to deliver on the floor. It was very uncomfortable.” “It is very hard to get medication. You have to look everywhere.”

The facility has both in-patient and out-patient services. The scarcity of water in the settlement is one of the causes of disease. To fill this gap, water is felled in daily. “Normally each person is supposed to get 20 liters per day and in an emergency, it is supposed to be 15 liters per day. But currently we are at 9 liters per individual, but now that our emergency has a bit ceased, we are expecting to continue improving on the water system, the water supplies are being worked on to see that water is being pumped from where it is being produced to these areas where we have allocated the new people.” Said, Jolly Kebirungi – Commandant, Kyangwali Settlement.

Ideally, every home should have a latrine but because of inadequate funding, they are communally used. “Maybe in future, they can be helped to do their own latrines. This all goes back to the issue of funding, what is available now is trying to cover; we are trying to do according to the standard.” Said, James Taban – Head of UNHCR Sub Office, Hoima. Uganda will join in the celebration for World Refugee Day on 20th June under the theme; UGANDA WE STAND WITH REFUGEES.