BONDEKO REFUGEE LIVELIHOODS CENTER
501(c)(3) Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
BONDEKO CENTER
Rebuilding Livelihoods, Saving Lives
WHO WE ARE
Overview
The Bondeko Refugee Livelihoods Center (Bondeko Center) is a nationally-registered, refugee-led organization founded by refugees in 1997 to support those fleeing violence in the African Great Lacs region. Bondeko Centre supports impoverished, often traumatized refugees, especially women, and children, who reach Uganda without connections or aid. We are a community centre for both refugees and local Ugandans, as well as an emergency shelter for refugees.
"We want refugees to be self-reliant and enjoy human rights where they live"
Promoting refugee integration, Bondeko Centre empowers asylum seekers and refugees to be self-reliant engaging them in various activities, through 8 main programs: Capacity building, Livelihoods, Education In Emergencies, Children With Disabilities Protection, Counseling, Law Clinic, Climate Action program, and Youth activities. Bondeko Centre wants to see the skills and capabilities of refugees to support each other being recognized; and human rights, community acceptance, and economic independence promoted for forcibly displaced people.
WHAT WE DO
CAPACITY BUILDING & LIVELIHOODS
Reinforcing our Commitment to Self-Reliance
We offer training in fashion designs, mushroom growing, urban farming, house painting, carpentry, making briquets, driving, craft making, shoe making, makeup, and baking. This training and the small enterprises are key areas of focus at Bondeko Center. The community is supported in funding their own endeavors through savings and loans groups, which enable members to receive small loans, advice, and support in weekly meetings.
EDUCATION IN EMERGENCIES
English course, Business, ICT, ECD, Art...
To help refugees break the language barrier and in order to facilitate their local integration, Bondeko Centre has implemented the EFA (English For Adults) class. Once they're able to communicate in English, they can improve their livelihood opportunities and their emotional well-being. We also provide business and ICT courses to assist refugees in establishing and running their own small businesses. Refugee Children and nationals with low income are attending our Early Childhood Development (ECD) class. There is an Art and Painting class too, for refugee youths and nationals.
COMMUNITY CENTRE
Emergency Shelter and Neighborhood Centre
Bondeko Centre is not only offering emergency shelter to some urban refugees (single mothers and orphans), but over the years, it has become also a valuable community space whereby refugees and nationals can interact. Soccer games are regularly held on the pitch, whereas Art exhibitions, as well as Music, Dance & Drama Festivals, are organized every year.
Bondeko Centre is now an important site of integration for refugees and demonstrates the valuable contribution that refugees can make to neighborhoods in host countries across the globe.
HOSTING INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS
Sharing Skills, Making Friends
We host international volunteers from around the world who share their skills in a variety of ways, from teaching English and dance to advising Bondeko's enterprises. We believe that volunteering is a two-way street, with learning and teaching coming from both volunteers and Bondeko members. To promote ethical global engagement, we have partnered with the Omprakash, a US-based organization that connects potential volunteers with grassroots organizations in different parts of the world. To learn more about how to volunteer with us, please click below.
OUR GOAL
"We want refugees to be self-reliant and enjoy human rights in the communities where they live"
Bondeko Center
relies mainly on donations to run our programs, provide services to our members, and pay rent.
Ultimately, we would like to buy the land from which the Center operates, securing the future of the Center.
All donations from the US, Canada and the UK via Omprakash are tax-deductible.