ACT Alliance Members Conclude Regional Learning Visit to Nakivale Refugee Settlement

ACT Alliance members under the Regional Appeal CEA421 have concluded a four-day joint monitoring and learning visit to Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, aimed at strengthening cross-border collaboration in response to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The regional mission, held from July 21 to 24, 2025, brought together humanitarian representatives from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and the DRC. Organized by the ACT Regional Secretariat for Africa, the visit served as a platform to assess ongoing interventions, share best practices, and promote coordinated humanitarian programming for displaced populations across the region.

Participants included Finn Church Aid (FCA), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), HEKS/EPER (Swiss Church Aid), and Church of Uganda from the Uganda Forum.

Tanganyika Christian Refugee Services (TCRS) represented Tanzania, while the ACT Alliance Regional Office stood in for Kenya.

DR Congo partners comprised Christian Aid (CA), Bureau Œcuménique d'Appui au Développement (BOAD), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo (EELCO), and Église du Christ au Congo (ECC).

The delegation began their visit with courtesy meetings at the UNHCR Regional Office in Mbarara, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) regional coordination team, and the Nakivale field commandant.

These engagements emphasized the importance of government and UN collaboration in supporting refugee operations.

During the field visit, delegates interacted with project participants, host communities, local leaders, and implementing agencies.

Activities included focus group discussions with youth, elders, women, men, and faith leaders.

Site visits showcased community-led interventions in education, psychosocial support, peacebuilding, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response, as well as livelihoods and cash-for-work initiatives.

Speaking at the learning event on the final day, Irene Anena, ACT Uganda Forum Coordinator and Regional Appeal Lead, underscored the mission’s impact.

“This joint learning mission has reinforced our shared commitment to dignified, inclusive, and contextually relevant humanitarian programming. Through this visit, we have seen the strength of our partnerships in action – learning from one another, building solidarity, and deepening our collective impact for displaced populations across the region.”

The mission concluded with a joint reflection session where each country forum shared lessons learned, key challenges, and practical recommendations for improving regional coordination and scaling up successful models.

ACT Alliance — Action by Churches Together — is a global faith-based coalition with more than 140 member organizations operating in over 120 countries.

The Alliance supports humanitarian aid, climate and gender justice, peacebuilding, and migration-related work through a locally led, faith-driven approach.

With more than 19,000 staff and 32,000 volunteers globally, ACT Alliance remains committed to “putting hope into action” for vulnerable communities facing crisis and displacement.