Catholic Relief Services (CRS) - Kampala, Uganda

Often described as the "Pearl of Africa," Uganda is defined by its rich culture, diverse flora and fauna, and engaging people. Despite these natural advantages, Uganda continues to face serious development challenges resulting from a protracted civil war, a devastating AIDS pandemic and trans-generational poverty.

CRS Uganda fosters sustained development solutions by working with and through local partners, specifically the Ugandan Catholic Church, to help Ugandans identify and address the root causes of poverty and injustice affecting their lives.

CRS’ work currently focuses on the following program areas:

Health

CRS is an industry leader in comprehensive health programming, with expertise in health systems strengthening, nutrition intervention, and children’s health and  

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wellbeing initiatives. In recent years, CRS health programs in Uganda have improved the quality of life of over 200,000 people. CRS continues to help survivors of HIV and AIDS through its programming to support orphaned and vulnerable children, along with their caretakers through the Sustainable Outcomes for Children and Youth project in Central and Western Uganda. Other health programs include Keeping Children in Healthy and Protective Families, Uganda Systems Strengthening and Nuyok, the latter of which is a program aimed at building resilience to shocks, enhancing livelihoods and improving food security for vulnerable families.

Agricultural Livelihoods

Agricultural growth helps reduce poverty. In Uganda, where 69% of households obtain their livelihood from subsistence farming, the agricultural sector is an important component of gross domestic product, and a major source of employment in addition to being the country’s primary source of food. CRS helps smallholder farmers improve their productivity and diversify their income streams. This enables them to move toward market-oriented production that increases their household income and quality of life, and strengthens their resilience to potential shocks. CRS is currently implementing three agriculture projects: Farmer to Farmer, Resilient Vanilla/Coffee Agroforestry Farming Systems, and Coffee Value Chain Development.

Emergency Response and Recovery

Since January 2017, CRS has worked in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Yumbe District. Emergency efforts currently focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene; shelter; livelihoods; and school construction. CRS works in direct partnership with refugee and host communities to promote peaceful co-existence and ensure respect for human dignity.