Refugee Camps

CIYOTA currently works in two refugee camps of Kyangwali and Kyaka II in Uganda. COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa, or CIYOTA, is a community-based organization born in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Western Uganda.  It was founded in 2005 by a group of youth refugees with a vision of uniting and transforming their own community as well as other communities throughout Africa.

COBURWAS stand for Congo-Burundi-Uganda-Rwanda-Sudan; this represents the nationalities of all youths who were there at the beginning of this organization.

CIYOTA has addressed multiple levels of refugee life. Since 2005, CIYOTA’s diverse and far-reaching programs have all stemmed from the belief that education is the key to societal progress and long-term poverty eradication. Our initial efforts included a tutoring program at schools in the settlement as well as a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of education. In particular, we spoke to parents about the need to send their daughters to school instead of keeping them home to help farm and cook. CIYOTA has help refugee children and youth to get access to all levels of education.

In addition, CIYOTA focuses on many of the issues at the root of the problems they face, including: tribal conflict, corruption, and the lack of responsible and enterprising leaders. One of the organization’s guiding principles is unity; we recognized a need to unite the different nationalities in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement to achieve community development, and we are promoting united communities to prevent the conditions that initially led people to become refugees.

 In Kyangwali refugee settlement we started the CIYOTA Learning Center, or CLC, is a nursery school that primarily serves orphaned children. Orphans enroll for free at the CLC, where they receive a school uniform, two decent meals each day, and, most importantly, an education. In addition, the CLC admits other students for a fee, bringing the total enrollment to forty students each year. The success of the school and demand for more educational opportunities has led to an extension of the CLC into a primary school. CIYOTA has worked closely with the Settlement governance to acquire land for the school. Read more>>

The Hoima Hostels were created to increase access to quality education. The primary and secondary schools within the Settlement are overcrowded and lack resources, and the fees to attend are more than many families can afford. There are superior schools in the town of Hoima, but the 80-mile trek poses a barrier to accessing them. CIYOTA’s innovative solution: sponsor a hostel in Hoima where students from the Settlement can receive room and board while attending school. Payment is negotiated with each student; some stay for free while others offer what they can in crops. The hostel members all help with the upkeep and meal preparation, and they support each other in their studies. Furthermore, CIYOTA has formed a partnership with schools run by the Ugandan government to allow hostel members to attend for free under the Universal Secondary Education initiative. Read more>>

We have started a Vocation Training Centre, this aims to provide youths in the camp with practical skills and trainings in tailoring, break laying and computer.  Read more>>

The Scholarship program provides access to education for talented, underprivileged children and youth. These children and youth, from low income families, are at risk and would otherwise drop out of school. This is an ongoing program with tremendous and far-reaching potential. This program helps to address the social and economic needs of less privileged and gifted children who are not able to attend school because of finances. Read more>>

We have started livestock and farming projects as income generating project and for farming demonstrations to farmer to improve and increase on food production.

We have raised awareness about HIV/AIDS and malaria.  

CIYOTA is also engaged in a microfinance initiative in collaboration with People Weaver (www.PeopleWeaver.com).  Malaria prevention efforts and provision of safe water in collaboration with Think Humanity (www.ThinkHumanity.org).