يحدد هذا التقرير الموجز لتقييم احتياجات التعلم وتقييم قدرات المنظمات الوطنية الثغرات في القدرات واحتياجات التعلم بين المستجيبين الأفراد والمنظمات المشاركة في الاستجابة للأزمة في لبنان

إن فهم هذه الثغرات أمر ضروري لتطوير برامج تدريب مستهدفة، يمكن أن تعزز المهارات والمعارف المطلوبة لمواجهة التحديات المعقدة التي فرضتها الأزمة

كما قام تقييم احتياجات التعلم بتقييم نقاط القوة الموجودة لدى المستجيبين، بحيث يمكن لريدر أن توصي بأفضل الطرق التي يمكن للشركاء في المجال الإنساني الاستفادة من هذه القدرات على أفضل وجه

استخدام النتائج لتدريب المستجيبين على الموضوعات الأكثر إلحاحًا

أجرت ريدر تقييمًا متعمقًا ومفصلاً لاحتياجات التعلم من أجل تحسين استجابة التدريب المستمر للأزمة في لبنان. الأسئلة الشاملة التي يسعى تقييم احتياجات التعلم إلى تقييمها هي:

ما هي الفجوات الحالية في القدرات واحتياجات التعلم بين المستجيبين الإنسانيين للاستجابة الجارية في لبنان؟

ما هي نقاط القوة في قدرات المستجيبين المشاركين في جهود الاستجابة الإنسانية؟

كيف يمكن للشركاء الإنسانيين الاستفادة من هذه النقاط القوية على أفضل وجه؟

كيف يمكن لـ RedR UK الاستجابة لاحتياجات الاستجابة بالطرق الأكثر ملاءمة وملاءمة؟

ما هي احتياجات القدرات لبرامج RedR والشركاء الآخرين في المستقبل؟

وهي تمكّن RedR من تكييف استجابتها مع الاحتياجات المتغيرة للأزمة. ومن خلال فهم الاحتياجات التعليمية المحددة والثغرات في القدرات، يمكن لـ RedR توفير التدريب الأكثر ملاءمة وتأثيراً، وبالتالي تعزيز الاستجابة الشاملة في لبنان.

النتائج الرئيسية

النتائج الرئيسية لتقييم احتياجات التعلم هي:

الاحتياجات الخاصة: هناك حاجة ملحة للتدريب في مجال خدمات الصحة العقلية بسبب الأثر النفسي للنزاعات الأخيرة. كما أن التدريب على إدارة الملاجئ الجماعية أمر بالغ الأهمية، نظراً لتدفق النازحين إلى الملاجئ المؤقتة. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، يعد التدريب على إدارة السلامة أمراً حيوياً، حيث يواجه العاملون في مجال الإغاثة مخاطر كبيرة.الإدارة المالية

التركيبة السكانية للمستجيبين: غالبية المستجيبين (86٪) مقيمون في لبنان، مع تمثيل كبير للنساء (71٪). يتمتع معظم المستجيبين بخبرة كبيرة في القطاع الإنساني، حيث يتمتع 63٪ منهم بخبرة تزيد عن خمس سنوات.

أولويات مواضيع التدريب: حدد المستجيبون عدة مواضيع تدريبية ذات أولوية ضرورية لتحسين قدراتهم على الاستجابة:

تطوير استجابة شاملة لحالات الطوارئ

خدمات الصحة العقلية والدعم النفسي

إدارة الملاجئ الجماعية

إدارة السلامة والأمن

كتابة المقترحات

جمع البيانات وحمايتها وتحليلها

Dr. Noorullah Kuchai

RedR UK’s Senior Programmes Coordinator, Dr. Noorullah Kuchai, spoke about RedR’s impact and mission at our recent Annual Reception. Focusing on RedR’s work in Ukraine, Dr. Kuchai shared moving examples of how we are equipping local responders with the tools and knowledge to lead recovery efforts on their own terms. His remarks highlighted the urgent need for locally led responses and the importance of shifting power to those closest to the crisis Read his full speech below.

The world is facing an era of compounding crises. The demand for humanitarian assistance is escalating, while resources are shrinking. In this landscape, the effectiveness of the response is not just important – it is vital. And this is where RedR’s work truly matters. Tonight, I’d like to share with you two specific examples of how we put our mission into action through our response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. 

Nearly 3 years ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine leading to a devastating impact on Ukrainians causing massive civilian casualties and the destruction of infrastructure. Resulting in millions being in need of humanitarian assistance – including more than 2 million children. 

Within just two months, RedR responded by designing and delivering 27 training sessions to 360 humanitarian responders. We then continued to expand our reach, ultimately training more than 6,000 Ukrainians. These were individuals supporting communities under extraordinary pressure. 

Our trainings equipped them with tools & skills to respond more effectively, covering topics such as humanitarian principles, blast-induced damage assessment, repair methods, retrofitting technologies and more. 

We trained local people, so the knowledge stays there.  

We hired and mentored local Ukrainian trainers. We delivered trainings and produced resources in Ukrainian. And we rooted the training contents in the reality of the situation in Ukraine, drawing on local case studies and Ukrainian building standards to make our trainings relevant and immediately applicable in the field. And this local capacity strengthening is hugely important. 

Recently the Mayor of Mykolaiv has communicated with us that “capacity strengthening” is one of their key needs. We have grouped up with our industry engineering partners in the UK and the Engineering Without Borders to train local professionals to support the safe return of displaced communities. 

In response to the acute shortage of qualified experts – damage assessors – we will train Ukrainian engineers and university lecturers. These lecturers will then train future generation engineers, thereby enhancing long-term in-country capacity. 

In one example shared by Engineers Without Borders, 750 children were not able to go to school because there was not enough capacity to determine whether their school building, which had been partially damaged by a missile strike, was safe to use or not. So, its not only the immediate impact of the destruction being caused, but the longer-term impact on the entire community which is also affected. In this way, our training on damage assessment unlock the capacity of more professionals to carry out “safe-building entry checks”, and in this case, hopefully to get those 750 children back into school. 

This initiative addresses critical societal challenges caused by war, including widespread displacement and infrastructure damage that compromise safety, health, and dignity. By equipping engineers and educators with essential skills, the project supports recovery efforts and promotes the reconstruction of built infrastructure. 

Our training strengthen the quality of the humanitarian response. It enhances local ownership. And ultimately, it saves lives. 

And crucially, we could not have done any of this alone. 

The speed and scale of our Ukraine response—and our ongoing work in conflict and climate-affected areas—has been driven by RedR’s core mission: uniting diverse expertise across humanitarian and private sectors to empower and train local responders for more effective, locally led humanitarian action in an increasingly complex world. 

That is why this work matters. And that is why your continued support matters.  

Read our strategy here. 

Bernadette Sexton

To mark RedR’s 45th anniversary, CEO Bernadette Sexton delivered a speech at our recent Annual Reception, reflecting on the organisation’s evolution and continued relevance in today’s humanitarian landscape. She addressed the growing global need for assistance, the challenges posed by shrinking funding, and the vital role of RedR’s locally led approach and partnerships in delivering lasting impact. Read the full speech below.

When we developed the strategy last year, we engaged with many stakeholders to determine how best we could deliver our mission: to develop the capacity of aid workers and organisations to respond to humanitarian needs and mitigate the impact of crises on the most vulnerable people.

Our mission remains sadly relevant because the demand for humanitarian assistance has never been higher. 1 in 22 people worldwide require humanitarian assistance.

This need is informed by escalating natural disasters, protracted conflicts, and deepening social inequities. At the same time, we are observing extreme weather events, with 2024 being the hottest year on record. So, the need has never been greater.

In this context, RedR’s impact is clear: we strengthen local responders to improve delivery, reduce waste, and contribute to a more effective humanitarian system.

That was in 2024. Since then, at the start of 2025, there have been significant cuts to humanitarian funding globally. This presents an existential challenge for the humanitarian sector as the sector considers how to fundamentally rethink how we create global impact.

In this landscape, RedR’s locally led approach has become even more acutely necessary.

Through our training and technical assistance, we gain localised insight regarding the immediate challenges being faced in disaster situations, allowing us to inform improvements through convening and sharing at the sectoral level.

That’s where our partnerships come to the fore. Whilst we are a small core team, our reach is wide.

We hosted our strategy launch at the offices of Arup, one of our longstanding partners. It’s just one visual example of how we engage within an ecosystem of partners where values align and where we benefit from synergies.

Those partnerships allow us to extend and amplify our impact.

What does this look like in practice? It includes:

1. Developing standards for camp management to support the flow of refugees and internally displaced populations in Nigeria and Ukraine
2. Designing resources to support responders to conflict related sexual violence in several languages including Burmese, French, Ukrainian, and English
3. Building climate resilience in drought and conflict vulnerable contexts in Somalia and Afghanistan
4. Training local NGOs delivering nutrition in emergencies in Mali to address extreme hunger
5. Delivering engineering in emergencies services in response to earthquakes and floods in Morocco, Libya, Turkey and Syria
6. Supporting global commitments to provide clean water, and improved sanitation and hygiene systems through the WASH roadmap.
7. Conducting blast damage assessments to allow safe return to homes; and supporting reform and repair of the water utilities in Ukraine.

RedR’s work is only possible through this ecosystem.

We have relied on your training and technical expertise that allows us to deliver our work to a high standard.

We have tapped into your networks that have connected us to key stakeholders to ensure a contextualised approach that builds on best practice.

We have benefited from your funding as individuals, as trusts and foundations, and as companies that has allowed us to deliver this work.

This year marks the 45^th anniversary of RedR. Our founder Peter Guthrie remains an enthusiastic supporter.  Anytime, I meet up with Peter, I come away from that discussion with a renewed sense of urgency from one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met and a sense of how RedR has evolved to continue to be relevant and make a difference.

RedR was established in 1980. Since 1988 Her Royal Highness has been our President and has remained steadfast in her support of RedR, and has displayed an active interest in our work.

What we see in our work in crisis-affected areas – is that investing in people, knowledge and skills creates a ripple effect that has long lasting impact.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Read our strategy here. 

RedR UK Celebrates Achievements and Launches Strategy with Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal

On Wednesday 7^th May 2025, humanitarian NGO RedR held its Annual Reception, hosted by its long-standing partner Arup, at its Charlotte Street offices. The event brought together RedR’s diverse community of staff, partners, and supporters from across engineering and humanitarian sectors to celebrate the organisation’s achievements and reaffirm its continued commitment to driving impact through its strategic priorities amidst emerging global challenges.

RedR’s President, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, was in attendance and emphasised the importance of working with local responders to strengthen existing humanitarian capacities.

Over the course of the evening, attendees had the opportunity to network and listen to inspiring speeches from RedR’s CEO Bernadette Sexton, RedR’s Senior Technical Programmes Coordinator Dr. Noorullah Kuchai, and Her Royal Highness, who has been President of RedR since 1988. Their remarks echoed the organisation’s strategic direction, prioritising localisation, climate resilience, and strengthening the skills of those on the frontlines of crisis response.

The evening also marked the launch of RedR’s 2025-2027 Strategy, which builds on the organisation’s roots in humanitarian engineering, and reinforces its broader commitment to strengthening local and international response capacity through training programmes, technical assistance, and convening.

This strategy comes at a vital time, as the humanitarian sector faces unprecedented funding shortfalls amid rising global need and instability. RedR’s work to equip local responders with the skills and support they need is more critical than ever. By strengthening local leadership and knowledge, RedR helps make humanitarian response more sustainable, efficient, and equitable.

Bernadette Sexton, CEO of RedR said: “At a time when humanitarian funding cannot match the unprecedented demand, efficiency is crucial. Learning and development transforms the ability of humanitarians to efficiently deliver lifesaving aid to those that need it most. This is at the heart of RedR’s strategy to equip local agencies and communities with the knowledge and skills to prepare, respond and rebuild in the face of disasters.”

If you’d like to give financially to support projects for disaster-affected communities all over the world, you can do so here. 

يحدد هذا التقرير الموجز لتقييم احتياجات التعلم وتقييم قدرات المنظمات الوطنية الثغرات في القدرات واحتياجات التعلم بين المستجيبين الأفراد والمنظمات المشاركة في الاستجابة للأزمة في السودان

إن فهم هذه الثغرات أمر ضروري لتطوير برامج تدريب مستهدفة، يمكن أن تعزز المهارات والمعارف المطلوبة لمواجهة التحديات المعقدة التي يفرضها النزاع

كما قام تقييم احتياجات التعلم وتقييم قدرات المنظمات الوطنية بتقييم نقاط القوة الموجودة لدى المستجيبين، بحيث يمكن لكل من ريدر أن توصي بأفضل الطرق التي يمكن للشركاء في المجال الإنساني الاستفادة من هذه القدرات على أفضل وجه

استخدام النتائج لتدريب المستجيبين للكوارث على الموضوعات الأكثر إلحاحاًالتأكد من صحتها.

خلفية: يعاني السودان من واحدة من أشد الأزمات الإنسانية في التاريخ الحديث بسبب الصراعات الطويلة وعدم الاستقرار السياسي والانهيار الاقتصادي والكوارث الطبيعية.  أدى الصراع بين القوات المسلحة السودانية (SAF) وقوات الدعم السريع (RSF)، الذي تصاعد في أبريل 2023، أدى إلى انتشار العنف والنزوح على نطاق واسع، مما أدى إلى إرباك قدرات الاستجابة الوطنية.  

تم إجراء تقييم احتياجات التعلم وتقييم قدرات المنظمات الوطنية من قبل منظمة RedR UK والأكاديمية الإنسانية للتنمية لتحديد الثغرات المعرفية وأوجه القصور في المهارات ومتطلبات تعزيز القدرات لدى العاملين في المجال الإنساني والمنظمات الوطنية في السودان. وكان الهدف من هذا الجهد المشترك هو إثراء تصميم برامج التدريب والتوجيه المستهدفة لتعزيز فعالية العمليات الإنسانية. ورغم أن التقييمات أجريت مع مجموعة محددة من 22 منظمة غير حكومية وطنية و76 مستجيبا فرديا، فإن الاتجاهات التي تم تحديدها في أولويات التعلم والتحديات التنظيمية واحتياجات تعزيز القدرات ذات صلة وثيقة بالمنظمات غير الحكومية الوطنية “الناشئة” و”المتوسعة” والجهات الفاعلة الإنسانية العاملة في السودان. 

المنهجية: استخدمت التقييمات نهجًا منظمًا يجمع بين أساليب جمع البيانات الكمية الأولية (الاستطلاعات الإلكترونية) والنوعية الأولية (مقابلات مع المخبرين الرئيسيين ومناقشات مجموعات التركيز)، بالإضافة إلى تحليل البيانات الثانوية (السياسات التنظيمية). تم تحليل البيانات باستخدام البرامج الإحصائية والتحليل المواضيعي، مع التدقيق المتبادل لضمان صحتها. 

النتائج الرئيسية

تم تحديد العديد من التدريبات المختلفة كحاجة مثل:

التنسيق

تقييم الاحتياجات

الأمن الشخصي

الحماية الإنسانية

التخطيط للمشاريع

المساءلة أمام الفئات المتأثرة

تطوير القدرات البشرية

التشغيل و الإدارة

الاستدامة

الإدارة المالية

This Learning Needs Assessment identifies capacity gaps and learning needs among engineers and technical specialists engaged in response efforts in Libya.

Understanding these gaps is essential for developing targeted training programs, that can enhance the skills and knowledge required to address the complex challenges posed by the conflict. 

The LNA also assessed the existing strengths among engineers, so RedR can recommend the best ways that humanitarian partners can leverage best these capabilities. 

Using the findings to train disaster responders on the most urgent topics

Subsequently, RedR conducted this in-depth and detailed Learning Needs Assessment to better inform the ongoing training response to the disaster in Libya. The overarching questions that this Learning Needs Assessment seeks to assess are:

• What are the current capacity gaps and learning needs amongst humanitarian responders to
  the Libya floods?
• What are the capacity strengths amongst humanitarians responding to the floods?
• How can humanitarian partners best utilise these strengths?

It enables RedR to tailor our response to the evolving needs of the crisis. By understanding the specific learning needs and capacity gaps, RedR can provide training that is most relevant and impactful, thereby enhancing the overall response in Libya. 

Key findings

Various trainings were identified as a need such as:

• coordination
• needs assessment
• water management
• WASH
• flood effect on structures and infrastructures
• Rapid Damage Assessments
• Accountability to Affected Populations
• Humanitarian principles
• protection
• personal safety and security.

There is a shift in needs now that Libya is no longer in an emergency phase but is now in a transitional phase. Some of the trainings that are more of a priority now are DRR and climate
change.

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In October 2023, Herat province in Afghanistan was impacted by a series of earthquakes which caused severe destruction to buildings and infrastructure. Ebadullah Momand has overseen response from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on shelter and housing, since then, serving as technical focal person at the field level in the region.

“We supported the community financially and technically to build transitional shelters in one
village (Chahak)”, explains Ebadullah. He is now working to continue support through building
and repairing homes. 

“The RedR training on repairing and retrofitting vernacular houses was very relevant”, says
Ebadullah. “Such trainings are rare, and there is a huge expertise gap in Afghanistan in
retrofitting vernacular and even modern buildings and houses.”

When earthquakes strike, these houses are often significantly impacted. We need repair and retrofitting techniques that are affordable and earthquake resistant. He says, “My experience with UNDP has taught me about vernacular concepts including carbon emissions, climate-friendly practices, and building local knowledge and capacity, which have helped me easily understand the training on retrofitting and repairing of vernacular houses, conducted by RedR UK.” 

As Ebadullah explains, however, there is significant value in preserving and repairing vernacular houses, created through traditional techniques – from not only a cultural, but also a technical standpoint. “In preserving cultural heritage through these traditional techniques, we also ensure the sustainability of these structures with minimal carbon emissions. Using local materials and traditional techniques not only enhances the resilience of these houses to seismic forces, but also makes them more adaptable to local climate conditions, leading to natural energy efficiency.”

This training, specifically catered to developing earthquake resilience in vernacular structures such as these, therefore holds particular value in the Afghan context. “By equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to implement earthquake-resistant features and retrofitting measures in vernacular houses”, says Ebadullah, “we can help communities better withstand the impact of earthquakes and protect their cultural and traditional method of life.”

“The training has had a significant impact on my work, as it has deepened my understanding of the importance of preserving vernacular housing techniques, especially in disaster-prone areas like Afghanistan. I now have the knowledge and skills to implement earthquake-resistant features and retrofitting measures in traditional houses, which will help communities better withstand the impact of earthquakes and protect their cultural heritage.”

“This training has inspired me to continue working in disaster response, as I see the value in combining traditional knowledge with modern techniques to build more resilient and sustainable communities.”

Thanks for your support for RedR’s work in training disaster responders worldwide. Give financially to support this and similar projects for disaster-affected communities all over the world here.

Yousra is a mental health physician, with experience working with many different organisations, locally and internationally.

Working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Capacity Building Assistant, she runs training and workshops on mental health, especially for migrant groups in schools and other community contexts.  She is also the founder of Mwja, an enterprise providing training and raising community awareness about mental health. Yousra is experienced in supporting people through crisis contexts. In 2019, she founded an NGO platform to raise awareness around managing stress created by the civil war in Libya. 

The flood in Libya, caused by the breaking of two dams following Storm Daniel on 11 September 2023, caused over 30,000 people to lose their homes, with more than 10,000 people having lost their lives. The disaster causes widespread psychological trauma for those affected by the flood, as well as for those who respond.  

Through RedR’s Training of Trainers programme, Yousra developed her skills in online training delivery, learning to improve interactivity, and ensure participants take in what they’re learning. “In addition to a certificate that may help me develop my career”, says Yousra, “valuable information and a network of relationships with trainers and attendees is the biggest gain for me.” 

Equipped to develop her own online training for mental health support workers working with those affected by the Libya floods, Yousra is launching her own online programme in February 2024. With specific expertise for disaster contexts, Yousra will pass on her expertise in psychological first aid, self-care for responders, and empower her participants to begin their own basic steps to facilitate support group for adults and children.  

Thanks for your support for RedR’s work in Libya, generously supported by H2H and FCDO. If you’d like to give financially to support this and similar projects for disaster-affected communities all over the world, you can do so here. 

Since the floods that devastated the city of Derna in Libya last September, Basma El-Werfally has been working with her team to provide support.

Chair of Meras Organisation for Development, a youth volunteer and development organisation, Basma lead a large campaign in the aftermath of the flood, giving food, household items, and other essentials to families who had lost everything. 

Founded in 2017 to strengthen the role of civil society in Libya, Meras usually focuses on capacity development, particularly of women and young people. Their first project strengthened social entrepreneurship among organisational leaders, and Meras went on to support capacities for various vulnerable groups affected by conflict, adopting projects for economic and political empowerment of women and young people. With several projects implemented with funding from the European Union and local partners, Meras aspires to implement many programs that enhance its role as a Libyan civil society organization contributing to achieving sustainable development in Libya.

Although Basma was experienced in working in contexts of conflict, the flood brought a new kind of disaster on an unprecedented scale. Alongside the challenges of the emergency response including lack of available data, security and political challenges, and a widespread lack of confidence in donor organisations, Basma and her team were also profoundly affected psychologically by the disaster. 

Although she is already an experienced coach and trainer, Basma had never worked in a humanitarian disaster of this kind. RedR’s Training of Trainers programme equipped Basma with the humanitarian knowledge she needed to train others, with the specific skills needed in emergency disaster response contexts. 

Thanks for your support for RedR’s work in Libya, generously supported by FCDO and H2H. If you’d like to give financially to support this and similar projects for disaster-affected communities all over the world, you can do so here. 

Clean water. Hot food. Safe roads. These are everyday necessities. But for many people, they are still out of reach.

RedR has embarked on an innovative partnership to support humanitarian engineering innovations looking to meet some of these challenges in Uganda. This is in collaboration with the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE) and the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) at Makerere University, and made possible thanks to generous donations from WSP, Ramboll, and The Royal Academy of Engineering.

First, our Humanitarian Skills for Engineers training course strengthened the capacity of engineers in Uganda to lead such a project. Then, participants were awarded a microgrant of £3000 to enable them to practice the new skills acquired in the training, in partnership with a local NGO, for the benefit of a local community. Read on for the transformation brought by four different projects completed across Uganda.

Annet Nsiimire: Clean Energy and new life in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement

The Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement in South-western Uganda is home to more than 78,000 people. Most are women and children, who have fled over the border from the conflict in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Rwamwanja had an urgent need for clean energy. At the Mahani reception centre, residents with specific health issues receive cooked meals. The clean energy system used by the residents was, however, in disrepair and difficult to use.

Annet Nsiimire was able to use her microgrant to bring change. She began a partnership with NGO Advance Africa to renovate twelve cooking stoves at Mahani, allowing the residents to cook with clean energy. The installation also included dimmer switches to allow heat to be regulated, greatly improving the cooking experience.

For Annet, it was a significant priority to empower the women and girls in Rwamwanja to use clean energy. Almost all households sampled in Annet’s community engagement exercise use firewood as a primary fuel, taking women and girls a minimum of two hours per day, every day, to collect. “It takes not less than six hours to collect firewood and get back home”, said one respondent. The women in Rwamwanja explained that in such daily journeys, the women and girls who go risk violent attack and sexual abuse, as well other threats such as snake bites. “Many times”, explained another respondent, “children are abused and beaten by landowners when looking for fuel, which may include agricultural residues and dung. Running away, they are cut by barbed wire.” Another respondent revealed that “the energy crisis is worse for refugees, because trees in settlement zones are marked, and no refugee is allowed to cut any tree. Members of the host community cut them.”

“Collection and use of fuels is a life-threatening activity”, says Annet. The use of clean energy, however, liberates women and girls from this dangerous daily labour, which causes conflict and degrades the environment. Annet has already seen the impact of repairing the clean energy stoves.

“Immediately after the project,” she says, “new arrivals came in, two mothers among them and gave birth. Because of the easy access to clean fuel, it was very easy to fix quick meals and access warm water to bathe the newborn babies. When I heard of this it was really fulfilling to my heart. Our project was making a difference in the community, supporting the babies’ first moments along with their mothers at such a significant time.”

Annet is now a Trainer on the Humanitarian Skills for Engineers course, passing on her skills and experience to new cohorts of humanitarian engineers, and multiplying the impact of her expertise.

Oryem John Speke: Access and empowerment in Iyer Communities

The rural access road to the Iyer village communities in Agago District, Northern Uganda, is often submerged. During the rainy season, residents are forced to travel an extra ten kilometres for basic services. No vehicles reach them. Humanitarian Skills for Engineers participant Oryem John Speke met members of the Organisation for African Social Development (OASD) at a RedR UK event in Kampala. With RedR UK microgrant funding, they planned a project to install culverts and drainage systems under the road, to transform the lives of people in the three Iyer village communities.

Previous culverts installed to draw water away from the road were not effective – they had been laid as part of political campaigns, without professional guidance. John’s team reinstalled this old material, along with a new bridge, so that the way to markets, employment opportunities, and health and education facilities would never be cut off by floodwater. The new culverts were tried and tested during the rainy season in April and May, where they swept away flash flood water without affecting the new bridge or the road.

Mobilising the community made the project a success. John and the dedicated OASD team collaborated tirelessly, engaging local and district leaders, stakeholders, and community members with the right message. “There has been an increase in the community’s awareness of their role in community development”, says John. The people of Iyer were mobilised to provide local resources, including finance, tools, and labour. “The project has also promoted unity in the community”.

A significant achievement was the participation of women and girls. John took care to ensure they contributed to the decision-making process and planning, as well as implementation. “I helped them to know that they can do anything the men do, from setting out project site and masonry, to clearance of the site, and the reinstatement of the environment”, shares John. “I had to give them opportunities to show what they are capable of”. 20 women and girls worked on the installation of the project. “Thus,” explains John, “women have come to learn and participate in the community at large, and they are seen as valuable. When it started, people in the community would say that women cannot do this job. But during implementation phase, they were seeing the benefits!”

The Iyer communities still face many challenges, including the most pressing – no access to safe water during dry seasons. OASD has introduced a social development plan to community members. They will continue to work with them in the coming months, opening an office at Iyer Tekulo to implement more life-changing projects.

John and OASD have already jointly written a proposal for water supply, irrigation, and a solar powered water pump, and they are now looking for a sponsor to help provide clean water year-round for the whole Iyer community, as well as installing additional culverts for other access roads.

Swaib Semiyaga: Water and welcome at Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement

Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in Madi-Okollo, northwestern Uganda, houses more than 130,000 refugees. Most of them have fled conflict in South Sudan.

Engineer Swaib Semiyaga, a Humanitarian Skills for Engineers participant, used a RedR UK microgrant to bring change for new arrivals to the settlement, partnering with the Arua District Water and Sanitation Association (ADWASA).

Two refugee reception centers in the Rhino Camp Settlement did not have easy-to-use handwashing points. Swaib explains, “a WASH project in a refugee setting requires regular maintenance to ensure that channel blockages and leakages are worked on. Pipes and valves are always vandalized.”

Working with ADWASA, Swaib coordinated the installation of four new water points, with reduced energy needs from previous models. The ease-of-use system eliminates valves at the user end point. They have improved the handwashing practice in the reception centres, encouraging new arrivals to use the taps in a safe and non-destructive way. 

The team’s vision is to expand this successful initiative to other humanitarian settings, enabling more communities to benefit from improved WASH practices. Through their dedication and innovation, they have proven that small changes can make a big difference in transforming lives in even the most challenging of settings.

Taban Denis: Protection for young girls in Kira, Bweyogerere

In the heart of Wakiso district, engineer Taban Denis partnered with the Teenage Mothers and Child Support Foundation (TMCSF), to bring about a life-changing project – the construction of a community spring well.

This initiative aimed not only to provide safe water for thousands of households, but also to protect girls from teenage pregnancies and child marriages.

Prior to the project, the local community relied on a shallow and contaminated ponded spring for their water needs. The spring was often polluted by runoff surface water during rainy seasons, and littered with plastic. For 3,500 households, this meant compromising their health and well-being on a daily basis.

Joining humanitarian and engineering expertise, these projects have assisted communities to respond to disaster and prepare for upcoming risks. Affected communities are empowered to safeguard their local environment, their health, and their economic prospects.

Could you help bring basic provision to transform communities around the world? Give to RedR UK here, or contact fundraising@redr.org.uk to enquire about how you can support us.

If you’re interested in developing your skills, get in touch at training@redr.org.uk or browse our open courses here.

This article contains elements that may be distressing. 

In mid-March, soon after the February earthquake, we sent our Emergency Response Coordinator Mohammed Bashein to Türkiye.

He accompanied the Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT), from the Institution of Structural Engineers, on a research trip to earthquake sites. Mohammed spent ten days with the team as they carried out their research into structural, infrastructural, geotechnic, and humanitarian work that is required. 

For RedR, this was an opportunity to understand the situation on the ground first hand, to inform our ongoing response. “Humanitarians always talk about serving populations,” says Mohammed. “But if we only operate from siloes, ivory towers, and computer screens many miles away we won’t really know or understand.” Insights from the trip have been invaluable in informing our Learning Needs Assessment, freely available to all working in this context.  

Coordination saves lives, and this trip has helped us make more connections. We’re looking forward to bridging the humanitarian and engineering sectors in the region to build a coordination group. We have good connections, for instance, with engineer syndicates in Syria, and we’re also part of the Shelter cluster. We can use our positionality to connect them. 

How can this trip inform ongoing conversations about capacity, power, and privilege? Here, Mohammed shares his reflections and insights.

What was it like to be on the ground? 

“I’ve been to Türkiye many times before, and some of the culture and politics overlaps with Libya, where I’m from. My personal experience in Libya gave me some insight. In the 2019 conflict in Tripoli, my house burnt down, so I had a lot of empathy for how damage affects people’s lives first hand. In each storey of those damaged buildings, you can see a life.

Do any interactions with people you met there stick in your mind? 

“One of our first conversations was with an elder, fixing and building some tents. I greeted him.  

“‘Hi uncle, I hope you and your family are well. I thank God for your safety.’ Lots of people needed to hear that kind of thing. On the night of the earthquake, he had taken his daughter to another city for routine medical treatment. When he returned to a ruined house, he couldn’t get a tent from the government. Someone else had given these to him. He told us that being from Syria undermines you. ‘We’re not a high priority’, he said. ‘But I’m thankful my family are safe, and people help us’. He insisted we stay and have coffee with him.” 

“On another occasion, an elder lady asked us to see her home, even though we explained that we could not carry out any government assessments. She and her four sons were from Syria, but they had been renting this now partially collapsed house for ten years. I tried to give her some psychosocial support. Standing in her courtyard, next to her collapsed house, I told her I recognised her pain. People in this part of the world always pray for you as you speak. ‘I know you can’t do anything’, she said, ‘but you entered my heart. I hope to meet again in better circumstances.’ She said her daughters-in-law could make us some lunch. The moment made me realise the number of shocks these people have been through. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing resilience, or numbness.”  

“Another woman asked us to see her house, although authorities had already told her it must be demolished. I tried to manage her expectations. I didn’t have the authority nor the capacity to assess its structural integrity, and her house had a lot of cracks. She told us she came every day just to be near it. I know from my experience in Tripoli that feeling, of trying to figure out where to start.”

The earthquake has now completely fallen out of the news cycle here in the UK. What are your thoughts about the ongoing need? How can we make a difference? 

Even if you are on the wrong side of those linguistic and cultural barriers, anyone who wants to do good can find a way. It’s a matter of recognising your positionality, including from a socio-historical perspective. Be aware of how you see people, and how they see you.  

“The needs are still there, and there is lots to be done. Many of us are privileged to be in parts of the world, where these are not our problems. That gives us a responsibility to try and mobilise resources.  

In my conversations with friends in the UK, I see that people are very interested to know what’s happening and donate. They want to make an impact. They just want to know how.”