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Phase: Review

Talent for Peace and Welfare

We use sports and arts to promote peace and improve the welfare of refugees, host communities and those living in post conflict zones.

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What problem does the idea help to solve and how does your solution work? (2,000 characters maximum)

The UNHCR’s Annual Global Trends report notes that by the end of 2016, Uganda was hosting 940,800 refugees and asylum-seekers, the highest number in the country’s history. Uganda then was the 5th largest refugee hosting country in the world and the largest in Africa (UNHCR, 2016a: 15). By January 2018, this number stood at over 1.4 million (Government of Uganda & UNHCR, 2018).The majority of these refugees come from neighboring countries and the wider region, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea among others. According to the World Bank (2016: 71), “Uganda is faced with a large number of refugees caught in protracted situations, unable to return to their countries of origin, sometimes for decades”. Protracted refugee situations present a challenge to countries of asylum hosting permanent refugees without any foreseeable solution to their plight. Being a top refugee hosting country in Africa and the world, Uganda faces demands in meeting the needs of a large number of refugees. Talent for peace and welfare works to promote peace and welfare of refugees and people in post conflict areas through the use of sports and arts to address unemployment and encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. Through our Peace Football and Netball clubs, we organise annual peace cup where these youth compete against each other while promoting peace. After the tournament, we select the best footballers to join Peace Football Club and Peace Netball Club. We are building these clubs to play professionally so that these youth can earn a living. We also use performing and visual arts to promote peace and wellbeing among youth in these communities. We conduct annual performing and visual art competitions where the best youth in the performing arts category are awarded to record their music in the best local studios and for visual arts, we have an art gallery where we help them sell their art pieces.

Geography of focus (500 characters)

Our focus Area in Eastern Africa. Countries like Uganda, Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Burundi have gone through many wars and conflict that has resulted into a huge number of refugees within the region. We are currently operating in Uganda with plans to expand into these areas within the next five years.

Building Bridges: What bridge does your idea build between people on the move and neighbors towards a shared future of stability and promise? (500 characters)

Our idea supports both refugees and people within the host communities. This is intended to improve the welfare of both the refugees and the hosting communities. This in the end improves the livelihoods of both the refugees and the host communities hence reduce dependency burden on the host communities by refugees.

What human need is your idea solving for? (1,000 characters)

We are addressing the high levels of unemployment among refugees and their host communities and people living in post conflict areas through promoting their talents and link them to opportunities to professionalise them, earn a decent living and improve their livelihoods. We are also addressing the issue of conflict and insecurity since our target beneficiaries are victims of such. We use talents like sports, performing and visual arts to promote peace within the Eastern Africa region.

What will be different within the community of focus as a result of implementing your idea? (1,000 characters)

We believe our intervention will restore hope and there will be improved livelihoods among the refugees and the host communities since young people will be tapped to engage into sports and arts as a source of income.

What part of the displacement journey is your solution addressing

  • Arriving and settling at a destination community

Tell us how you'd describe the type of innovation you are proposing

  • Channel: A new way to deliver existing products or services to customers or end users

Idea Proposal Stage

  • Early Adoption: We have completed a pilot and analyzed the impact of that pilot on the intended users of the idea. I have proof of user uptake (i.e. 16% to 49% of the target population or 1,000 to 50,000 users).

Group or Organization Name

Artimafrica

Type of submitter

  • We are a registered Non-Profit Organization

Organization Headquarters: Country

Uganda

Organization Headquarters: City / State

Uganda

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Hi, welcome to the Challenge. We wish you success!

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