Permaculture & Compost
Transforming organic waste into nutrient-rich soil to revive the depleted settlement land, without chemical fertilizers.
Refugee-led · Regenerative · Nakivale
Nurturing the land that holds us.
Youth Refugees United for Development is a refugee-led movement in the Nakivale Settlement. We practice regenerative farming to restore the earth and build lasting self-reliance for our community.
Photographs taken by the team on the day. See more in the gallery.
Digital infrastructure
We build our own digital tools, too
Nakivale never had the tools a modern organisation runs on. So we are building them ourselves with AI, made for cheap phones and thin data, and decided by the people who use them.
- Member survey and accounts. Members tell us what to build and follow what happens to their answers. Join
- Build Directly. Requests written from members' own words, with their cost and progress shown openly. How it works
- Notice board. News and notices for the community, light enough to open anywhere. Open the board
- A farmer helper (being tested). Voice and photo notes, planting advice and simple farm records. Two early versions are being tried by our team first. They are not public yet.
- Training. Our own team is learning to build and change these tools themselves, in English and French.
Our story · from Justin's presentation
It began with a neighbour who died of hunger.
In 2018, in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Justin Buma and two strong women, Naomie Baguma and Cikuru Kasi, watched a neighbour die because there was not enough food. It showed how close to the edge many refugee families live — and they decided to act.
2018Where it began
2020Founded and registered · No. 0624
From handing out food to building self-reliance
At first YRUD gave emergency food to widows, orphans, elders, people living with disabilities and the poorest households. Over time the team saw that aid alone meets today's need but leaves the causes — dependency, unemployment, hunger, damaged land — untouched.
So YRUD changed course: clean water, farming that restores the soil, a circular economy, care for the environment and support for mental health, all led locally.
Water first
80
neighbouring families
A well YRUD drilled in New Hope, with a pump and a 3,000-litre tank, now gives about 80 families safer water close to home. More wells across the settlement are the next aim.
One loop, nothing wasted
Food rations have been cut to about 40% for the most vulnerable households, and to about 22% for others. YRUD's answer is a small farm system where each part feeds the next.
- 01
Well water feeds fish ponds — protein and income
- 02
Pond water rich in nutrients, irrigates crops and permaculture
- 03
Poultry gives organic waste for compost
- 04
Compost feeds the soil in place of chemicals
- 05
Harvests feed families, markets, the fish and the hens
Healing people and land together
Young people
Counselling for youth, women and trauma survivors, and plans for youth centres with sport, learning, digital skills and leadership.
The land
Bamboo to hold the soil and protect water around Lake Nakivale, and moringa for nutrition and income.
A sustainable future can only be built through solidarity, dignity and inclusion.
Refugees and host communities, side by side.
Together, we can turn aid into lasting, local solutions.
Our Ecosystem
Water & Fish Farming
Integrated aquatic systems that provide protein while managing water resources for irrigation through the dry seasons.
Poultry & Daily Nutrition
Community flocks that produce eggs, meat, and natural fertilizer — strengthening household food security across the settlement.
Training the Next Farmers
Hands-on training so young people and neighbors can reproduce these practices in their own plots and home communities.
Every day, our youth walk to the lake for water. Restoring the land begins with meeting needs as basic as this.
More than farming
We meet people where they are
Regenerating land goes hand in hand with caring for the people on it — feeding children, clean water and hygiene, dignity for women and girls, and visits to families, the sick, and elders who need us most.
Why this work matters
Refugee-ledBuilt by the community it serves
5 systemsPermaculture · Water · Poultry · Compost · Fish
Open trainingSo neighbors can replicate the model
“We are not just growing food; we are growing dignity. When a young person learns to heal the soil, they learn to heal their future.”
Justin Buma
Founder & Executive Director
Follow along
Leave your name and email and you will hear how this actually goes — photos from the fields in Nakivale, what worked, what did not, and where money went. No schedule, no selling of details, one click to leave.
Want the longer version, with where you are and what draws you to this? Use the full signup page.
Something specific to ask — partnership, funding, research? Write to Justin or email yrud.ug@gmail.com.