Nakivale, Isingiro District – ACT Alliance members under the Regional Appeal CEA421 in Response to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) conflict have today successfully concluded a four-day joint monitoring and learning visit to Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District, Uganda.
The visit, held from July 21st to 24th, 2025, was organized to strengthen regional collaboration and share best practices in refugee response and humanitarian programming.
The delegation brought together representatives from ACT Alliance member forums in Uganda Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Humanitarian team from ACT Regional Secretariat for Africa in Nairobi creating a unique cross-border learning platform.
Participating members from Uganda included Finn Church Aid (FCA), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), HEKS/EPER (Swiss Church Aid), and Church of Uganda.
The delegation from Tanzania was represented by Tanganyika Christian Refugee Services (TCRS), while Kenya was represented by the ACT Alliance Regional Office. DRC partners included Christian Aid (CA), Bureau Œcuménique d’Appui au Développement (BOAD), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Congo (EELCO), and Église du Christ au Congo (ECC).
Delegates began their monitoring and learning visit with a courtesy meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Office in Mbarara, the Regional Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in Mbarara and field Commandant in Nakivale Based Camp.
In the course of the visit, delegates engaged with project participants including direct and indirect beneficiaries, implementing structures, host communities, and local stakeholders.
The different field activities included focus group discussions with men, women, youth, elders, and faith leaders.
Members also interacted with community structures providing psychosocial support, peacebuilding initiatives, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response among others. Additional site visits included an education community supported facility, livelihoods and cash-for-work interventions.
Speaking at the learning event this afternoon, Irene Anena the ACT Uganda Forum Coordinator and Regional Appeal Lead stated that:
“This joint learning mission has reinforced our shared commitment to dignified, inclusive, and contextually relevant humanitarian programming. Through this visit, we have seen the strength of our partnerships in action – learning from one another, building solidarity, and deepening our collective impact for displaced populations across the region.”
The mission concluded with a joint reflection and learning session, where each country forum shared key takeaways, challenges, and actionable recommendations to strengthen regional coordination and the ongoing ACT Appeal.
About ACT Alliance
ACT Alliance (Action for Churches Together), is a global faith-based coalition organized in national and regional forums operating in more than 120 countries. Through our over 140 member organizations, we support local communities by working on humanitarian aid, gender and climate justice, migration and displacement, and peace and security.
Our goal is to promote a locally led and coordinated approach to advocacy, humanitarian, and development issues. Collectively, our members employ more than 19,000 staff and over 32,000 volunteers across the globe. We remain committed to putting Hope in Action through our faith inspired approaches and Networks.
