“I feel so happy seeing the house being constructed for me and my children, even if I am not getting enough food support, but when I have a good shelter, it helps me forget the bad things that I went through in Congo.”
These are the words of 29-year-old Riziki Angella, a mother of four who fled to Uganda after rebels abducted her husband and violence in her village in the Democratic Republic of Congo became unbearable.
Arrival in Uganda
Riziki arrived in Uganda in February 2025 with her children, unsure of what the future held. “The time I was in Congo is when I met a lot of challenges, where the rebels came to our home and abducted my husband and took him to the bush for two months. Shortly after that, the war in Congo became very intense, so we all ran away,” she recalls.
At the Matanda reception centre, her family received clothing, including items for her daughter with a physical disability. It was a small but meaningful gesture after days of walking in fear.
Life in Nakivale
Relocating to Nakivale refugee settlement exposed Riziki to another layer of hardship. Families like hers lived under plastic sheets that leaked when it rained. Her husband returned briefly with one of their children but soon went back to Congo, leaving Riziki to face the burden of raising her children alone.
“The biggest challenge is whenever it rained, at night, it was hard for us to sleep because this small tent house leaks. So, we all wake up and stand but everything ends up getting wet. The child living with physical disability also becomes another challenge, because she needs us to carry her at that moment which sometimes brings a lot of negative thoughts and stress to me,” she explains.
A Crisis Beyond One Family
Riziki’s struggles reflect those of thousands of Congolese who crossed into Uganda as conflict escalated in early 2025. By February, Uganda had already received more than 26,000 new arrivals, the majority of whom were women and children, but many carried invisible scars. TPO Uganda’s pre-arrival assessments had shown high levels of trauma, depression, and anxiety among refugees, with suicide cases on the rise due to limited mental health support.
Support that Changed Everything
It was at her lowest point that Riziki encountered TPO Uganda. With support from DanChurchAid through the Augustinus Foundation, the organisation built a permanent shelter for her family.
Elias Mandirakiza, TPO Uganda’s Regional Coordinator, explains the approach: “Counselling alone is not enough when people return to leaking shelters. With the support of DCA through group cash transfers, we can now provide tangible assistance alongside psychosocial support, such as building safe shelters. This combination makes a real difference in the lives of households living under constant stress.”
Renewed Strength
The house gave Riziki more than a roof; it gave her the strength to think about tomorrow. “Yes, so much hope is back because I am seeing steady progress, since issues of not having shelter or a house that was initially stressing me so much is being resolved through TPO Uganda and her partners,” she says.
With stability restored, she now dreams of reviving her small baking skills to feed her family. “I have a plan to get a table and a frying pan when I get any little money, so that I can start baking mandazi, which will enable me to get a source of income that I can use to buy food for myself and my children.”
Dreaming Beyond Survival
Elias notes that while success stories like Riziki’s bring encouragement, the need across Nakivale remains overwhelming. “The need on the ground is vivid. Many households require shelter, and the more we can reach them, the greater the impact on mental health outcomes. We appeal for continued resources so that together, we can reduce the magnitude of distress in Nakivale refugee settlement.”
For Riziki, the journey is far from over, but the shelter has restored her ability to dream, plan, and believe that stability is possible for her and her children.
About this Project
Project Period: Started in April 2025 up to December 2025
Donor: Augustinus Foundation and the Humanitarian Crisis Fund
Theme: Saving lives
