The Y4P Migration Fellowship offers young professionals an unparalleled opportunity to spend six months gaining both academic and field experience working in the niche area of refugee, forced displacement, migration, and being part of a movement to build an inclusive and responsive pro-youth policy landscape.
The Fellows will work directly with migrant and refugee communities across Uganda and will have the rare chance to access key stakeholders and experts in the field. Throughout the Programme, the Fellows will be trained in key public policy topics as well. Ultimately, the fellows shall be equipped with relevant tools to enable them to protect the rights of displacement populations, contribute to ongoing advocacy and policy-making efforts and undertake path-breaking research and work in the field. Fellows will also have exposure to the workings of KAS’ key partners and collaborators, which includes UN agencies, CSOs, and the relevant state MDAs. Moreover, the Y4P Migration Fellowship can be used as a springboard toward a wide range of academic and professional opportunities in the future.
Below is a list of the fellows, their professional background, and topics they shall research as part of their fellowship.
1. Aharimpisya Sarah recently completed her master of research and public policy at Uganda Christian University (UCU). Her research project focuses on understanding the processes for the reception and resettlement of refugees in Uganda.
2. Ocen George is a lawyer. He wants to research and provide alternatives for improving asylum-seeking processes in Uganda.
3. Balyebuga Kelvin, also a lawyer wants to track the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees in Uganda.
4. Kirungi Ritah, a Senior State Attorney based at Arua Regional Office is investigating the challenges and opportunities for access to justice by refugees in Uganda.
5. Ian Katusiime is a journalist with the Ugandan Independent Magazine. His research project seeks to analyze how IGAD responds to the refugee crisis in Uganda.
6. Lomilo Lucius who is a program manager, at Mercy Corps seeks to understand the crisis of child trafficking in Karamoja.
7. Mwine Edgar is a Migration Officer at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Uganda. His research project seeks to assess citizenship laws and their impact on implications on social relations in Uganda.
8. Nuwagaba Frank who is also an Immigration officer shall conduct a research project to assess the impact of labor externalization on national development in Uganda.
9. Otyang Nancy‘s research project seeks to analyze and provide policy alternatives for better management of the internally displaced Karamojong in Uganda.
10. Brian Oduti, a lawyer is conducting research to assess digital rights and opportunities for refugees in Uganda.
11. James Onono Ojok, who is a public relations officer of Gulu University is assessing pertinent questions around public relations and delivery of public to displaced persons in Uganda.
12. Okot Sam Olaa, a lawyer is studying the emergence and operations of post-conflict criminal groups, specifically focusing on Aguu, a criminal group in Gulu City.
13. Muhindo Innocent Samuel, a journalist with the Observer Newspapers is researching aspects around access to information among forcefully displaced persons in Uganda.
14. Patricia Namakula who heads research projects at the Centre for Multilateral Affairs researching the nexus between resettling refugees and environmental destruction in Uganda.
15. Victoria Oketta whose research project seeks to analyze access to credit by refugees in Uganda is a lawyer currently working at Uganda Registration Services Bureau.
16. Linda Asaba Awebwa who is a program associate at the Uganda Health Communications Alliance is conducting a research project focusing on addressing mental health challenges faced by urban refugees in Kampala.
17. Judith Nakirijja who is an academic at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) is conducting her research on the barriers to economic participation for young refugees in Uganda.
18. Kasumba Joe Javiira’s research project focuses on policy alternatives for curbing the increase of street children in Kampala.
About the Y4P Fellowship
Youth4Policy is an initiative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung aimed at empowering the next generation of policy experts to meaningfully contribute to policy analysis and public debates. Youth4Policy serves as a capacity development lab for youth leaders from a diverse spectrum of backgrounds such as academia, civil society, and public service with a motivation to research and analyze specific policy questions from a youth perspective. Particularly for the next five years, the fellowship program shall attract young researchers who are interested to study and explore pertinent policy questions around migration and forced displacement issues in Uganda and South Sudan.