The first Promise Hub on the planet opened its doors on April 29th 2019 in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda.  This pilot will prove our model, refine our process and help us learn valuable lessons to share with our future Local Impact Teams, who will spread Promise Hubs around the world.

FACTS ABOUT NAKIVALE

Nakivale Refugee Settlement was established in 1958 and officially recognized as a refugee settlement in 1960 through the Uganda Gazette General Notice No. 19. The settlement is divided into 79 villages with an average of 800 to 1,000 people per village.

Geographically, Uganda is at the center of the African continent. Many of the countries surrounding Uganda are embroiled in conflict or and other humanitarian crises, leading residents of these different nations to seek sanctuary within Uganda’s borders. The population in Nakivale is heterogeneous, hosting refugees from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. 

The first Promise Hub is located at the heart of Nakivale Refugee Settlement, on a piece of land secured by Nakivale residents. The space is called UHURU, which means “freedom”, and is quickly becoming a place for collaboration, creative expression, and cross-cultural dialogue in partnership with Habitas Rise and to.org.

The Hub is designed in collaboration with the local community and uses recycled plastic bottles as a core building component.

The Hub in Nakivale opened its doors on the 29th of April, 2019 and immediately began holding workshops for a first cohort of 40 Game Changers.