A day in the life of a mother in Uganda’s Imvepi refugee camp
Asha Vicky, a single mother and South Sudanese refugee in Uganda’s Imvepi camp, is trying to maintain a sense of normality for her two young daughters. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, more than 67,000 refugees and asylum seekers resided in the settlement, as of February 2024.
"I try to be strong, but I think a lot about our situation, it's tough" said Vicky, 39.
A decrease in food assistance funding has led to cuts in rations in the area. Yet somehow, Vicky manages to find the energy to be up and working her fields at 6 a.m. before heading to the market to sell the vegetables and spices that she grows.
Her daughters, Adhel*, 6, and Apuk*, 2, are her motivation to keep going. She plans to expand her small business in the marketplace so she can pay for their schooling. Even after long days in the field and at the market, she finds time to have fun with her kids.
*name changed
Oxfam met Vicky through a project in West Nile, Uganda, that supports refugees and host communities. The humanitarian development and peacebuilding project, which started in 2022 and will run until 2025, is a collaboration between Oxfam, national and local NGOs, and refugee-led organizations. Through the initiative we aim to foster local and refugee leadership, education, food and economic security.
