Learning to Lead

Human rights education programme empowers Sudanese refugee girls in Uganda to become advocates for their communities, part of an ECW-funded initiative.

By Education Cannot Wait

December 18^th, 2025

Adapted story from the field. Special contribution by Legal Action Worldwide.

In a classroom in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, Uganda, a circle of girls lean forward as the discussion turns to rights, dignity and justice. Some are hearing these words framed this way for the first time. Others recognize them instantly from their own lived experiences. What brings them together is a shared determination to turn knowledge into action – and to help reshape the futures of girls like themselves.

In August, Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), together with its partner the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), launched a comprehensive human rights education training for out-of-school Sudanese refugee girls in Uganda affected by the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Supported by an Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Acceleration Facility grant, the programme combines legal education with mental health and psychosocial support, while also helping participants access formal and non-formal education opportunities. It is a holistic approach designed not only to inform, but to heal and empower.

Session on human rights in Kampala. © Legal Action Worldwide

In late August 2025, LAW and SIHA held two pilot sessions of the programme in Uganda. Twenty-five out-of-school girls aged 11 to 18 came together for three days of intensive learning. They explored human rights, gender equality, gender-based violence, sexual violence, referral pathways, psychosocial support and first aid, alongside practical sessions on creating and delivering advocacy messages and how to become an agent of change.

“We cannot wait to finish this training and contribute to our community with what we have learned here.” ~Participant

The girls shared openly about their personal experiences, engaging deeply with topics rarely discussed in their communities. For many, displacement has interrupted their education and exposed them to heightened risks, including gender-based violence and exploitation. The training creates a rare space where learning, emotional support and peer connection exist side by side, helping girls build resilience and confidence as they navigate difficult memories and ongoing uncertainty in their host country.

The initiative also focuses on sustainability. During the pilot session, LAW and SIHA trained 10 trainers – seven of them women – equipping them to deliver the programme to a further 175 girls across seven three-day sessions in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, one of Uganda’s largest and oldest refugee settlements, hosting communities displaced by conflict in Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The trainers praised the participatory approach of the programme and its grounding in real-life experience.

“I have never been to a training like this. It was flexible, and allowed us to participate and to contribute with our own experience.” ~New trainer

Group psychosocial support session in Kampala. © Legal Action Worldwide

The first full training sessions for girls began in mid-October 2025 in Kiryandongo. In November, the initiative entered its second phase, mentoring selected participants to become agents of change in their communities and beyond. The girls are supported to implement the advocacy strategies they designed during the training, amplifying the voices of Sudanese refugee girls and addressing issues such as girls’ education, child marriage and gender-based violence.

"Today, I feel empowered, confident, and inspired. The training has equipped me not only with knowledge, but also with the courage to speak up, guide others, and continue advocating for my rights and the rights of other girls in my community. I now believe in my potential, and I am committed to using what I have learned to help create a safer and more equal environment for all girls." ~Participant

On 25 November 2025, on the first day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, supported by SIHA, 18 of the girls participated in a commemoration held at Molokony Youth Centre in Kiryandongo Settlement. The event provided a powerful platform for the girls to showcase their voices and perspectives.

During the event, they performed a short skit illustrating how digital and technology-facilitated violence manifests in their daily lives and communities. Through this performance, they highlighted the urgent need for collective action to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence, emphasising that combating this form of violence requires unity, awareness and coordinated community involvement. The girls were able to directly share their messages with the chief guest Senior Family and Child Protection Department of Uganda, UNHCR, the Office of the Prime Minister, Civil society organisations, community members and other stakeholders.

“This experience allowed me to use my voice, advocate for change, and stand up for girls who face violence both online and offline." ~Skit participant

Participants sharing their messages against technology-facilitated gender-based violence in Kiryandongo for the launch of the 16 Days of Activism. © SIHA Network

The programme aims to respond to a stark reality.

The ongoing armed conflict in Sudan has displaced nearly 14 million people inside Sudan and across its borders, leaving millions of children without access to education.

The conflict has also driven gender-based violence to alarming levels, with sexual violence against women and girls reported as systematic and often used as a tactic of war. The United Nations has documented widespread rape, including against children, as well as abductions of women and girls. With medical, legal and protection systems collapsing, survivors face immense barriers to safety, care and justice, while women and children continue to bear the heaviest burden of the crisis.

As refugees, many Sudanese girls face additional barriers to education, with fewer than half enrolled in formal programmes. In Uganda, where many Sudanese refugees have sought refuge, these challenges are amplified by limited resources and educational opportunities.

On top of direct support to those left furthest behind in Sudan, to date, ECW has provided more than US$20 million in response to the regional refugee education needs, with grants announced in Uganda, the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan.

By integrating legal and human rights education, advocacy skills, mental health support and pathways back to learning, this initiative in Uganda seeks to break cycles of exclusion and silence. Through advocacy and outreach programmes, support from local educators and referral pathways with education in emergencies actors, participants of the programme will also be provided with support to access formal and non-formal education programmes in Uganda.

The ECW-funded initiative is a landmark investment in girls’ leadership. It goes beyond individual empowerment, fostering a movement.

Through training and empowering out-of-school Sudanese refugee girls, it seeks to build a network of young female advocates who often act as first responders and can champion the rights and needs of refugee girls – while also addressing the broader cycles of violence they and their communities have been forced to endure.

Through access to education, mental health and psychosocial services, and mentorship, the programme is tailored to support them as they step into that role. As one girl’s words make clear, the impact is already taking root.

"I learned that education is a right and a powerful tool for empowerment, something I now value deeply. My plan is to return to school next year. With the knowledge I have gained, I hope to sensitize other girls in the community about their rights."

With the right support, these girls are preparing to do exactly that – transforming knowledge into advocacy, and adversity into leadership.

Roleplaying referral pathways for victims of sexual and gender-based violence in Kampala. © Legal Action Worldwide

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