By Fikru Abebe Abebe
Africa-Press – Uganda. Every year on June 20, the world comes together to observe World Refugee Day, a moment to reflect not only on the immense challenges faced by millions who are forced to flee their homes but also on our shared responsibility to stand in solidarity with them.
This year’s theme, “Solidarity with Refugees,” calls us to recognize that our greatest strength lies not in individual efforts but in collective compassion and cooperation.
Solidarity means more than mere words. It involves truly listening to refugees, comprehending their journeys, and creating space for their stories.
It entails viewing them not as statistics, but as individuals, neighbors, teachers, builders, and leaders whose courage and resilience can enhance the communities they become part of.
Across Africa, where AIRD (African Initiatives for Relief and Development) operates, we witness daily the powerful acts of solidarity that define strong communities.
In Uganda, a home to 1.8 million refugees and asylum seekers and the largest refugee population in Africa, we see host communities share what little they have. They open their homes, teach their languages, offer jobs, and most importantly, offer dignity. These acts may seem small, but their impact is profound. They rebuild trust. They restore hope. They affirm that refugees belong.
At AIRD, we live this solidarity every day. From the frontlines of humanitarian response in all our Country programs. AIRD’s teams are on the ground ensuring that critical services like transport, shelter, infrastructure, energy, water, sanitation, and hygiene are available to displaced populations.
We work hand-in-hand with host communities to build inclusive systems that benefit all. Whether it’s maintaining roads that connect remote settlements, managing fuel that powers humanitarian vehicles, rehabilitating schools and hospitals, or training mechanics to service essential equipment, our teams are a lifeline for both refugees and the communities that host them.
Solidarity also means recognizing the burdens host communities bear, like poverty, climate change, and limited infrastructure, and ensuring that aid efforts support them too.
At AIRD, our programs are designed to uplift both refugees and hosts through shared resources, skills training, and infrastructure that lasts.
And refugees, given the chance, give back. They open businesses, join the workforce, and bring skills, stories, and strength. They do not ask for pity but only for opportunity. Their resilience is not only admirable, it is essential. Communities thrive when everyone has a role to play.
On this World Refugee Day, let us honor refugees not only with speeches but with action. Let us listen to their voices, celebrate their strength, and stand beside them as they build new lives. Let us continue to be communities that welcome, support, and grow stronger together.
In every refugee crisis, there are everyday heroes. These are the families, neighbors, local leaders, and frontline humanitarian workers who remind us that solidarity is not just a slogan. It is a way of living. It is how we heal, how we grow, and how we move forward together.
Let me take this opportunity to appreciate and thank the unique example that Uganda presents to the world: the most progressive approach to refugee policies, welcoming refugees to the country, providing them with land, basic services, and enjoying freedom of movement.
The author is the Chief Executive Officer for African Initiatives for Relief and Development (AIRD)
Source: Nilepost News
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