After the Bidi Bidi Shelter Depot proved successful, we, alongside our partner Alight, launched a new flagship store in Nakivale, a large refugee settlement in south Uganda. Nakivale is one of the oldest refugee settlements and the 8th largest in the world. It is home to 171,387 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Although many refugees in the area have lived there for several years, recent conflicts in nearby countries are increasing the number of new arrivals.
CEO Scott Key and Chief of Staff Austin Hermann led a vision trip in June for supporters and board members to witness and celebrate the grand opening of our newest store.
What is Shelter Depot?
Shelter Depot is a unique hardware store located within a refugee settlement. It aims to enhance the lives of refugees by providing essential shelter materials and work opportunities. It was created because the reality is that most refugees cannot safely return home and that only a minuscule fraction are resettled globally. Consequently, establishing oneself and creating a sense of home and normalcy inside a host country becomes the primary path forward.
Shelter Depot stands out as an aid distribution model like no other. It empowers refugees to choose what they need for their homes during prolonged displacement. By treating refugees and displaced families as customers, Shelter Depot helps them build lives of completeness and self-determination in their new communities.
When cash is unavailable, Shelter Depot can operate on a “work for credit” model. This model allows refugees to earn credits through work, which can be used to purchase shelter improvement materials.
This improves their living conditions and fosters a sense of agency and dignity. Additionally, refugees can earn certifications that may lead to further employment opportunities.
Thanks to the generosity of donors, Shelter Depot Nakivale is built, filled, and employed to bring stability, agency, and opportunity to the displaced in Uganda. The long-term goal is to place a Shelter Depot within walking distance of every refugee in a settlement in Uganda and to scale this model to the world.
And we will, until every refugee creates home.
Images by Alight.
