Yoga in
For 10 days, Alice travelled to the Nakivale refugee camp in Uganda,
to teach and train teachers. With the Nakujali association
led by refugees, we co-constructed a project aimed at providing
to offer moments of well-being through yoga, while meeting the
basic needs of families. More than 1,000 people took part in
classes, and food, soap and school supplies were distributed.
school supplies. The project doesn’t stop there: it continues with
continue with the training of community members to ensure the
continuity of the continuity of the sessions and to develop this
initiative into a sustainable rooted in the needs of Nakivale.
Other missions are already planned, but we need your support to
enable this project to continue to develop
to continue to develop and offer sustainable solutions.
The Project
The yoga project within Nakivale refugee settlement was born from a collaboration with Nakujali, an association founded by refugees living in the settlement. Nakujali wanted to create a space for well-being and connection for the community and reached out to co-create this project, based on a shared vision of solidarity and care for all.
These 10 days marked the beginning of a human adventure, with refugees themselves at the center, as the actors and leaders of this initiative.
The Classes
For 10 days, more than 1,000 people participated in yoga sessions, spread across different districts of Nakivale, particularly Ruhoko and Juru. These sessions, open to all—with separate sessions for children, women, men, or mixed—offered a space where everyone could reconnect with themselves and share moments of joy, comfort, and collective care.
Ruhoko
At Ruhoko, where living conditions are particularly difficult, the yoga sessions took on a deeply significant dimension. This district is one of the most precarious in Nakivale, with families living in tents or makeshift shelters. Access to drinking water and food is extremely limited, and the daily struggle for essential resources creates a constant climate of stress. However, despite these challenges, the community’s reception of the yoga sessions was both moving and inspiring. The participants, whether women, men, or children, showed great curiosity and willingness to participate.
The yoga sessions in Ruhoko offered participants a rare space where they could escape the harshness of their daily lives. It was a moment where everyone could refocus, release accumulated physical and mental tensions, and allow themselves a moment of joy. The groups were diverse and highly participatory: we had between 60 and 100+ women, 60 to 80 children, and 40 to 60 men at each session. This moment of collective joy and comfort allowed the Ruhoko community to come together, share moments of care and mutual support, despite the precarious conditions surrounding them.
Yoga in Juru quickly became a space of joy and expression for the participants. It was not only about reconnecting with oneself, but also about creating a collective dynamic, having fun, and dancing together. The sessions allowed everyone to put aside, even for a short while, their daily concerns and focus on comfort, movement, and shared well-being. The smiles and laughter of the children, as well as the gratitude expressed by the adults, showed how much this initiative touched their hearts.
Juru
At Juru, another district where precariousness is omnipresent, the yoga sessions brought together adults and children in moments of sharing, exchange, and movement. This district welcomed the yoga sessions as an opportunity to create bonds within the community. Living conditions are equally demanding, marked by shortages of water and food, but the spirit of solidarity that prevails in Juru strengthened the impact of the yoga sessions.
Raise chess
Among the highlights of these 10 days were the yoga sessions for children at Raise Chess Academy. This academy, dedicated to education, child development, and trauma healing for Nakivale children through chess, football, and English classes, hosted yoga sessions specially designed for them. These sessions not only introduced children to a new activity, but also helped channel their energy while giving teachers tools to better support the children and manage stress.
Through simple postures, games, moments of relaxation, and breathing exercises, the children were able to express their creativity while building self-confidence. These sessions were also an opportunity to create strong bonds with them, offering a space where they felt safe and supported.
Training
One of the key objectives of this project is to ensure that it is sustainable and rooted within the refugee community. That’s why, from the start, we focused on training members of Nakujali, so that they can not only actively participate in the project but also become yoga teachers themselves. This training aims to provide the tools necessary to continue offering yoga sessions long after my departure.
The training goes far beyond teaching postures and yoga techniques. It also includes fundamental aspects of yoga philosophy, stress management, group facilitation, confidence building, and teaching trauma-sensitive yoga. By training these Nakujali members, who are themselves refugees and deeply understand their community’s needs, we are creating a model where yoga becomes an accessible and adapted tool, led by those who live and understand the participants’ daily lives.
The training has been designed to adapt to local realities and the community’s specific needs, with regular follow-up and online sessions to continue developing the teachers’ skills over time. The success of these first 10 days proves that this training model ensures the sustainability of the project. Additional training sessions will take place in 2025.
Distributions
While yoga plays an important role in the well-being and comfort of the community, it is essential to first address basic daily needs to truly enhance this well-being. That’s why, alongside the yoga sessions, distributions of essential goods were organized.
These distributions included food, drinks, soap, detergent, salt, as well as pens and notebooks for the children. For many of them, it was the first time they had received a notebook, a fundamental tool for their education that opens new learning opportunities.
These gestures provided direct material support to families, temporarily alleviating daily challenges. They showed that while wellness activities like yoga are important, it is equally crucial to provide concrete solutions to the material needs of refugees to improve their overall quality of life.
However, we are aware that this is just a drop in the ocean compared to the immense needs of the Nakivale community. This project is still in its early stages, and we are determined to go further. We aim to expand our action to respond more sustainably and structurally to these needs, while continuing to offer moments of well-being and comfort through yoga and other activities. It is a first step, but there is still much more to do to sustainably improve their daily lives.
A model of co-creation
Nakujali, composed of refugees living in the settlement, was at the heart of this project’s realization. Thanks to their intimate knowledge of their community’s needs and their ability to organize and mobilize resources, Nakujali not only led the project but also ensured that it responded to local realities.
As members of the refugee community, they deeply understand the daily challenges faced by their peers. Their leadership, resilience, and commitment helped anchor this project in Nakivale’s daily life, providing relevant and sustainable solutions for the community.
A sustainable project
The success of these 10 days is only the beginning of a much larger project. We are currently working on establishing an annual program in collaboration with Nakujali. This program will include several training sessions each year for Nakujali members, online follow-up classes, as well as regular courses for the children and adults of Nakivale, in addition to my visits several times a year.
The next session is already planned for January 2025. Over the course of three weeks, we will organize classes for all generations, training sessions for community members, and distributions of food and essential supplies.
The goal is to create a sustainable dynamic, where well-being and autonomy become central to daily life in Nakivale. By equipping the community itself with these tools, we ensure the continuity of the initiative, even after our departure.
Call for Support
For this program to grow and endure, we need your support. Whether through sharing our project, raising awareness about the situation of displaced populations, or providing financial support, every contribution is valuable. We also need sponsors for the next phase of the project, and donations are tax-deductible for French donors.
Your help will allow us to continue offering these moments of well-being, training, and solidarity to thousands of people in Nakivale. Together, we can contribute to lasting change.
