Across different refugee settlements in Uganda, the situations vary, but some things are the same.
The leaders there are already serving. They’re pastoring, discipling, and showing up for people day after day. At the same time, they’re also trying to provide for their own families in places where work is limited and resources don’t always stretch far.
These aren’t just projects being started. They’re people making decisions in the middle of real life.
Some are fathers trying to provide for their children. Some are pastors carrying both ministry and family at once. All of them are working with what they have in front of them.
Through Flourish, they’re beginning to build something more steady. Not all at once, and not in the same way, but in ways that fit their context and their community.
Here are a few of those stories.
Pastor Kenyi Martin Albino
Pastor Kenyi Martin Albino has been following Jesus since 1993.
Before that, his life looked very different. He spent his time drinking and gambling, with little sense of direction or hope for the future. It was through the persistence of his aunt, and later a message from Scripture, that he gave his life to Christ and began attending church regularly.
Over the years, he grew in his faith and was eventually entrusted with leadership in his local church. In 2016, he was ordained as a pastor in South Sudan.
Not long after, conflict forced him and his family to flee.
They left behind everything and crossed into Uganda as refugees. When they first arrived, it was the rainy season. For several days, they had no shelter. Later, they were moved to a reception center where many families stayed together in one shared space, often struggling to receive enough food.
Eventually, they were relocated to Maaji II Refugee Settlement, where they were given a small plot of land to begin again.
A few months later, Pastor Kenyi began visiting neighbors and church members, offering counseling, prayer, and teaching. What started in his home slowly grew into a church community.
Now, he is preparing to begin a piggery project to help support his family and others in the community. It is a step toward something more stable, not only for himself, but for the people he continues to serve.
Maaji II Refugee Settlement, Uganda
Pastor Leopold Opoka
Pastor Leopold Opoka has been following Jesus since 1988 and has served in ministry for many years.
In 1994, he and his family fled conflict in South Sudan. Along the way, they lost loved ones. Even after reaching a refugee camp, instability continued, forcing them to relocate again before eventually settling in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement.
Life there is not easy.
Food is limited, work is scarce, and access to basic needs remains a challenge for many families. Pastor Leopold oversees two churches in the camp while also caring for his family of nine children.
To provide for them, he often takes on temporary labor jobs. Like many leaders in the settlement, he balances ministry with the daily pressure of providing for his household.
He is now preparing to begin a maize milling project.
For many families, maize is available but difficult to process. Without nearby mills, people must travel long distances or pay high fees. A local mill would make food more accessible while also creating a steady source of income.
For Pastor Leopold, it is a way to remain present in ministry while also caring for his family in a more sustainable way.
Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Uganda
Pastor Okeny Moróbi
Pastor Okeny Morobi has been following Jesus for many years and has served in ministry for over a decade.
Before being ordained as a pastor, he was already leading a growing church in South Sudan. His calling has always been rooted in serving others and building up the church.
Due to conflict, he was forced to flee to Uganda, leaving his family behind. Months later, they were able to reunite in Palorinya Refugee Settlement.
Life there was difficult from the start.
It was the rainy season, food was limited, and resources were stretched. But even in those conditions, Pastor Okeny continued to lead his family with faith.
They began gathering for prayer in their home each Sunday. Over time, neighbors joined, and what started as a small gathering became a church. Using local materials, they built a simple place of worship that still stands today.
Now, like many leaders in the settlement, he is looking toward ways to build something more stable to support both his family and his ministry.
Palorinya Refugee Settlement, Uganda
Paul Okot
Kiryandongo District, Uganda
Paul Okot grew up in a family shaped by displacement.
His parents fled during the Northern Uganda war, and much of his early life was marked by economic instability. Today, he carries a significant responsibility as the primary provider for his seven siblings.
For a time, he worked as a teacher, but the income was not enough to meet all of their needs.
At the same time, he continues to serve through his local church.
In his community, something as simple as a T-shirt carries meaning. Schools, churches, and youth groups all need them, yet access to affordable printing is limited.
Paul saw an opportunity.
He is now preparing to start a small T-shirt printing business that will provide affordable products locally while creating a steady source of income for his family.
As it grows, it will also create opportunities for others in the community.
Pastor Joseph Odong
Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, Uganda
Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement is home to more than 100,000 people.
Many families have lived there for years and continue to face food insecurity, limited job opportunities, and restricted access to basic services.
Pastor Joseph Odong leads Agulupi Local Church in the midst of this reality.
He spends his time counseling families, praying with those who are struggling, and helping meet practical needs where he can. But as food assistance has decreased, the need has grown.
Many families cannot afford protein-rich foods like eggs or chicken.
In response, Pastor Joseph is preparing to begin a poultry and egg project.
Starting with a small number of hens, the project will provide a steady supply of food within the community while also creating income opportunities for those involved.
It is a practical way of caring for people, both physically and spiritually.
Pastor Ocholo Bosco
Pastor Ocholo Bosco has served in ministry since his youth.
After giving his life to Christ, he became a youth pastor in South Sudan. In 2016, conflict forced him to flee to Uganda as a refugee.
In Kiryandongo Settlement, he began gathering with a few people in a school compound.
What started small grew into three local churches that he continues to lead today.
He now cares for his family while continuing to serve his community in a place where resources are limited and opportunities for work are scarce.
He is preparing to begin a poultry project focused on meat production.
This will help make food more accessible in the community while also providing a steady source of income and creating small employment opportunities for others.
Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, Uganda
Pastor Ochilo Mark
Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda
Pastor Ochilo Mark leads Iyeye Local Church in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, one of the largest refugee settlements in the world.
Many of the families he serves have been displaced for years and face ongoing food insecurity. With reduced assistance and rising food prices, even basic staples like maize and beans can be difficult to afford.
Pastor Ochilo cares for his congregation while also providing for his own family of six children.
He is now preparing to begin a maize and beans trade project.
By purchasing food in bulk and distributing it at more stable prices, the project will help make food more accessible while also creating income and opportunities for others in the community.
It is a step toward something more reliable in a place where stability is hard to find.
These stories don’t all look the same.
Each person is working with what’s in front of them. In some places, it looks like raising chickens. In others, it’s starting a small business or finding a way to make food more accessible.
But at the center of it are people who were already there.
They were already serving, known, and carrying responsibility for others.
What’s changing is that they now have something they can build on that supports their families while allowing them to stay present in their communities.
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We're sharing three things you should consider before you organize or participate in an international mission trip, seek to do work in the multicultural neighborhood in your own city, or embark on any cross-cultural partnership.
