RICE West Nile was founded in 2004 with the aim of empowering rural people for self-reliance. It all started by the founder members reflecting on the recurring and rampant question they always faced when they came back from school; “What have you brought for us?” the founders interpreted this question as need to do something that can enable the communities to be self-reliant rather than wait for aid from others. Starting from humble beginnings, RICE West Nile is an indigenous NGO head-quartered in Arua City with a mandate to operate in any part of Uganda. RICE West Nile has two program coordination offices in Moyo and Arua districts of West Nile sub region with interventions covering 9 districts of West Nile sub region including Pakwach, Madi-Okollo, Arua, Terego, Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo, Obongi and Nwoya District in Acholi sub region.

Our key beneficiaries include; vulnerable children, adolescents, youth, vulnerable adults (women and men), persons living with HIV, Key population, persons with disability in heard to reach and underserved communities in refugee and host within a refugee setting, and communities located outside refugee settings

RICE West Nile employs the bottom-up and holistic empowerment approach that is community led, focusing on individual behavior change amongst vulnerable communities and groups for sustainable livelihood transformation. Some of the approaches we use include Enabling Rural Innovation (ERI), Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs), Community Managed Tree Nurseries, Community Events (cultural, sports, street talk shows, dialogues) on peaceful coexistence, Mobile Health Clinics and Gender Action Learning System (GALS) among others.We deliver grassroots programs i.e. capacity building for grassroots structures and leaders in some of the hard to reach and underserved areas in collaboration with local governments, other CSOs, CBOs, NGOs, religious and cultural leaders to enhance capacities at both institutional and beneciary community levels for inclusive and effective service delivery. We strongly believe in partnerships and networking to achieve our objectives since we contribute and complement the work of government and other development actors in realizing the set broader development agenda at national and international levels.

Community Health, Environmental protection and Natural Resource, Communication Education, Resilient livelihood, Peace Building and PsychoSocial Support

Gender Gender is a key cross cutting theme we integrate in our programs. RICE West Nile economically empowers women through Enterprise Development Grant to build assets and take leadership roles in strengthening household resilience

1. 1- Prestigious SEAL of Quality Execellence Award as Gold Winners for the best local NGO by West Nile Quality Brands Awards 2022/2023.


2. 2- Certificate of recognition for the best partner in the financial year 2020/2021 by Itula Sub County Obongi District


3. 3- NGO Quality Assurance Cerificate 2019 - 2024 by NGO Quality Assurance Mechanism


4. 4- Certificate of recognition for distinguished service in promoting Environment and Natural Resource Utilization by The United Nations Systems in Uganda 2018.


5. 5- NGO Quality Assurance Cerificate 2014 - 2019 by NGO Quality Assurance Mechanism.

1. - Arua District NGO Network


2. - Northern Albertine Sustainable Energy Network (NASEN)


3. - Northern Albertine Network on Petroleum (NANEP)


4. - Uganda Water Sanitation AND NGO Network (UWASNET)


5. - Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Associations (DENIVA)


6. - Civil Society Coalition on Oil and Gas (CSCO)


7. - Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) CSO Network


8. - Uganda Consortium on Corporate Accountability (UCCA)


9. - National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD)

European Union

1. • Security, Protection and Economic Empowerment (SUPREME) in Uganda 2020-2024.


2. • Equitable Access to Quality and Transformational Education for refugee- and host communities in West Nile Uganda (EQUATE).

STROME Foundation

1. • PACES which is a Programme for Adolescent and Child Education and Support runs from 2021 to 2023 in Palorinya Settlement.

Mennonite Central Committee

1. • TLC- Transforming Lives of Con!ict affected children and youth in Imvepi refugee settlement and host communities 2019-2022.


2. • MCC COVID- Wash project in Imvepi settlement was also supported by the same donor.

OSIEA

1. • Urban refugees support in Arua city. The project targeted refugees and ran for a period of six Months.

CIVFUND

1. • Support to Persons with special needs with food and livelihoods to mitigate the effects of COVID 19 Pandermic.

CARE International Uganda

1. • Stimulating Adaptive capacities of Communities (SACC) Project.

World Wildlife Fund Uganda (WWF Uganda)

1. • Clean Energy project: 2017 - 2020


2. • Young Environmental Trainees (YET) (2012- April 2014)


3. Green Watch Land and Property Rights (2013)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

1. • Environment and Energy project in Rhino Camp and Imvepi Refugee settlements (2018-2019).


2. • Peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities (2018).

American Jewish World Service (AJWS)

1. • Urban refugees support in Arua city. The project targeted refugees and ran for a period of six Months.


2. • Land Rights and Sustainable Development (2014-2017).

Global Fund for Children (GFC)

1. • Transforming the life of con!ict affected girls in West Nile (2014-2020).

Fund for Global Human Rights (FGHR)

1. • Respect for Pupils Right Project (2018-2021).

Community Health and sustainable Environment Africa (Chase)

1. • Mobile Outreach Clinic (2018-2021).

Democratic Governance Facility (DGF)

1. • Oil and Gas governance (2013-2016, 2018-2019).

Arua District Local Government

1. • Maintenance of Anti-Malarial Drains (2009 -2012).

Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD)

1. • Community governance project (2008-2010).

Uganda Program for Human and Holistic Development (UPHOLD

1. • Prevention of Malaria in pregnant mothers and children under “ve years (2007-2009).

Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) and Uganda Health Marketing (UHMG)

1. • Strengthening Civil Society for Improved HIV/AIDS and OVC service delivery in Uganda (SCIPHA)I - 2011-June 2015.

International Alert

1. • Economic Empowerment of Women (EEW) in cross border trade across Uganda - DR Congo Border (2011-2013).


2. • Harnessing the Potential of Oil and Gas to Contribute to Peace & Development in Uganda I and II (2011- April 2014, 20016-2018).

WellShare International

1. • Scaling up HIV/AIDS Prevention in Arua District (SHAP) (2012-2015).

Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV)

1. • Community Empowerment Programme (School gardens) (2011-2014).


2. • Sustainable Sanitation and hygiene for All; (2014-2017).

USAID SAFE

1. • Peaceful coexistence among refugees and host communities in Rhino Camp refugee settlement (2014 – 2017).

Horizont 3000

1. • Sustainable Agro-Enterprise Development project (2017-2019).

Family of Tilman Kiesig- a German volunteer

1. • Urban Youth support project in waste recycling to make pavers. The project supported one youth group who are going on with their work