About us

UNIDOS social innovation center is a refugee-led community based organization that engages with marginalized, at-risk youth located in Nakivale Refugee Settlement of Isingiro district, South West Uganda.

We cannot solve problems with the kind of thinking we employed when we came up with them. — Albert Einstein

Together, we
are stronger

Nakivale Refugee Settlement is in the Isingiro district of southwest Uganda and is home to 150,000 refugees from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Sudan.  These are the refugees that have been most affected by poverty, climate change, war and political oppression from their home countries. We have seen and felt the consequences of all this and concluded that we could not solve our challenges with an old mindset; one that keeps us miserable and destroys the core of our humanity and spirit. Nakivale has become our home these past years and for years and this inspires us to re-write our story as a people; one that will spur the next generation resilient and creative thinkers!

Since 2018, we have come together to help create opportunities for livelihood and food security within our community. Our activities are based on inclusive education and the empowerment of entrepreneurial skills, which we passionately share in every conversation.

The problems that we have come to face has motivated us to rethink our values. Our ultimate aim is to help catapult all of us (not just an individual or groups of individuals) forward and regenerate our lives and community. Now we are creating our own renaissance, where we are creating new & healthy results. For us, these results represent access to clean water, healthy food and food security, and quality education. We are diligently striving for biodiversity, equality, deep mutual respect, fundamental human rights, and fostering and maintaining peace. We have created an open space for everyone to learn and create opportunities. To connect to the world to show our potential and our creative talents, and to make sure that every voice will be heard in creating a better tomorrow for all of us.

Our mission

To use entrepreneurial skills to create a self-reliant community that can effectively socialize with others, relate with different communities, promote peace and unity, among other important tools for social development

Our vision

Our vision is to completely transform our refugee camp into a regenerative community, where everyone will become self-sufficient. We firmly believe that through developing strong entrepreneurial skills, we will be able to co-create, build resiliency and turn the hard and often painful situations that adversely impacted us in our home countries, into stories of success.

Support our work

How we collaborate with other forward-thinking organizations

We partnered with Defiants to build our education center; providing job opportunities for teachers and training refugees about web3 and crypto. Visit https://defiants.org/

Our collaboration with UNHCR allows us to adopt a systematic approach that prioritizes ecological and socioeconomic interventions, aimed at enhancing regenerative agriculture practices in and around Nakivale. Visit https://www.unhcr.org

We partnered with SEEDS to empower local economies by rewarding people, doing regenerative actions to protect our ecosystems, and familiarize refugees with cryptocurrencies. Visit https://joinseeds.earth

We partnered with OpenUp institute to explore possibilities for refugee youth, learning ways to support their inner growth and healing. Visit https://www.openup.world/refugee

We partnered with Re-alliance to do research on soil regeneration through the use of worm compost. Visit https://www.re-alliance.org/

Our history

We’re old enough to have made some impact, yet young enough to want to keep learning about the diversity of our community and how to support each one of its members

2018

Unidos is born

Unidos Social Innovation Centre, popularly known as Unidos for short was established in 2018 by a group of refugees living in Nakivale to address food insecurity and create livelihood opportunities in our community after food rations were drastically reduced for refugees in Uganda.

2020

Unidos reaches 30+ active members

Thanks to the early impacts of Unidos’s work on permaculture practices, we were able to reach over 30 members within our first two years.

Present

Over 5,300 positively impacted lives

Through our various activities in agriculture, soap making, and business training, Unidos has been able to touch the lives of over 5000 community members.

Our leadership makes the difference

Paulinho Muzaliwa

Founder and Director

Paulinho is Congolese by nationality living in Uganda since 2017.  He has a diploma in business and administration in DRC.

In 2018 he got a scholarship at Idea4africa where he learnt Entrepreneurship, Business and Leadership and conducted trainings for identifying opportunities with and for the communities. He later founded the project Unidos Social Innovation Center in the same year.

Passionate about Regenerative Agriculture, a permaculture teacher certified by the Permaculture Education Institute, a Warm Data host, certified and accredited by the Bateson International Institute, an Ambassador in SEEDS regenerative financial ecosystem and a business and leadership facilitator.

Mariam Antoine

Women’s Project Leader

Mariam is originally from DR Congo, but staying in Nakivale refugee camp Uganda. She is a passionate soap maker…

Mariam is a  Program manager at Unidos Social innovation center  and is leading women’s projects.She completed her  Senior 6 studies in Biology and Chemistry in Tanzania. She also studied computer skills, then when she reached Nakivale refugee camp, she also studied entrepreneurship and leadership at Idea For Africa.

Then continued to explore her knowledge in Entrepreneurship and leadership at Opportunigee (https://opportunigee.org/). I got a chance to study TFRR (Tools For Regenerative Renaissance) 1 and Seeds global ambassador (https://www.seedambassadors.org/).she believes with science we can change our community.

Munguzo Jean

Head, Communications & Media

Munguzo Jean is a Congolese from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He got his diploma in Business and IT in 2017. He came to Uganda in…

October 2017 and currently lives in Nakivale Refugee Camp. 
He started learning computer basic skills at (community-technology-access-center) and got his certificate. He is passionate about transforming Africa by proving his skills in Information technology His main goal is to develop alternative solutions. His is also passionate about Education and Technology for refugees.He got a chance to study different courses at UNIDOS SOCIAL INNOVATION CENTER including( Permaculture, Warm data, Ulab and Web development).

He learnt computer basic skills at popoli fratelli in DR Congo/Uvira. He also studied advanced web development at Refactory Uganda.Munguzo is now a learning-planet youth fellow at learningPlanet He is also volunteering as a data shepherd at OpenetMunguzo is now Leading Communications and Media at (Unidos).

Kwema Rose

Permaculture Facilitator

Kwema Rose is a Congolese from the Democratic of Congo. 
She studied business courses and became self-reliant at FRC…

(Finnish Refugee Council) in 2015. Kwema was a caregiver  in Mbarara Bishop Stuart core. She studied Permaculture at UNIDOS SOCIAL INNOVATION CENTER (https://www.projectunidos.org/)  in 2020.She is passionate about Regenerative Agriculture. Kwema is now facilitating Permaculture at UNIDOS SOCIAL INNOVATION CENTER

Isyaka Muteba

Permaculture Course Designer

Isyaka Muteba is a congolese from Dem. Rep. of Congo. He got his diploma in littéraire in 2011. He learnt I.T at ISIG (Institut…

supérieur d’informatique et de gestion) while he was in CongoHe came in Uganda in 2014 and currently lives in NAKIVALE REFUGEE SETTLEMENT. 

He studied entrepreneurship and leadership at Unleashed Potentials in Motion. He got the chance to study different courses at UNIDOS SOCIAL INNOVATION CENTER (Warm Data , Permaculture). He is passionate about regenerative agriculture.
He is currently facilitating permaculture design courses at Unidos Social Innovation centre.

George Okanga

Web Designer

George is a Nigerian-based product designer and ardent supporter of the goals of the Nakivale dream. First introduced as a freelance…

designer, he soon realized the need to support refugees all over the world, starting right here at Nakivale.

George has a background and a BSc degree in Information Technology, from Accra Institute of Technology after which he moved on to become a self-taught digital product designer. Through his technical abilities, he will ensure that all media assets belonging to Unidos remain consistent with the intentions that we’re committed to deliver.

Gino

Advisor

Since the start of his career, Gino has immersed himself in cutting-edge fields where social and economic disruption stood central… 

Over the past 12 years, he has been active in numerous grassroots and tech startups, developing his talents and re-writing the vision and mission of decentralized Internet business and finance. 
Gino has a background in web and graphic design and studied communication, PR, and marketing before entering the crypto industry, the field he is currently active in. 

Before crypto and since 2012, Gino was involved in developing small-scale urban farming systems, exploring innovations to bring food cultivation closer to where people live. During these years, he was mentored by several coaches in the field of innovation, allowing him to understand the process of developing new products or services for the market.

Stefanos Galountzis

Advisor

Stefano combines his background from Psychology and Global Public Health, with 20 years of professional experience in humanitarian..

emergencies and community development programs within leading international organizations (ICRC, IFRC, DRC, Oxfam GB, SCI, IRC).  Facing some of the world’s worst expressions of armed conflict, migration and extreme poverty, witnessing the devastating effects of division, discrimination and inequality, has shaped his commitment for supporting social cooperatives, for empowering community-driven initiatives and for the development of ETHOS Association. 

His passion for social change and for our transition towards a just and equitable world, led to his participation in several international forums including the Re-Alliance network. Stefano is also a member of the global advisory board of Parinaama Development Foundation, Bring Hope Humanitarian Foundation, and currently serves as director and fundraiser for FundAction PGM Foundation.

Listen to Paul speak on the impact of permaculture in Nakivale

Take action against world refugee hunger by donating to Unidos

Support our work on regenerative agriculture and women empowerment.

Support our work