September 1, 2025 – We’re proud to announce the launch of a new two-year project funded by the Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation: Green Futures: Empowering Women and Youth for Climate-Resilient Livelihoods in Refugee Contexts of Uganda.
Uganda is home to over 1.8 million refugees, making it the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa. Districts like Adjumani and Kiryandongo have absorbed tens of thousands fleeing regional conflict, placing intense pressure on local resources, infrastructure, and land. At the same time, climate change is worsening conditions on the ground. Erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and environmental degradation have disrupted agriculture, deepened food insecurity, and reduced income opportunities, especially for women and youth.
Green Futures is not just a project; it is a vital lifeline for communities facing the twin challenges of economic hardship and climate change. By combining vocational training, climate-smart agriculture, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy, it equips people with the tools they need to take control of their futures. Over the coming months, more than 1,200 participants will develop skills in trades and entrepreneurship. Seventy new Village Savings and Loan Associations will open the door for 1,575 people to access financial resources, start businesses, and withstand economic shocks. Thirty-two small and medium enterprises will be incubated, with a powerful emphasis on empowering women and youth to lead local economic growth, inspiring a wave of support and solidarity.
The initiative also champions food security. Seven hundred individuals will be trained in climate-smart agriculture, and 80 acres of orchards and kitchen gardens will be cultivated.
This initiative reflects WPDI’s ongoing pledge to sustainability, not only in promoting environmental stewardship, but in designing programs that are community-led, long-lasting, and rooted in local capacity. The project builds on the success of WPDI’s recently concluded LEAP II Project, which delivered significant improvements in livelihoods and resilience across the Adjumani district. With Green Futures, WPDI is expanding and deepening that impact, ensuring that more communities have the tools and opportunities to thrive in the face of adversity.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Swedish Postcode Foundation for their generous support and shared vision for a more equitable, climate-resilient future.
About the Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation
The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation provides support to projects that foster positive social impact or pursue long-term solutions to local and global challenges. The Foundation has an open application process where organizations can apply for project funding anytime throughout the year. Today, The Foundation is one of sixty-one nonprofit organizations that annually receive funding provided by the Swedish Postcode Lottery’s surplus. Since 2007, The Foundation has distributed over 2.4 billion SEK from the Swedish Postcode Lottery, to more than 1,300 projects in Sweden and around the world.
The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI)
The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) is a non-governmental organization with an international scope and reach, committed to fostering peace and resilience by disseminating skills and promoting climate-sensitive and sustainable development in countries and places affected by violence, poverty, environmental disruption, and marginalization. In Africa, Europe, as well as Latin and North America, WPDI develops a wide range of programs aimed at training and supporting underprivileged individuals and groups, with a particular focus on youth and women, enabling them to become empowered as mediators, educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders, fostering positive transformation within their communities and beyond. To achieve its objectives, WPDI works with the communities to design and implement integrated programs in the four areas of Peacebuilding, Livelihood, Health and Well-being, and Sports. WPDI was founded in 2012 by the artist, social activist, and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace, Forest Whitaker.