Mary Akugizibwe
“I founded Global Refugee Initiatives (GRI) based on my personal experiences growing up in western Uganda. During my childhood, my community saw an influx of refugees from Rwanda and Congo, as well as displacement due to the Northern Uganda Insurgency by the Lord’s Resistance Army in the 1990s. I attended school with children from these communities, some of whom were supported by international organizations like UNHCR, but I also saw the inequality between nationals and refugees/IDPs.
These experiences motivated me to pursue a career in human rights and humanitarian work and to create an NGO that could provide essential services, education, and advocacy to displaced persons and refugees. GRI aims to empower refugees and IDPs to rebuild their lives and become self-sufficient. Through our work, we will address the inequality and injustices faced by displaced persons in Uganda and elsewhere around the world.”
Mary Akugizibwe, GRI Board Member
Want to know more about the GRI Board of Directors? Here the full profiles.