Capacity Building for Survivors: Skills Training Rationale & Participant Selection Building on vulnerability assessments conducted in Phase I within Nsambya Urban Refugee Settlement, which identified economic desperation as a primary driver of trafficking risk for refugees, particularly women and youth, this quarter focused on creating immediate livelihood opportunities. The “Hope in a Soap” vocational training program was designed to provide a sustainable, low-cost income-generating skill while promoting community health. Thirty-five (35) highly vulnerable refugees and survivors of trafficking were selected based on assessed vulnerability, expressed willingness and interest, and potential for economic empowerment. Skills & Certification: All 35 participants successfully completed the program, receiving certificates of completion and branded bar soaps which they had produced. Economic Empowerment: Participants acquired a marketable skill, enabling them to generate income and reduce immediate economic vulnerability to exploitation. Holistic Impact: Beyond livelihoods, the program fostered a sense of dignity, self-reliance, and community. It also contributed to improved hygiene awareness and practices within the settlement. Foundation for Sustainability: The initiative established a viable model for survivor-led enterprise, creating pathways for long-term resilience

Cross-Sector Alliance Symposium: Uniting to End Human Trafficking Human trafficking remains a pressing challenge in refugee settlements and vulnerable communities, where displacement and socio-economic instability increase risks of exploitation. Footprint to Freedom, as a survivor-led organisation, has been intentional in strengthening the ethical identification, protection, and empowerment of victims and survivors of human trafficking across Uganda and the region. Our approach ensures that prevention begins long before exploitation occurs, by building awareness, enabling safe reporting, and supporting coordinated community responses. Uganda continues to record high numbers of identified trafficking victims each year, yet many more remain unseen due to limited screening systems and fragmented referral pathways. These gaps directly inform our leadership in the Kompass Project, where our survivor-informed methodologies enhance safe, confidential, and dignified screening practices, improve multisector referral systems, and ensure that interventions truly reflect the lived experiences and needs of vulnerable populations.   Assessments conducted in 2024 revealed that over 60% of refugees interviewed were unaware of available protection mechanisms, highlighting the urgency of expanded awareness, stronger community-based prevention systems, and improved coordination among actors working in refugee settings. Building on lessons from the pilot, Kompass Project Phase II launched in early 2025 in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, home to more than 200,000 refugees from DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and South Sudan. This phase expands awareness initiatives, deepens vulnerability assessments, and strengthens empowerment pathways for survivors within refugee communities.