About Uganda Refugee Voice for Rights (URVR)

Uganda Refugee Voice for Rights (URVR) is a community-based human rights and refugee advocacy organization founded at Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Isingiro District, Uganda. URVR is registered with the Isingiro District Local Government (Certificate No. ISI6216, valid until 9 April 2028) and is a verified member of the CIVICUS Alliance (CRM-2081046). URVR Uganda was established by refugees for refugees, with a mission to defend rights, amplify voices, and change lives. As a community-based human rights organization, URVR provides legal aid, documents GBV and marginalized-persons cases, protects children and advocates for refugee rights. URVR works with refugees from the DRC, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda and South Sudan to ensure justice, dignity and protection for all, bridging the gap between vulnerable refugees and the protection they deserve.

Our Mission

To promote, protect and advocate for the human rights of refugees and host communities through legal aid, documentation, civic education and community empowerment.

Our Vision

A world where every refugee lives in dignity, safety and enjoys full protection of their fundamental human rights.

Our Values

Human Dignity — Justice — Transparency — Solidarity — Empowerment — Accountability

Our Founder

URVR was founded by Byamungu Ngirimba, a human rights defender and refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He holds a university degree in Commercial and Administrative Sciences from Institut Supérieur Pédagogique (ISP) Bukavu. Before founding URVR, he worked as an investigative journalist at community radio stations Kamanyola RCKa and Flash FM, then as Investigation Officer for human rights abuses at the Nouvelle Société Civile Congolaise (NSCC), and as a teacher in several schools in Kamanyola. Driven by his personal experience as a refugee and his deep commitment to justice, he established URVR at Nakivale Refugee Settlement to give refugees a voice and ensure their rights are protected.

Our Story

URVR was born out of lived experience. Founded at Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District, Uganda, URVR emerged from the determination of refugees who witnessed daily violations of human rights and decided to act. Nakivale is one of the oldest and largest refugee settlements in Africa, hosting over 200,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia and other countries. Despite their resilience, refugees at Nakivale face significant challenges — limited access to justice, GBV, child abuse, statelessness and marginalization. URVR was founded to bridge this gap — to give refugees a voice, document violations, provide legal aid, and advocate for lasting change. What began as a small community initiative has grown into a recognized organization working at the intersection of human rights, protection and community empowerment. Today, URVR serves both refugee and host communities, believing that human dignity is universal and that every person — regardless of nationality or status — deserves to live in safety, dignity and freedom.

Our Vision, Mission & Mandate