Campus Digital Hub Introduces ConnectRefugee App to Address Information Gaps in Nakivale Settlement

The Campus Digital Hub is set to launch ConnectRefugee, a mobile application designed to improve communication for refugees and asylum seekers living in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. The platform aims to simplify access to essential information and enhance connectivity within the community.

Developed with input from the community, ConnectRefugee serves as a practical digital tool that provides timely updates on food distribution, healthcare services, and available opportunities. The App supports multiple languages, ensuring that users can access information in a format they understand.

The initiative comes at a time when access to reliable information within the settlement has been a significant challenge. Previously, updates from organizations such as UNHCR, WFP, community-based organizations, and health centers were often shared through informal channels, including printed notices, mobile announcements along the main road, and physical meetings that many residents could not attend.

Language barriers have further limited access to information. In many cases, available updates were not delivered in languages widely understood by the community, reducing their effectiveness. As a result, many residents relied on second-hand information, increasing the risk of misinformation and leading to confusion in decision-making.

By centralizing communication and offering multilingual support, ConnectRefugee is expected to bridge these gaps and provide a more reliable, inclusive, and efficient flow of information within Nakivale Refugee Settlement.

In response to these challenges, the Campus Digital Hub developed ConnectRefugee, a mobile application designed to deliver information directly to users through push notifications. The platform currently supports five languages including English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, and Arabic, ensuring that people from diverse backgrounds can receive the same updates simultaneously in a language they understand.

Through the App, residents can access a centralized source of reliable information from organizations operating within the settlement. This eliminates the need to travel long distances, wait for physical meetings, or rely on word-of-mouth communication.

The ConnectRefugee platform is scheduled for official launch on 24 April 2026 and has already been piloted with over 200 users in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Following its launch, the initiative aims to reach at least 5,000 active users within the first three months.

Beyond serving residents, the platform also provides humanitarian organizations, service providers, and community leaders with a direct and efficient channel to share timely and accurate information. For the first time, stakeholders will have a unified platform to communicate with the community, while residents gain a dependable, one-stop source for important updates.

According to the founder of Campus Digital Hub, Munguzo Kapera Jean, ConnectRefugee was shaped by lived experiences within Nakivale Refugee Settlement, where accessing reliable information can be as challenging as accessing basic services. He explains that, like many others, he often spent hours walking across the settlement to check food distribution lists, only to find outdated or missing information.

“Through my journey of self-learning in technology and my work with young people at Campus Digital Hub, I realized that the real problem was not the absence of information, but the lack of a simple and trusted way to access it,” Jean emphasized.

He further noted that in an environment where information is shared through word of mouth, scattered WhatsApp messages, and notice boards, misinformation spreads quickly. This often leads to confusion, missed opportunities, and increased exposure to scams targeting already vulnerable populations. Many refugees are also coping with trauma and daily uncertainty, making it even more difficult to navigate unclear or inconsistent information systems.

However, Jean revealed that their plans involve first sustaining the app in Nakivale, and later introducing it to other refugee settlements across Uganda, East Africa, and eventually the entire continent.

Campus Digital Hub is a refugee-led community technology organization operating within Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Founded in 2024, the organization aims to make technology practical and accessible for people living in the settlement. It achieves this by equipping youth and underserved communities with digital skills and fostering innovation. Its programs include basic computer training, advanced courses in web development, artificial intelligence, and digital marketing, as well as a women-focused initiative known as DigiLadies.
At its core, the organization builds solutions rooted in the real needs of the community it serves.