As the conflict escalated and spread in 2016, close to 500,000 men, women and children fled South Sudan and crossed the border to seek refuge in Uganda. With such a dramatic influx, international agencies are struggling to adequately respond and meet the needs of a desperate and deeply traumatized refugee population. In response, local leaders created the Community Technology Empowerment Network i
n Uganda, or CTEN. A newly registered non-governmental organization, CTEN is made up of South Sudanese civil society leaders displaced from Yei who aim to connect their community members to available resources through creating ICT and community information centers. Officially registered in Uganda in August 2016, with only a few volunteers and a single computer, CTEN has already logged several successes. Working closely with UNHCR to fill gaps in formal assistance, CTEN has assisted in the registration of hundreds of refugees and connected many to health and psycho-social services. The organization also aims to provide ICT training to men and women who use their center and assist in informing the host community. Ultimately, CTEN is an organization created to assist the refugee community to be more informed, healthy and secure.
