Who we are
SRA is a Ugandan Migrant worker’s association working for a Nationwide free from poverty and injustice.
We want to see a just, fair and sustainable world, in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from poverty and oppression.
So we work to achieve social justice and gender equality, and to eradicate poverty.
our strategy is to build international momentum for social, economic and environmental justice, driven by people living in poverty and exclusion.
In practice, this means working closely with people living in poverty and exclusion, civil society organisations, refugees, social movements and supporters. Together, we deliver grassroots programs, provide emergency relief and campaign for things such as women’s economic rights, tax justice and climate justice.
Our work falls into four broad areas: women, politics, land and climate, and emergencies. We have a particular focus on women’s rights; it’s a thread that runs through all our work.
This is our international website, where we share inspiring stories from around the federation, bold thought-leadership and practical tools that catalyze change. You can visit any of www.srauganda.org to find out more about the work of SRA offices around Uganda, and how you can get involved.
We believe in the power in people. If we can support people to know, claim and defend their rights, the world will be a fairer place.
THE FATE OF PRIVATELY TRAINED AND DEPLOYED YOUTH FOR WORK ABROAD Special Returnees Association (S.R.A) is a Ugandan Migrant worker’s association that was founded and registered on 25th November, 2019 with the primary aim of handling of returnees’ issues arising from the professional line of duty in Uganda and from abroad.
Ugandan Independent Contractors started to join efforts under Operation Iraq Freedom working with U.S. Allied Forces on behalf of the US military in early 2005 after the downfall of Saddam Hussein and Operation Enduring Freedom In Afghanistan. Until now, new groups are joining the U.S, U.N.S.O.S and N.A.T.O security missions around the Middle East and Somalia. However, S.R.A represents all Ugandans in the diaspora and returnees.
There is a conservative estimate beyond two hundred thousand (300,000) Ugandan Independent contractors working in the Middle East, according to industry insiders and no clear record of those back home.
Employing companies include Triple Canopy Inc, S.O.C/ S.M.G, E.O.D.T, Saber Security, REED Inc.
Round off Security, African Skies Security and Black water, Macro Manpower, Global Linguists Solutions e.t.c.
The current state of affairs of most returnees is generally lacking due to a number of factors including health damages arising from occupational hazards, unemployment, breach of contract and lack of proper medical treatment. They have not been incorporated into main stream government security nor can they fit in the local private security sector. Once our returnees come back home, they have no outlet to find work.
They are men and women like other Ugandans face poverty due to unemployment. Often the returnee will go back on tour in order to help their families or they have been released on medical and they are not able to accept moderately intense work.
We offer six initial recommendations as a path toward realizing the inherent potential of a National Security Guard Force:
1) To Create a Presidential directed Returnees Public Engagement and Collaborative Governance Commission, responsible for engaging a broad base of stakeholders in a dialogue on security issues.
2) Establish a single point of authority (directive and budgetary), responsible for coordinating and directing the execution of a National Security Guard Force Strategy.
3) Establish an Inter Agency Policy Committee on returnees, responsible for crafting a National Security Guard Strategy.
4) Establish a standing National Returnees Advisory Board, responsible for providing strategic advice and counsel to the president, parliament and implementing agencies related to internal and foreign security policies.
5) Create and institutionalize a forward-looking, periodic review process designed to assess evolving returnees’ policy and programs across the country.
6) Create a voluntary coalition of private sector stakeholders, responsible for cultivating and formalizing a model of collaborative engagement that best aligns the resources of government, corporate, foundation and community partners in support of returnees and their families.
General Registration:
To enroll all returnees under one organizational umbrella i.e. Special Returnees Association Uganda Limited for easy management.
Refresher Courses:
Facilitate and deploy them in various departments in the Local communities.
Security Guarding and training Academy. Build a boot camp that can train all local security guards by returnee instructors in order to curb down the unprofessional tendencies Comprehensive Risk Assessment Strategy S.R.A will scan different domains (clear deep and dark) to determine and map the threats.
The outcomes of this stage will present Initial and clear picture of any threats at an affordable price.
Acting base for further decision making the S.R.A will help to understand whether or not additional measures
should be considered.
Threat Monitoring-Based on the S.R.A we will launch a focused and dedicated intelligence collection and analysis program, tailored to fit the organization.
This program is tailored to each client individually to make sure we match our highly trained and professional experts with the unique and specified challenges of each organization Creation of the National Security Guard Force. All Ugandan privately trained and deployed youth abroad for security work shall be registered as a National Security Guards.
They should be mobilized under their own strategic leadership structure to help the government for easy accountability, communication and deployment at any time of need Purpose of the Counter-Drug efforts, Domestic emergencies, which can range from armed insurrection to natural disasters.
- Overseas combat missions.
- To enforce the laws
- Each district has its own National Guard and the I.G.P shall call them up in emergencies.
The Guard also answers if the president calls on them to serve the state 6 Possible productive advantages from privately trained and deployed youth abroad in Government security.
Provision of professional security services.
Returnees from across the globe have acquired modern professional skills that help in the development of the communities in particular and country at large, e.g. The Use of Force, Modern
Personal Security Details techniques, Defensive Driving, Marksmanship skills, high tech Close Combat Training, Three-Sixty degrees security and Dog Handling training Provision of security training.
• Patriotism Drive:
They appreciate the goodness of their homeland which takes them eligible to lead love of country drive nationally.
Furthermore returnees can be of the following productive benefits;
• Tax; Their businesses and investments are a good source of government tax in addition to the taxes payable by recruitment companies to the government.
Job creation; Privately trained and deployed youth abroad for work help to curb the problem of unemployment nationally. When they get back home, they build businesses in their respectively areas of residence which employ fellow Ugandans.
Development:
Their businesses and investment include new structures as schools, hospitals and commercial buildings nationwide
Tourism. Privately trained and deployed Ugandans on all international security missions have put high the Ugandan flag abroad demonstrated good professional ethics and special abilities why the demand for Ugandans have increased.
Most Threat Analysis:
Terrorism; While terrorism often starts in conflict zones, it reaches far beyond them, organizing and inspiring attacks and radicalizing people across borders and continents. This is where S.R.A expertise shall come i handy.
Due to unemployment, Returnees may recruit under terrorist networks as Al Shabbab and Al-Qaida that are operational in the East African region for financial gain.
• Training skills: Returnees are highly trained in modern war fare tactics and other professional skills from their experience working with modern paramilitaries on sensitive missions. Former security operatives from abroad are money and development oriented.
• Excitement: Unemployed Returnees might work out of political excitement to engage into radical political programs if they there are no clear monitoring systems that govern their associations.
• COVID 19 Pandemic: Due to Returnees’ work schedule travelling back and forth to and from abroad, they are of danger to the health being of the nation transmitting COVID19 virus.
They have hence been put on the high priority list of people to be vaccination program.
9. Policy development on their work with Government or private sectors.
On a daily basis, the life of a National Security Guard member is fairly quiet. When not on missions, Guard members shall drill one week every three (3) months and attend a three-week training camp every year.
The rest of the time, they shall live a normal life, working at their day job until emergency call requiring agents in reinforcing the active personnel against floods and other natural calamities.
Returnees have a great deal to offer to potential civilian employers, including valuable non technical skills, such as leadership, decision-making, being dependable, and attention to detail.
However, for civilian employers, understanding what non technical skills returnees have received through training, education, and on-the-job experiences can be challenging, because paramilitary and civilian workplace cultures and languages can seem radically different from one another.
Charity work:
- CHARITY’ and giving to the community and the less privileged.
- Widows, Elderly Care and Orphanage Center to our Members
- S.R.A provides facilitation to the welfare of returnees needs.