Honored by international organizations for refugee-led innovation in soil regeneration, women's empowerment, and sustainable agriculture.
We are proud of our unique refugee-led approach to soil regeneration and community empowerment, and humbled to have been recognized by leading international organizations that validate our work and impact.
Our flagship soil regeneration program combining vermicomposting, biochar production, and food forests has won 4 major international awards.
174 global entries
15 from 1,500 applicants
45% yield increases
Water retention increase
£25,000 Award for REGESOIL Project
The Ockenden International Prize recognizes the most effective self-reliance projects for refugees and displaced people worldwide. Unidos was selected from 174 entries globally for our REGESOIL program that improves soil productivity and provides life-saving nutrition.
Our work demonstrated how refugee-led organizations can combine vermicomposting, biochar production, and food forest design to transform degraded land into productive regenerative farms. The prize validates our approach of training 501 farmers (350 women, 151 men) in climate-resilient agriculture, achieving 45% yield increases and 40% soil water retention improvement.
"Unidos demonstrates extraordinary commitment to refugee empowerment and environmental regeneration." - Ockenden Prize Judges, 2024
Impact: £25,000 to scale REGESOIL to additional villages in Nakivale
USA for UNHCR Recognition
Paulinho Muzaliwa, Unidos founder, received the prestigious Gene Dewey Refugee Award from USA for UNHCR for his visionary leadership and extraordinary dedication to helping people forcibly displaced from their homes.
The award recognizes Paulinho's journey from fleeing armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2017 to founding Unidos in 2018 and growing it into an organization serving 20,000+ refugees through agricultural training, women's empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods programs.
"Paulinho's work demonstrates that refugees are not just recipients of aid, but leaders driving solutions for their own communities." - USA for UNHCR
Impact: International recognition that amplifies refugee-led innovation globally
Regenerative Agriculture Recognition
The Lush Spring Prize recognizes projects that contribute to regeneration of the natural world. Unidos won the Permaculture Magazine Award category for our work training nearly 1,000 refugees from Somalia, Congo, and Burundi as ecological farmers using permaculture principles.
Our approach combines traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern sustainable practices: food forest design, companion planting, water harvesting, soil regeneration through vermicomposting, and crop diversification. This award validated our methods of transforming refugee camps from aid-dependent to self-reliant regenerative communities.
Impact: Over £1 million awarded to regeneration projects globally, with Unidos among winners
The year Unidos's flagship soil regeneration program received its first major recognitions.
July 2022
Selected as 1 of 15 winners from 1,500 applicants (0.07% selection rate) for our REGESOIL project. This major funding enabled us to scale vermicomposting infrastructure, establish 4 food forest demonstration sites on 15 acres, and train 501 farmers in regenerative agriculture techniques.
Project: Regenerate the Soil (REGESOIL) - Vermicomposting, food forests, permaculture training
Outcomes: 270 farmers achieved 45% yield increases, soil water retention improved 40%, crop diversity expanded from monoculture to 12+ crop polyculture
2022
Won community vote for Social Impact Award Uganda, receiving business incubation in Austria for REGESOIL project business model development. This recognition marked our first major international award, affirming that combining permaculture with community empowerment truly works.
Project: REGESOIL business model refinement and scaling strategy
Impact: Seed funding and mentorship to expand from pilot to full program, evolving from charity model to regenerative social enterprise
May 2022
Selected among 8 finalists from 41 applicants for $5,000 funding to build first vermicomposting infrastructure pilot at Nakivale. This grant seeded what would become the award-winning REGESOIL program, proving that food waste recycling through worm composting could regenerate degraded refugee settlement soils.
Project: First REGESOIL vermicomposting infrastructure
Impact: Launched program now processing 800 kg food waste weekly into 7.8 tons organic fertilizer yearly
International Awards
2022-2024
Farmers Trained
REGESOIL program
Yield Increases
270 farmers achieved
Soil Improvement
Water retention increase
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