About Initiative for Community Empowerment (ICE)

"Accessing the Unreachable"

Our Story

Initiative for Community Empowerment (ICE), formerly known as God's Mercy Skills Foundation (GMSF), is a refugee-led organisation founded in November 2019 to prevent violent conflict and alleviate poverty, fostering peaceful coexistence and self-reliance in refugee and host communities. Through locally-led innovations in livelihood, education, health, advocacy, and environment & energy sustainability, ICE empowers youth, women, and girls to prevent violent conflict, build resilience, rebuild livelihoods, and actively participate in development.

ICE is registered with the local government of Kiryandongo District (registration number CD/5687) and operates from the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, Bweyale, Kiryandongo District, with the potential to expand as need and funding allow.

Our Mission

Building a community of equality by helping vulnerable populations enhance their livelihood and development capacities.

Our Vision

An empowered, peaceful and self-reliant community.

Guiding Principles

  • Working collaboratively and actively with strategic actors and partners
  • Good stewardship of materials and resources
  • Fostering gender-equity interventions

Our Core Values

Professionalism

We hold ourselves to high standards in everything we do.

Team Work

We achieve more together than alone.

Honesty

We deal openly and truthfully with everyone we serve.

Commitment

We stay the course for the communities depending on us.

Inclusiveness

Every voice, regardless of background, has a place.

Collaboration

We partner widely to multiply our impact.

Accountability & Transparency

We are answerable to our donors, partners, and beneficiaries alike.

Our Objectives

  • Build skills to support development and peace
  • Foster creativity and innovation among youth
  • Increase community knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS care and prevention
  • Eradicate gender-based violence
  • Build peace and improve social cohesion among refugees and host communities
  • Promote environment and energy sustainability
  • Enhance community vocational skills through comprehensive training programmes
  • Foster economic growth and improve livelihoods for refugees and host communities
  • Maintain financial and ethical integrity through sound governance and proper record-keeping

Who We Serve

Vulnerable women and children, youth and the elderly — across both refugee and host communities in Kiryandongo.

Our Team

Juma Moses

Executive Director

Bachelors of Community Studies and Rural Development

Okumu Richard Phillip

Team Leader

BSc. Environmental Science / Dip. Fisheries Science

William Malish Francis

Program Manager

Bachelors of Journalism and Communication

Komakech Thomas

Project Officer

Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration

Tabu Grace

Finance Officer

Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Finance

Sally Grace Lamara

Gender Officer

Bachelor in Reproductive Health and Demography

Samuel Bona James

M&E Officer

Diploma in Social Work and Social Development

Carline Himilo

Office Messenger

UCE Certificate

Organisational Structure

How our team is organised, from Board to field-level roles.

  • Board
    • Executive Director
      • Team Leader
        • M&E Officer
          • Gender Officer /
            Advocacy Unit
        • Program Manager
          • Office Attendant
        • Admin & Finance
          • Project Officer