CTEN is a refugee led NGO started as a refugee-based initiative in 2016 in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement located in the West Nile region of Uganda. The mission of the NGO is to empower and develop communities through ICT (Information Communication Technology), provision of advice and support, workshops and conferences, talent shows and exhibitions, exchange and learning visits and sports activities in a bid to build their economic and social resilience, enhance peaceful coexistence and promote sustainable environmental practices to mitigate climate change. Under the SUNNY project, CTEN is set to extend its operations to Rwanda and South Sudan respectively.
CTEN launched the Refugee Host Population Empowerment (ReHOPE) Bridge Project for providing digital literacy and access to connectivity and devices to both the host and refugee communities to create awareness, foster employability and information dissemination to improve livelihood resilience, peaceful coexistence and sustainable environmental practices. We teach courses that make participants to be self-reliant including Computer repair and maintenance, Computer Aided Graphics Design, Audio and Film Production, Data Collection and Analysis, Literacy and Numeracy, online courses including UNHCR COURSERA, Pluralsight, Cisco and Entrepreneurship. We also train participants in vocational and life skills to foster youth employment. These trainings are carried out in the various Multipurpose Community Technology Centres (MCTCs) established by CTEN in the refugee settlements in collaboration with the Government of Uganda, UNHCR and other stakeholders. We also carryout widespread sensitisation on refugee rights and entitlements and good environmental practices to mitigate the effects of climate change, enhance peaceful coexistence, livelihood resilience.