For poor families, a small patch of land is often the only source of critical food and shelter. But scores of vulnerable widows have this lifeline stolen from them after their husbands die.

Powerful relatives or neighbors steal their land with violence, or prey on orphans in their time of need. Victims are left hungry, homeless and deeply afraid.
Too often, local justice officials treat this crime as a “family matter” and tell a widow to settle with her abusers.Without accountability, criminals continue to thrive and their victims are trapped in the cycle of poverty.
Widows are particularly vulnerable to land theft. There are more than 115 million widows living in extreme poverty around the world—with half a billion children depending on these widows for survival. [1]
By 2020, 1.5 billion of the world’s urban poor will live in informal settlements and slums without any secure right to their property. [2]
An estimated 90% of rural sub-Saharan Africans have no proof of ownership for land where they live and work—leaving them even more vulnerable to violent land grabbing. [3]
[1] Sylvia B. Ondimba. “The World Must Support Its Widows.” The Guardian. June 23, 2011. Web. Available online.
[2] UN-HABITAT. “Secure Land Rights for All” Available online.
[3] Ibid
IJM protects widows, orphans and other vulnerable people from land theft in Uganda.
Rescue the Victims
We restore widows and orphans to their homes and defend them against ongoing threats of violence.
Bring criminals to justice
We bring criminal cases against perpetrators, particularly where violence, intimidation or fraud have been used.
Restore survivors
We provide urgent medical care and counselling, ensure that children can go to school and, where needed, help women begin income-generating projects.
Strengthen justice systems
We provide training and hands-on mentoring to police and local leaders on the effective enforcement of land theft laws.


Help victims of Land Theft today.
You can send help to families suffering abuse.