W W W . R E A C H A H A N D . O R G
ORGANISATIONAL
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE BY YOUNG PEOPLE
W WW. R E ACH A H AN D. O R G
WHO WE ARE Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU) is a youth led and youth serving organization premised on youth empowerment programs with keen emphasis on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for young people, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, Behavioural Change Communication, livelihoods and skills development. We target a cross section of 12 - 24 year old young people in and out of school across Uganda. We design programs, activities and campaigns that put young people at the forefront of their growth and societal change. We work within schools and communities where the most at risk young people can be accessed. Through innovative ways, we engage the youth to capture and highlight their voice in our activities and programming.
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VISION We envision a world where every young person is able to make life choices fully backed by the availability of information.
MISSION To empower young people in Uganda aged 12-24 years with complete information, skills and tools which enable them to live healthy, focused and productive lives. RAHU’s foundation is established on the values of; being youth driven, transparent, openness and a deep appreciation for diversity and teamwork.
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WHAT WE AIM TO SOLVE The lives of young people in Uganda are marred by poverty, inadequate education and skills, limited employment opportunities, disease and limited access to Youth Friendly health services and information. 78 percent of Uganda’s population is below 30 years, their aspirations must be properly guided for Uganda to achieve its national vision to reach upper-middle income status by 2040. 19% of women aged 15-19 have given birth, young girls in Uganda become mothers too early which interrupts their education and any future prospects. High teenage pregnancy has also led to high school drop-out rate for girls with some schools registering as low as five percent completion rate. 4.5 Million Ugandan youth are unemployed or lack decent work. Teen girls have limited access to contraception. Only 14% of teenage girls aged 15 - 19 years use a contraceptive method. Only 5 % Health centres in Uganda provide Youth Friendly Sexual Reproductive Health Services. 63 % of young people were not happy with the services they received at a health center. The existing health centers do not cater for the needs of the youth in a simplistic and youth friendly tone.
Our work makes a contribution to improving the quality of life of young people. Through our programs we ensure that every young person in Uganda can access the accurate information to aid and direct them in taking that crucial life decision regarding their live skills and development, behavior change communication and sexual reproductive health and rights.
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CHARTING OUR IMPACT
41 Districts 943 Peer Educators Trained
18,648 Young people who have visited the
Over the years we have served young people and seen great impact in the quality of their lives.
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Music Concerts
09 Youth
Empowerment Centers
18,529
Peer Learning sessions
Youth empowerment services
125,675 Young people reached
through School Outreaches
1,545 Community Dialogues
2,373
Family Planning Services
1,246,796 Condoms distributed
94 Partnerships Cultivated 05 Annual Youth Camps 6
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10,400,874 Online Reach
OUR AREAS OF INTERVENTION Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights
Behavior Change Communications
Youth Livelihood & skills development interventions
HIV/AIDS Awareness & Prevention
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Where we work We continue to expand our reach to more parts of Uganda seeking out to empower young people in different settings and communities. Our hope is to run our projects and drive change in all the districts in Uganda, so far we have carried out interventions in 38 districts. Take a look at our presence. Here is to many more.
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KARAMOJA REGION: Amudat, Moroto, Abim, Kaabong, Kotido, Napak, and Nakapiripirit EASTERN AND NORTH EAST REGION: Mayuge, Butaleja, Iganga, Jinja, Amuria, Katakwi, Kapchorwa, Pallisa, Buyende, Busia and Bududa. CENTRAL REGION: WESTERN REGION:
Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, Masaka, Mpigi, Nakaseke and Luwero.
Mbarara, Kabale and Hoima. WEST NILE AND NORTHERN REGION: Lira, Agago, Kitgum, Lamwo, Amuru, Adjumani, Moyo, Yumbe, Arua, Koboko, and Gulu
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PROJECTS
WE SPARK TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE THROUGH OUR PROJECTS:
EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE PEER EDUCATORS ACADEMY Volunteerism at the core of our work. Peer Educators Academy is organized
they partake in mentoring their peers
to equip young people with information
within the schools and communities
and skills on Sexual Reproductive Health
on how to live better lives based on the
(SRHR) and Rights as well as acquiring
information they received at the academy.
the necessary life skills to make informed life choices.
We have moved to West Nile, Northern, Eastern and Western Uganda where
The peer educators are then posted
we started training district based peer
to different schools, communities and
educators.
attached to various organizations where
U-DECIDE Youth friendly spaces and services. This is an innovative intervention in
peer educators and health workers
Mbarara by Reach A Hand Uganda and
trained in youth friendly services. They are
Reproductive Health Uganda in partnership
designed to have a 360 degree approach
with Rutgers and Bergstrom Foundation.
to youth empowerment. There is sharing
These centres aim at empowering young
of information and challenges both in and
women and men in rural communities
outside SRHR with one of the major focus
to hold district leadership and health
being economic empowerment.
service providers accountable in order to ensure effective sexual and reproductive
A total of 10 youth empowerment centres
healthcare delivery, including maternal
were established in the partner health
healthcare.
facilities in Mbarara district. Looking ahead, the plan is to have youth empowerment
These youth empowerment centers are
corners in all the sub counties in the 35
safe youth hangouts where young people
districts that we work in. We have already
converge to interact, access accurate
set up 2 centres in refugee communities in
SRHR information and services, discuss
West Nile and we are in the final stages of
common challenges
establishing the first phase of our centres
faced in their
communities with guidance from trained
in Eastern Uganda.
MAKE 12.4 WORK Disability Inclusion We are ambassadors under the Make
population of Uganda that lives with a
12.4% Work Initiative supported by the
disability. Our Peer Educators Academy
National Lottery Community Fund with
opened their doors to 7 peer educators
Light for the World as the lead partner. As
with a disability and we recently hired a
implementing partners, we are triggering
staff with a disability as Communications
the private, public and development sector
Assistant.
to open up employment opportunities and livelihoods programs to the 12.4% of the
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PROJECTS GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA / UNFPA 8 TH COUNTRY PROGRAMME KARUNA Leaving no one behind, working in Karamoja and the refugee communities In partnership with United Nations
adolescents and young people’s voices
Population Fund (UNFPA), We implement
on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention
the KARUNA project within the Karamoja
in Karamoja sub-region.
region. The project targets 7 districts (Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, Abim, Napak,
KARUNA is implemented alongside the
Amudat, and Nakapiripirit). Through this
Karamoja Connect Program which is giving
project we address critical bottlenecks
space to young people in Karamoja to learn
that hinder adolescents and young people
about SRH processes in their communities
from exercising their rights to access the
and become youth advocates/ champions.
services in a timely manner. We amplify
WAY (Women, Adolescents, Youth (WAY) and Rights Programme) Women, Adolescents, Youth (WAY)
Uganda. It enhances women’s and young
and Rights Programme is a five year
people’s access and utilization of quality
programme that kicked off in January
Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights
2018 by the Government of Uganda
(SRHR) and Gender Based Violence (GBV)
under UNFPA’s 8th country programme
services in refugee and host communities
supported by the Ministry of Foreign
across 8 districts in West Nile and Acholi
Affairs of Denmark/ Danida, targeting
regions. We do this work through over 80
both refugees and Ugandans in select
Youth champions who we trained and
refugee hosting districts in Northern
empowered to support other young people.
LIVE YOUR DREAM MOMENT
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Live Your Dream Moment is a two-
to influence positive social change
hour conversational platform, where
among young people by sharing their
different icons in creative arts, media,
life’s stories. It also features discussions
entrepreneurship and innovations engage
around UNFPA’s mandate issues including
with a select audience to dialogue on key
prevention of Gender Based Violence,
social issues to foster empowerment. This
HIV/Aids, child marriage and teenage
event uses these outstanding personalities
pregnancy.
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WE SPARK TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE THROUGH OUR PROJECTS:
ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE OUT OF SCHOOL AND COMMUNITIES IKNOW CONCERTS Youth friendly spaces and services. “I Know� campaign; After a while of focusing on 12-24 year olds, RAHU realised that the out-of-school youth, that is 25-35 year olds, are being affected by reproductive health challenges and HIV largely due to inadequate information. Through the iKnow campaign, we bridge that gap by carrying out sensitization activities within communities and partnering with health service providers to bring SRHR services such as HIV Testing and Counselling closer to them. Through these concerts we are Fast tracking the 90-90-90 target which aims to diagnose 90% of all HIV positive people, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) for 90% of those diagnosed and achieve viral suppression for 90% of those treated, by 2020.
GET UP, SPEAK OUT The Get Up, Speak Out (GUSO) program is
Through this program we train peer
a 5 year strategic partnership between the
educators who transfer the skills and
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights
the GUSO consortium (Dance4life, Rutgers,
information gained to their communities
Simavi, Stop Aid Now!, Choice for Youth
and schools.
and Sexuality and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
They partake in mentoring their peers within the schools and communities
GUSO is building on the Access Skills
on how to live better lives based on the
and Knowledge (ASK) achievements
information they received.
implemented by the SRHR alliance. The GUSO project is implemented in Jinja and Mayuge districts.
GYMO Get Your Mix Out Get Your Mix Out! (GYMO) is a
information that will empower young
behavioural change campaign focused
people to tackle societal challenges
on delivering innovative youth centered
such as lack of information on sexual
Sexual Reproductive Health programs
reproductive health issues Gender
targeting Ugandan youth between
Based Violence and Inequality, access
the ages of 15 to 24 in and out of
to youth friendly health services,
school. Using interactive styles of
advocate for, and monitor the delivery
engagement, GYMO highlights the
of wholesome quality education.
need to disseminate age appropriate REACH A HAND UGANDA
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PROJECTS ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE OUT OF SCHOOL AND COMMUNITIES SHARE101 This is a high-level platform by Reach a Hand Uganda which focuses on bringing together specific stakeholders in the Sexual and Reproductive Health sector to sharpen each other through sharing experiences, best practices and recommendations.
MENPLUS The project works towards putting men at the forefront of family planning. It aims at ensuring an increase in family planning conversations by positioning men as promoters (champions), users (taking up family planning methods) and partners (offering support to their Spouses) in family planning. Through MenPlus, we seek to actively engage men in deliberate efforts to undertake a permanent method of contraception - the vasectomy procedure. The program is currently being implemented in Arua, Gulu, Hoima, Mbarara, Mityana, Kampala, Iganga and Mbale.
GIRLS’ FESTIVAL A platform aimed at increasing empowerment awareness for young girls in Uganda through a variety of workshops, exhibitions, girl empowerment speakers and exercises with various development partners the girls’ festival will focus on themes to elevate the status of young women in Uganda to support them realize their SRH rights and obligations to enable them better demand for quality health care services and information.
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WE SPARK TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE THROUGH OUR PROJECTS:
BOLD ADVOCACY SILENCE IS DEADLY CAMPAIGN The Voices for Health (VFH) project
change in young people’s access to
partners together with the Ministry
information and services on Sexual
of Health launched a new sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights. The
reproductive health (SRH) advocacy
overall project goal is to improve public
campaign dubbed “Silence Is Deadly”.
approval for protection of young people’s
The aim of the campaign is to highlight
access to age appropriate sexual and
the sexual reproductive health and rights
reproductive health services. The
challenges faced by young Ugandans and
nationwide campaign continues to be a
call on relevant government actors and
strong tool in the advocacy efforts towards
stakeholders to act for the progressive
a progressive school health policy.
THE INTER-GENERATIONAL DIALOGUE This is a multi demographic conversation
our Voices for Health partners to have
that brings key stakeholders in the field
interactive Sexual Reproductive Health and
of youth Sexual Reproductive Health and
Rights (SRHR) generational conversations.
Rights issues to a round table to openly and expansively discuss the challenges
Every year, the Inter generational Dialogue
that inhibit young people from accessing
provides an opportunity for us to assess
the knowledge that is fundamental to
where the current policies on young
informing the choices they make in life;
people’s SRHR needs stand, evaluate
economic, social and cultural choices.
SRHR generational developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a
It is an opportunity that we continue to
way forward to meet the young people’s
leverage to involve like-minded CSOs like
Sexual Reproductive Health needs.
THE MUSIC PROJECT Using Music for Advocacy The musical project seeks to inspire young people through music and songs laced with SRHR information. The songs and performances under this project are carried out by RAHU Cultural icons in an effort to inspire and motivate the young people through familiar avenues like music.
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PROJECTS LEADING THE INNOVATION SPACE SAUTIPLUS SAUTIplus is a unique approach that has
help young people understand and safely
been designed by Reach A Hand, Uganda
exercise their Reproductive Health Rights.
to embrace the growing innovative
Sautiplus features information ranging
technologies. Through varied digital
from different topics tailored for young
avenues, SautiPlus uses podcasts, mobile
people. It features stories on; Growing up,
phones, social media and other digital
HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, Girl
media platforms to share information
Talk, Boy talk, Drugs, STIs, Abstinence,
with young people. SautiPlus is specially
Menstruation, Cross Generational Sex,
designed to help young people access
living positive, Contraceptives, among
Accurate and reliable information about
several other reproductive health topics.
sexual and reproductive health & Rights in a convenient manner.
It employs a youthful language, colour and themes to make it contemporary to
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It provides a safe space where young people
the young audience and a dependable
can have questions about their sexual and
reference point for them regarding SRHR
reproductive health answered. It seeks to
issues.
MEET THE TEAM Humphrey Nabimanya Founder & Team Leader Daphne Asiimwe Finance and HR Manager Elizabeth Amanya Finance Officer Ibrahim Batambuze Waiswa Communications and Advocacy Manager Joy L. Tushabe Communications Officer Victoria Miracle Chemutai Communications & Advocacy Assistant (Disability Inclusion) Sharon Banura Winyi Partnerships and Reputation Manager Winnie Brenda Watera Programmes Manager
Gilbert Beyamba Chief of Staff Janet Kukundakwe Senior Finance Officer Fiona Josephine Arenji Finance Officer Doreen Kihembo Communications Officer Yvonne Mpambara Advocacy Officer Maureen Andinda Strategy and Business Development Manager Paul Waiswa Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Officer Amutuhaire Helen Patricia Programmes Officer
Tabitha Akello Programmes Officer
Herman Namanya Programmes Officer
Bashir Kabuye Programmes Officer
Ibrahim Nkonge Events & Experiential Officer
Paul Wanyama Innovations Analyst
Dralega Peace Yikiru Programmes Assistant
Albert Ongom Francis Programmes Assistant
Frances Aanyu Programmes Assistant
Sarah Kyebambe Administrative Assistant
Francis Muntoyera Transport Officer
Victor Mukosya Transport Officer
Nasuludiin Kisakye Transport Officer
Joyce Babirye Hospitality and Welfare
Newton Kamusiime Kamugisha Office Assistant
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PA R T N E R S
Ministry of Education and Sports
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development
YOUTH DRIVEN, TRANSPARENT, OPENNESS AND A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR DIVERSITY AND TEAMWORK.
Plot 7502, Block 244, Heritage Village (Kitaranga) Kansanga, on Kansanga - Ggaba Road P.O. Box 21288 Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256 414 697 037 Email: info@reachahand.org Web: www.reachahand.org