RAHU 2019 Profile

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