At African Women Rising, we are fueled by the sense of hope and opportunity found in the communities we work with in the Acholi region of Northern Uganda.
We work in areas where the need is the greatest. People in Acholiland are still grappling with the legacy of two decades of brutal war, which forcibly displaced the entire rural population for years and devastated the local economy. This history of armed conflict has left Northern Uganda, where the violence was most intense and longest lasting, with the country’s highest rates of poverty, food insecurity and illiteracy.
The region also bears the brunt of Uganda’s refugee crisis, which UNICEF ranks among the fastest growing in the world. Uganda is host to the most refugees of any African nation, receiving constant, simultaneous streams of people fleeing conflict, hunger, and extreme poverty from South Sudan, the DRC, Burundi, and other neighboring countries. Most of Uganda’s 1.6 million refugees have settled in the rural north, many in the communities where AWR is based. The vast majority are women and children under the age of 18.
African Women Rising works in 79 villages across the Northern Ugandan districts of Gulu, Lamwo and Omoro, as well as Lamwo’s Palabek Refugee Settlement, housing primarily refugees from South Sudan. Together, these areas are home to tens of thousands of families who are overcoming a past of war and displacement by actively building a peaceful and prosperous future.
The African Women Rising staff, board, advisors and directors are all people passionate about global women’s empowerment. Our board members and advisors are experts in gender equity, regenerative agriculture, global health, community development, land rights, food security and poverty alleviation. Our 200 person staff in Uganda are from the communities where we work. Their lived experience and site specific knowledge is critical to our success. Many of our staff members are previous AWR participants, and we train and employ refugees to conduct programs in the refugee camp. We strongly believe in building the capacity of staff and provide financial support for education.
National Finance and Administration Director
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National Program Director
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Our network of supporters have helped us to empower women and children in Uganda and beyond.
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