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Our Projects

Our programms

Understand our programs

Our Thematic areas in details

(i)Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR)

Uganda has a large young population of approximately 50.5% being children aged 17 and under (UBOS 2024). One in every four Ugandans (23.3%) is an adolescent and one in every three (37.4%) is a young person. The magnitude of SRH challenges such as; unwanted pregnancy, rape, unsafe abortion, early marriages, STIs/HIV/AIDS, female genital mutilation, gender-based violence and psychosocial problems namely; substance abuse, delinquency, truancy, sexual abuse among others are enormous, as a result of these problems, many adolescents drop out of schools and greatly impact on their overall wellbeing. Similarly, the state of mind in which a young person makes an informed choice compromises the success of a particular intervention in SRH. Furthermore, a young person suffering from depression due to HIV and or memory of traumatic life experience will possess both a negative physical and mental health outcome that may aggravate their overall health and wellbeing.

The project objective is to increase access to and utilization of adolescent sexual and reproductive health services. Intervention areas include; Improve access to education and employment opportunities targeting those who are disadvantaged; Reduce child marriage; Build adolescent girls’ abilities to make/negotiate decisions about childbearing and contraceptive use; Engage/support male partners in shared decision making; Build support for contraceptive use from family and community members; Increase awareness and availability of self-care options as discreet and private; Address knowledge gaps, myths and misconceptions on contraception and Use a package of evidence-based approaches to improve and sustain competencies, attitudes, motivation and performance of health workers. All these are to ensure that adolescents and young people are reached with Adolescent- Friendly Services to mitigate the multiple health challenges and behavioral risks that they are faced with.

 

(ii) Malaria through ICCM

In Uganda, Malaria remains the leading cause of OPD attendance for all ages accounting for 29.1% of which 23% were children under 5 years of age. It was also the leading cause of admissions               and deaths in health facilities accounting for 39.5% and 10.9% respectively (Uganda Annual Sector Performance Report 2020/21; Uganda Country Refugee Response Plan 2022/25). High malaria burden is attributed to; poor health seeking behavior and attitude towards malaria prevention and care; Myths; and low community ownership and involvement in malaria prevention and control despite the government’s interventions of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and distribution of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITNs).

The impact of the malaria burden to the population ranges from missed school attendance, abortions, miscarriages, Low Birth Weight and anemia among under 5s, high cost of transport to health facilities and out of pocket to purchase drugs from private clinics, loss of productive time leading to poverty, complications, multi-organ failure and finally death. The average direct expenditure on a single malaria episode was $7.8, with some families spending more than 10% the annual household net income. (Uganda Malaria Reduction and Elimination Strategic Plan 2021- 2025).

The project objective is to contribute to the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to malaria for under 5 years and pregnant mothers through integrated community case management focused on; community mobilization and education on malaria prevention, targeted/ focused home visits by VHTs to raise awareness, screen, test and treat mild-moderate cases and refer severe cases to health facilities, build capacity of facility and Community VHTs in case management, facilitate Community Volunteers/VHTs with supplies for home-based management of fever, engagement of schools and institutions to scale up uptake of preventive malaria measures, support in expanding coverage of Indoor residual spraying, ensure all pregnant women access IPT and support in the production and distribution of IEC/SBCC materials for malaria prevention and control.

(iii) HIV/AIDS/TB Control

 

According to the Uganda population HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA 2016-2017) HIV prevalence in Uganda is 6.2% with the annual incidence among adults 15-64 years at 0.4% and women having higher rates (0.46%) compared to men (0.36%). The latest spectrum projections indicate that in 2021, A total of 1.423 million Ugandans are living with HIV, majority of who are women. Although there are efforts from government and non-state actors to improve the conditions of PLHIV, “ART coverage still remains low amongst the male PLHIVs with only 77.4% of the 562,790 estimated male PLHIVs on treatment, compared to 96.8% ART coverage amongst the female PLHIV and only 64.2% amongst the children compared to adults 90.9%.

HIV/AIDS imposes a significant psychological burden. PLHIV often suffer from depression which affects adherence to ART, anxiety and recurrent stressors including physical pain, social stigma, and discrimination synonymous with mental and emotional disorders. PLHIV are at increased risk of developing mental health conditions which can undermine health-seeking behaviors and lead to higher rates of mortality. Therefore, early detection and effective treatment of depression go a long way in improving their adherence to ART and quality of life. The need for HIV/AIDS prevention and response interventions is extensive, given poor knowledge and awareness about HIV, sociocultural factors of HIV/AIDS-related stigma, inadequate provision and low uptake of HIV prevention and treatment services.

The project objective is to increase access to and utilization of HIV/AIDS services. Intervention areas include; Care, Treatment and Psychosocial, economic, legal and protection services as “social enablers” for HIV prevention and uptake, community HTS, ART delivery, EID and VL testing services; capacity building of health workers and mentorship in Option B+ service delivery, integrated HIV/AIDS/TB testing and collaborative treatment and care, linkage of clients to Gene Expert tests, establish & support activities of mother-to-mother support groups for PMTCT/MNH, contact tracing and follow up of clients on ART, community adherence counselling services for clients with high Viral Load, build capacity of family care group volunteers in CG-DOT, Link and integrate patients to livelihood opportunities.

(iv) Mental Health and Psychosocial support

 

Mental Health Crisis in Uganda particularly in Northern and West Nile-Sub region is a pressing concern. The country faces significant burden of Mental Health issues, with 35% Ugandans suffering from different forms of mental illness; 30.1% are depressed, 15% requires treatment, 10% requires rehabilitative services; 90% do not have access to treatment and rehabilitative services. AFOD Innovated the 2P+ICLeM: Integrated Community Led Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Service-(2P+ICLeM) model which focuses on integrating mental health into Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights, HIV/AIDS and Livelihood, Economic Empowerment for Resilience Program-LERP aimed at improving Programme outcomes.

 

The project objective is to increase demand and utilization of integrated mental health and psychosocial services. Intervention areas include; i): Engagement; Awareness and mindset change, Identify, assess and refer and organize Mental Health camps; ii): Treat & Recover; Assessment, Stabilization, Diagnostics testing, Medication management, Admission and Psychotherapy; iii): Rehabilitate; Occupational therapy, Recreational therapy, social skills training, Vocational training and Support groups; iv): Empowerment; Skilling and tooling, Livelihood support, Discharge planning and Aftercare program and v): Re-integrate & Wellness; Mental health education for individual and families, Substance abuse education and Wellness and selfcare promotion.

The hope of refugees, host communities, and the public is vested in your act of kindness and generosity to support the establishment of a mental health facility in West Nile Sub region of Uganda that will bridge the gaps in service access. We can collectively restore hope and lighten the mental health burden. A small donation is a step to setting up a mental health facility in West Nile which require 5,677,390,000 Uganda shillings (USD 1.5 Million).

(v) Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH)/Off-grid sustainable clean Energy

Uganda faces significant challenges in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services, despite some progress, these include; High maternal mortality ratio with 440 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, high Neonatal mortality rates with 39,000 newborn deaths annually, and 1 in 10 children born with low birth weight and a significant number of women deliver outside health facilities without skilled care, contributing to complications; in addition to limited service availability and readiness in public sector facilities particularly in rural areas, long distances, long waiting times and referral barriers prevents timely access to services which impacts postnatal care. All these requires strengthening health systems, timely referrals and improved health information systems. 

 

The project objective is to increase demand and access to safe delivery and EPI services for most vulnerable communities. Intervention areas include; community education using locally appropriate channels and media; support distribution of vaccines and maintenance of cold chain facilities by providing 24 hours’ off grid cold chain energy for refrigeration of vaccines for improved immunization coverage, provision of clean and safe water and economic empowerment of the community; Link all pregnant mothers and young girls to ANC services; Conduct refresher training for health workers in immunization service delivery; Support micro planning meetings for EPI at national, regional and district levels; Support integrated EPI outreaches and mobile services in hard to reach communities; Production and distribution of IEC materials for education and Support data management on immunization program performance at regional and district levels.

(i)Nutrition

Food insecurity is one of the causes of malnutrition in children, pregnant and lactating women. “Malnutrition in childhood and pregnancy has many adverse consequences for child survival and long-term well-being. It also has far-reaching consequences for human capital, economic productivity and national development overall. In Uganda, 33%of children under age five are stunted, while 4% are acutely malnourished or wasted, according to the most recent Demographic and Health Survey. However, the government of Uganda, through the third National Development Plan (NDPIII) aims to “reduced prevalence of under 5 stunting from 28.9% to 19%” by 2025. “There is global consensus that ending hunger and malnutrition is a prerequisite for both development and socioeconomic wellbeing”.

AFOD in an effort to support the government of Uganda to meet SDG2 of reducing hunger and malnutrition has designed innovative interventions with the objective to increase access and utilization of both nutrition specific and sensitive services for vulnerable communities. The intervention areas are; Support active screening and case-finding and referral system that strengthens linkages between TSFP and other IMAM components, Integrate the component of IYCF-E into service delivery, Provision of integrated quality treatment services for SAM and MAM including PLW using CMAM, promote micronutrient supplementation and home-based food fortification approach using locally available foods to improve the adaptive capacity, build capacity at primary health care facilities and community, distribution of nutritious food commodities from partners to prevent malnutrition in 6-23 months old children and PLW and treatment of MAM, Establish care groups to promote social behavior changes through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, Establish demo gardens and nutrition sensitive keyhole gardening as learning points for replication at household’s levels., Provide vegetable seeds for demo and for clients for dietary diversification and anemia prevention.

(ii)Food Security

In Uganda, according to USAID, the causes of food insecurity are multifaceted and include; Poverty, Landlessness, High fertility, Natural disasters, High food prices, and Lack of education. It is also a known fact that majority of Ugandans depend on rain fed agriculture as a main source of income. Gender inequality worsens food insecurity and poverty. However,” producing more staple food does not guarantee less stunting, as seen in the southwest region, considered the “food basket” of Uganda, which has one of the highest rates of stunting among children less than five years in the country’. AFOD Uganda programme is an effort to supplement the government of Uganda efforts to meet SDG2 of zero hunger.

The project objective is to improve food security status of the households by ensuring adequate and nutritious food at all times. The intervention areas are; Support periodic food security and livelihood situation assessment which integrate an inclusive AAPA, development of participatory community food security and livelihood action plans, support to increase and diversify production of nutritious food crops at household level through provision of inputs (improved seed varieties) and extension services, Provision of General food assistance to verified and registered Persons of Concern in refugee hosting districts, advocate for land allocation to refugees from government to support food production and link and integrate refugees and vulnerable host communities to livelihood opportunities.

(iii) Livelihoods and economic empowerment for resilience building:

The poor and disabled suffer disproportionately from the burden of poverty. In most instances, poverty predisposes communities, especially women and young persons to social exclusion and in access to basic services and life necessities. Additionally, the stress that arises from the lack of basic necessities and a possible underlying health condition aggravates the likelihood of succumbing to depression. A productive population affected by poverty is less likely to participate in any economic activity. AFOD Uganda Livelihoods and economic empowerment for resilience building programme is an effort to support the government of Uganda to meet SDG1 of eliminating poverty, promote sustainable livelihoods, building resilience and creating economic opportunities for the vulnerable communities.

The project objective is to contribute to socio economic empowerment through integrated Sustainable Livelihoods and adoption of good environmental practices. The intervention areas are; Support sustainable agricultural production through training in climate-smart agriculture practices and techniques, integrated pest and post-harvest management, solar drying, Value addition, improved animal husbandry practices, provide farm inputs and climate smart items for irrigation for vulnerable groups and farmers, establish and build capacity of farmer groups in modern agri-business skills and promote poultry, cuniculture and piggery production to empower economically marginalized groups.

Environmental health (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and SEM)

AFOD Uganda integrates WASH and sustainable environmental management-SEM in all its programme such as; reproductive health, nutrition and food security. Basic sanitation, improved hygiene practices, safe and clean drinking water can prevent water-borne related diseases, other illnesses and death especially in children and elderly who are more susceptible to diseases.  AFOD complements the efforts of the Ugandan Government to address the key challenges in the WASH sector for example; High morbidity and mortality due to water, hygiene and sanitation related diseases, Low latrine coverage and access to hand-washing facilities and rubbish pits.

 

The objective is to increase access to and use of safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in the communities and districts of focus in Uganda. Intervention areas include; use of SBCC approach to disseminate information and cause change of behaviour, attitudes and norms towards improved hygiene and sanitation, equip community Hygiene promoters with knowledge, skills and tools to create awareness, train local people on construction and use of tippy taps, Support advocacy meetings at village level on sanitation and hygiene, create awareness in community and schools, produce and distribute WASH IEC materials, Facilitate annual home improvement campaigns and Promote tree planting in households.

Protection and Psychosocial support programme (PPSS):

AFOD Uganda works with partners and government institutions to provide the much-needed protection and psychosocial support services to the refugees and communities. In the next five years, AFOD will concentrate on child protection and fight against gender-based violence (GBV) in refugee, host communities and other vulnerable communities in the districts of focus in Uganda.

 

The contribution of AFOD Uganda to the protection of refugees and communities is aimed at increasing access to a comprehensive and coordinated GBV responses. Intervention areas include; Facilitate advocacy and community mobilization against GBV; livelihood support and care for survivors; Train community/religious leaders,  VHTs and Refugee Welfare Committees to ensure early identification and linkage of persons suffering from GBV/mental health; Train local authorities, law enforcement and judicial officers on GBV; Raise awareness through music, dance and drama, sport galas and radio spot messages; Support participatory development of community action plans for social protection; access to Justice for Orphans and vulnerable children; establishment of community-based child protection committees; counselling to victims; referrals, Print and disseminate GBV, SOPs, applicable laws and policies.

 

AFOD strengthens child protection system to prevent and respond to protection concerns in refugee settlements, urban areas and host communities. Intervention areas include; Support participatory development of community action plans for social protection; Recruit, train and develop community resource personnel for social protection; Support access to Justice for Orphans and vulnerable children; Establish child friendly spaces and facilitate family re-union services.

Research and Innovation

AFOD Uganda considers Research and innovation as important cross-cutting theme because it supports programme implementation through evidence-based generation of knowledge and information on the impacts of programmes on the beneficiaries and most importantly in influencing policies and decisions for improved programming and advocacy.

 

The objective is to contribute to generation of data to influence policies and decisions for improved programming and advocacy. Intervention areas include; Carry out operational research, baselines, mid-term and end-term evaluations across all programmes to gain evidence on social and economic changes created by projects and assess their outcomes and impact on the beneficiaries, conduct capacity building trainings for programs and operations staff in research and innovations and work out IT solutions for effective programme management and implementation system.

Capacity building and organizational strengthening

Capacity building and institutional strengthening are important components in both human capital and organizational development. The capacity for management and implementation of programmes and projects requires both technical and administrative competence.  AFOD’s intention is achieved by strengthening institutional capacity to effectively and efficiently govern, lead and manage the country program.

AFOD Uganda’s approach to capacity building and institutional strengthening is threefold: i): Capacity Building focused on individuals and teams to enhance knowledge, skills, attitude to effectively function through training; ii): Institutional Strengthening focused on enhancing or developing systems and structures needed to function effectively and iii): Accompaniment through thoughtful and consistent coaching or on- the-job training, peer-to-peer learning, job share and secondment and program and management quality assurance.

Strengthening governance; Support the governance body to formulate, review and approve organizational policies, provide oversight functions, monitoring of projects and approval of programme work plans, budgets and financial expenditure reports, Support capacity building for the BOD on institutional governance, learning and exchange visits, advocacy, resource mobilization and strategic planning.

Strengthening management and administration by providing capacity building to senior management and project staff including refresher courses in project planning, implementation and monitoring, resource mobilization, capacity assessment, evaluations of projects and Strengthen capacity for procurement and logistics management;

Strengthen capacity for financial management, accounting and audits; ICT capacity and capability, programme planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting, M&E including research and development.

Our Implemented projects