A few words
About Us
History
Our story starts way back, in 2005 during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency
Young Women Initiative for Development abbreviated as YWIDE, was founded in 2005 during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency to empower women to be productive and contribute to public life and be self-reliant. Most of the children born during the insurgency did not have opportunity to go to school which led to illiteracy. Ywide anticipated the challenges that this would create and set out to equip girls, women and youth affected by the war with vocational and life skills.
YWIDE’s work has evolved over time since becoming operational in 2006 from providing vocational skills training for girls, young women and young persons affected by the LRA war to, behavior change communication, psychosocial support to people affected by war. Ywide’s currently seeks to address; the root causes of girls and women’s social and economic marginalization, and promote an enabling environment for women’s agency to thrive. Currently, Ywide is being financially and technically supported by Girls First Fund.
Our Mission
To equip girls, young women with life skills, to know and claim their rights, and meaningfully contribute and participate in public life in the Acholi sub region.
Our Vision
A society where every girl and woman knows and claims her rights, makes informed and empowering decisions for herself and society.
Core Value
Professionalism.
Transparency.
Dignity.
Rights and protection of children and women.
Our Goal
To contribute towards girls and women’s education and literacy through preventing child marriages and pregnancy and promoting an enabling environment for women’s holistic empowerment
Our Key Strategies
It includes but not limited to; Girls Leadership building, Reproductive Health Rights, positive parenting, building women’s networks, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, advocacy, vocational and life skills trainings, psychosocial support provision
Area of Operation
Currently, YWIDE operates in Gulu District and it is now expanding to Nwoya, Amuru and Omoro in Acholi Sub Region in northern Uganda.
Project Target:
Young girls of age 12 - 30 years
These are highly vulnerable to early marriages and pregnancies; have inadequate knowledge of their rights; have a poor support network and system. It is important to empower them with skills to enhance confidence, voice and network to fight child marriages. If reached, the risk of early marriage will be reduced, and they will be empowered to make life choices that are beneficial for them. These will be reached through primary and secondary school structures such as school clubs, Parents Teacher Associations (PTAs), School Management Committees (SMCs) and senior women teachers among others.
Young women out of school girls between the ages of 12 and 30
These have dropped out of formal education, are at risk of early marriage and pregnancy, have adopted precarious livelihood and survival strategies and disempowered. These will be organized and mobilized into groups, benefit from confidence and leadership building sessions, providing alternative training in vocational skills; business skills; strengthen networks, encouraged to go back to school, address challenges that keep them from school. These will be identified through child protection community volunteers and local leaders to identify and mobilize and organize the women to groups.
Female role models as mentors
Girls rely on support, advice and direction from mothers and female figures like aunties and grandmothers- these provide coaching to young girls. YWC will strengthen the networks and leadership of women and build their capacities to provide guidance and mentorship to girls and women for better choices and decision making. These will be reached through the network of community groups, traditional institutions, senior women teachers and female role models among others.
Project Target:
- Male allies and Champions.
- Boys and young men between the ages of 12 and 30.
- Religious and traditional institutions and leaders.
- Sub county Local Government and Councils.
- Community Development Offices, Sub County and District local council ad Law Enforcement such as Police.
- Community volunteer facilitators/ CPCs/ peer educators/ mentors
YWIDE’s intervention objectives aligned with the planned strategies:
- Advancing girls’ leadership by working directly with girls.
- Mobilizing families, communities, and influencers.
- Providing direct services to at-risk, married, and formerly married girls.
- Advocating for the establishment and implementation of effective laws and policies.
Our partners
