Supported by the Feminist Humanitarian Network (FHN)/Irene M. Staehelin Foundation
Maracha District faces a critical crisis of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), child marriage, and teenage pregnancy, fueled by harmful cultural norms and weak protection systems. Recent data shows teenage pregnancy rates in Alikua sub-counties at 24% respectively, while many community actors lack knowledge of Police Form 3, a key tool for documenting and responding to GBV. Without proper reporting and survivor support, girls remain trapped in cycles of abuse, missing education and economic opportunities.
Amani Initiative, in partnership with Feminist Humanitarian Network (FHN) National Platform – Uganda, hosted by Community Empowerment for Peace and Development West Nile (CEPADWN), is implementing the Voices of Strength project (Oct 2025 – June 2026) in Alikua Sub-County, Maracha District. The project aims to reduce GBV, strengthen economic resilience, and amplify the voices of women and girls. Activities include training on Police Form 3, establishing survivor-centered safe spaces, developing functional referral pathways, delivering legal rights education, and supporting financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Two groups of survivors will also be supported to start sustainable group income-generating projects.
The project will directly engage 60 out-of-school adolescent girls, young mothers, and GBV survivors, alongside community leaders, police, and elders as change champions. By integrating protection, advocacy, and livelihood empowerment, Voices of Strength seeks to transform harmful norms, ensure survivors’ safety, and create lasting pathways for dignity, independence, and leadership for women and girls in Maracha District.
In Uganda, nearly half of girls drop out before Primary Seven due to early pregnancies, child marriage, and heavy household responsibilities—challenges worsened by COVID-19. The Dream Achievers Program (Oct 2025 – Sept 2027), as a Girls Opportunity Alliance Featured Organization, changes that story.
We identify girls at high risk of dropping out and provide life skills training, mentorship, and educational resources. Parents and teachers join in to create gender-sensitive support at home and school. Vulnerable families also access small income-generating opportunities, reducing financial barriers that keep girls out of class.
By connecting schools, families, and communities, we aim to support 500 girls and over 1,000 community members including boys, men parents and teachers, helping girls complete their education, gain confidence, and unlock paths to leadership and resilience.
Supported by FEMI Foundation
In Tara Sub-County, Maracha District, gender-based violence, child marriage, and poverty block women and girls from reaching their potential. The BRIDGE Project (Oct 2024 – Sept 2026), supported by FEMI Foundation, works with 35 at-risk households, including women with disabilities, young mothers, widows, and women living with HIV/AIDS, to break cycles of vulnerability.
The project uses a holistic, household-centered approach: households identify strengths and challenges, create actionable plans, and receive financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and digital skills training, plus start-up capital of 1,000,000 UGX. Women form support groups to save, lend, and manage income-generating activities collectively. Referral pathways link households to social, health, and legal services, ensuring safety and well-being.
By combining economic empowerment with personal and household development, the BRIDGE Project strengthens resilience, independence, and confidence, mitigating risks of GBV and child marriage while building sustainable livelihoods for women, girls, and the wider community.
Supported by the Girls First Fund
In Maracha and Arua Districts, child marriage and teenage pregnancy block girls from education, safety, and opportunity. Empowered Voices 2.0 (July 2024 – June 2026), supported by the Girls First Fund, is changing that.
The project empowers communities, strengthens schools, and supports women and girls to grow up safe, educated, and economically independent. We train 30 community change agents, run 8 campaigns, engage 10,000 people, and follow up on reported cases to ensure protection. In 20 schools, life skills clubs, child protection policies, and case management structures create supportive learning environments for 500 learners including boys and girls
Economic empowerment is central: 160 women gain entrepreneurial skills, launch 8 income-generating activities, and save and loan 8,000,000 UGX through self-help groups. By combining prevention, protection, and empowerment, the project tackles root causes of child marriage, enabling girls and women to claim their rights, pursue education, and build lasting livelihoods.
The project empowers communities, strengthens schools, and supports women and girls to grow up safe, educated, and economically independent. We train 30 community change agents, run 8 campaigns, engage 10,000 people, and follow up on reported cases to ensure protection. In 20 schools, life skills clubs, child protection policies, and case management structures create supportive learning environments.
Economic empowerment is central: 160 women gain entrepreneurial skills, launch 8 income-generating activities, and save and loan 8,000,000 UGX through self-help groups. By combining prevention, protection, and empowerment, the project tackles root causes of child marriage, enabling girls and women to claim their rights, pursue education, and build lasting livelihoods.
Supported by CARE International in Uganda
The Women’s Voice and Leadership Project (May 2024 – April 2027) empowers women to lead and influence decisions in their communities, aligning with SDG 5.5. Implemented in Oluvu, Tara, and Maracha Town Council, the project strengthens Amani Initiative as a women’s rights organization to drive sustainable change.
With support from CARE International Uganda and La Fondation Marcelle et Jean Coutu, the project focuses on three outcomes: enhancing organizational visibility and community engagement, strengthening partnerships and resource mobilization, and improving governance, compliance, and operational efficiency.
By building women’s leadership skills and amplifying their voices, the project ensures women actively participate in shaping policies, advocating for their rights, and influencing community decisions. It creates pathways for women to lead confidently, promote gender equality, and contribute meaningfully to the social and economic development of their communities.
