INUWA Uganda Programme Begins
Updated: Sep 3
Building the Foundation for Community Impact
Kampala, Uganda | September 2026
On 1 September 2026, INUWA International officially began the Uganda Community & Youth
Empowerment Programme, marking an important step in our commitment to working alongside communities, young people and local partners in Uganda.
The first day focused on welcoming the team, introducing the programme and creating a shared understanding of why we are here and what we hope to achieve together.
The programme brings together different areas of INUWA International’s work, including
youth and women’s empowerment, health and wellbeing, HIV awareness and stigma reduction, leadership, education, entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihoods and community development.
Our approach is simple: before creating solutions, we must first listen, understand and learn from the communities we hope to serve.
Day 2: Moving Deeper into the Programme
On the second day, the team moved beyond introductions and began looking more closely at how the programme will be implemented.
Discussions focused on the programme objectives, team responsibilities, community engagement, coordination and the importance of working responsibly and respectfully.
We also discussed how INUWA International can ensure that the programme is not simply a series of activities, but an opportunity to understand real community needs and build solutions that can create longer-term impact.
Day 2 was therefore about strengthening the foundation of the programme.
We asked important questions:
Who are we here to serve? What challenges are communities facing? How can young people participate in creating solutions? And how can our work remain meaningful after the programme ends?
These conversations are an important part of our journey because sustainable community development begins with understanding people, their experiences and their priorities.
Learning From Local Experience: Barbara Shares Perspectives From Hoima
Day 2 of the INUWA Uganda Community & Youth Empowerment Programme was also strengthened by the participation of Barbara Kemigisa, a Ugandan HIV activist, motivational speaker and Executive Director of the Barbara Kemigisa Foundation, based in Hoima.
Barbara joined the team meeting and shared openly about her work, the communities she engages with in Hoima, and some of the realities facing children, adolescents and families affected by HIV. Her contribution helped us look beyond Kampala and think more carefully about how INUWA can respond to different community contexts across Uganda.
Barbara’s work is deeply connected to her own life journey. She has turned experiences of childhood abuse, teenage pregnancy, homelessness, rejection and living with HIV into a commitment to restoring dignity, hope and opportunity for others, particularly children and young people affected by or at risk of HIV.
Through the Barbara Kemigisa Foundation, she has supported children and adolescents
through initiatives including the Bring Back to Care campaign, which has reached more than 300 young people since 2020 with peer support, adherence clubs and community and health-facility engagement, with support from Baylor Uganda.
Barbara has also shared her advocacy on international platforms, including major HIV conferences, and her work has been featured by international media.
What made her contribution particularly valuable was not only her experience as an advocate, but her direct understanding of the communities she serves.
At INUWA, we believe meaningful programmes cannot be designed from a distance. We must listen to people who understand the realities, strengths and priorities of their communities.
We are therefore pleased that Barbara will be working with INUWA International during the Uganda Community & Youth Empowerment Programme.
Our work will also extend beyond Kampala. The INUWA team is preparing to travel to Hoima, where we will learn more about Barbara’s work, engage with communities and explore areas where collaboration can contribute to practical and sustainable community-led solutions.
This partnership reflects the approach we want to build throughout the programme: listen first, learn from local experience, build relationships and then develop solutions together.There is much more to come from Hoima.
Keep following INUWA International as we continue sharing the journey, the communities we meet and the people helping to shape the programme.
The Journey Has Begun
The first two days have been about preparation, learning, teamwork and establishing a common direction.
As the programme continues, the INUWA team will move further into community engagement, field activities, partnership building and programme implementation.
Today, our work continues, and we will share a separate update about today’s activities later. This is only the beginning.
At INUWA International, we believe meaningful change happens when communities are not simply beneficiaries of development, but active participants in shaping their own future.
INUWA International
Inspire. Elevate. Transform.
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