The action is in response to the rise in teenage pregnancies in Busoga and West Nile. A total of 354,736 teenage pregnancies were registered in 2020 and 196,499 in the first six months of 2021 (UNFPA). The most affected districts in Eastern Uganda were Kamuli district (6,535), Luuka (5,111) and in West Nile were Arua (4,705) and Nebbi (3,668). The major causes of teenage pregnancies include forced marriage, poverty, low educational levels, inadequate knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, lack of life skills, neglect by parents, sexual abuse, media influence; peer pressure; early marriage/childbearing, lack of role models, behavioural barriers to adolescent family planning uptake even when the services are available.

A project inception meeting was organised in each of the target districts to present the action to the stakeholders. Participants were able to learn about the project, its implementation areas and stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities. Key district actors welcomed the intervention calling it timely. The RDC Luuka District said that young girls, even those that were now young mothers, should be encouraged to return to school and learn. He also pledged support for action and all efforts to ensure that young girls go to school. The Vice Chairperson of Kamuli district also pointed out the fear of young girls accessing health centres due to shame. This would indeed endanger the lives of these young girls and their unborn children. It is therefore key to ensure that they access antenatal care from their respective health centres. She further encouraged the use of role models who can share their experiences so as to have young girls learn from others that have been in their shoes and made the right choices. Many of the district leaders also appreciated the fact that the action will also target boys as any solution that does not look at them is incomplete. The meetings were all concluded with a promise to support the action.

The project is a Norec post exchange initiative aimed to support the livelihood improvement of young single mothers by providing them with skills, resources, and support to enhance their economic well-being and overall quality of life. The project will be implemented in five villages, mainly: Mishenyi, Mpanga, Ruhanga, Kakiizi, and Nyamuhani in Ruhaama subcounty, Ntungamo district. Kansiime Justus, former Norec participant, worked closely with district local government, community structures, private actors, and civil society partners relevant to the project to address gender-specific needs in the selected communities.

Objectives and Results

ALENU is a 40-month action that focuses on improving livelihoods through increased and diversified food production, enhanced market opportunities and better maternal and child nutrition in six districts of the West Nile and Acholi sub-regions.Its overall objective is to consolidate stability in Northern Uganda,eradicate poverty and under-nutrition and strengthen the foundations for sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development.Its specific objectives are

1. To increase food security
2. Improve maternal and child nutrition
3. Enhance household incomes through support to diversified food production and commercial agriculturea nd through improving household resilience (notably to climate change) and women empowerment.

Districts and Sub Counties: Agago (Wol and Lokole); Amuru (Amuru and Lamogi); Omoro (Odek and Lakwana); Nebbi (Erussi and Atego); Pakwach (Pakwach and Panyimur); Zombo (Kango and Athuma)

The overall objective of the action is to strengthen youth engagement in social, economic and political opportunities to realize their full potential and meaningfully contribute to economic development in northern Uganda by.

1. Improving youth ex-inmate’s business skills and access to economic opportunities
2. Improving youth ex-inmate’s participation in political activities and access to justice
3. Proactively embracing the integration of youth ex-inmates into communities.

The overall objective of the action is to promote functional systems and structures, as well as positive mind-sets that empower and protect the rights of women and children in Ibanda and Buhweju districts by:

1. Strengthening and constructively engaging community and local government structures to protect the rights of women and children.
2. Actively transforming attitudes and mindsets of community members towards the protection of the rights of women and children
3. Enabling women and their families to have increased access to socio-economic opportunities.

Improving the Economic Resilience of West Nile Youth in the Face of Covid-19 is a two year action implemented by Advance Afrika in partnership with Faraja Africa Foundation with funding of the European Union.The project focuses on developing alternative means of income generation and empowerment of existing young and micro enterprises to deal with the challenges sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic and any other crisis situations.

The overall objective of the action is to empower young entrepreneurs with skills and opportunities to develop socio-economic resilience and realize their full potential by;

• Enhancing capacities of young entrepreneurs to run successful and crises resilient businesses.

• Building the social resilience of at-risk populations through constructive communication on public health concerns

The overall objective of this intervention was socio economic empowerment and enhancement of food security among vulnerable people in northern Uganda.