KASANJE, UGANDA – JULY 23: Members of the Kasanje youth club meet to discuss sex education and family planning methods, at the laval clinic. July 23, 2014 in Kasanje, Uganda. (Photo by Jonathan Torgovnik/Reportage by Getty Images)..
DSW Uganda was established in 1999 and currently operates in 10 districts namely; Kampala, Wakiso, Masindi, Mukono, Mityana, Jinja, Kamuli, Kiryadongo, Busia and Tororo, though the Youth Truck has covered almost the whole country. In these districts, DSW works in partnership with the local Government administration and implements different projects at community level
What We Do
DSW Uganda specializes in holistic youth programming with a core competency in advocacy for adolescent sexual and reproductive health. DSW has positioned itself as a catalyst of evidence based advocacy efforts on Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and a key technical advisor to decision makers on health budgeting and the role of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) in other health conditions such as HIV, maternal and child health. At the same time, we foster an active citizenry and civil society through capacity building on advocacy, resource mobilization, Entrepreneurship-Business, civic education and governance. DSW is also emerging as an advocate and promoter of Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) programming at national, district and community Levels with people-centred PHE projects at community level.
Since its establishment, DSW Uganda has implemented several projects. These have targeted different interventions but complimenting each other. Such projects are implemented at both national and sub-national levels. These include; Women and Girls Empowerment (WOGE), Healthy Action, GeNext, Euro leverage, Civil Society HIV prevention project (CSF), Youth Empowerment Services for Uganda (Yes4Uganda), Youth Enabling Services for Uganda (Yes4Uganda 2) Men Engage, Empowerment of people with disabilities to demand for improved SRH services, BINGO, Uganda Programme for Human and Holistic Development (UPHOLD), Young Adolescents Project, CORE Initiative, Hewlett, Strengthening Youth Friendly Services (SYOFs).
DSW Uganda Goals
- To contribute to increased access to SRHR services, information and supplies in Uganda
- To contribute to integration and prioritizing of SRHR within national health programme in Uganda
- To contribute to the empowerment and improvement of young people’s health and socio-economic well being in Uganda.
- To promote programmatic linkages between SRHR and environment interventions by communities and other stakeholder in Uganda
Reflections of the Country Director
Uganda has one of the world’s youngest and fastest growing population. The country’s population growth rate ranks third highest in the world at 3.2%. The youth account for over 78 percent of the total population of Uganda. The un-met need of family planning is at 28 percent (UDHs 2016), yet the young people continue to be victims of sexual challenges with teenage pregnancy at 25 percent. The total fertility stands at 5.4 percent.
In 2016 DSW remained focused on her vision, Mission, values and strategy to effectively address and respond to the above young people’s SRHR needs .This was achieved through our evidence based programming guided by programme indicators of success
Helping young people free themselves from poverty is the ultimate goal of DSW. Our contribution to sustainable development continually gives people the opportunity to determine the number of children they would like to have and to be able to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and other population related challenges.
It is against this background that in 2016 DSW Uganda focused on holistic youth programming using her competency in advocacy for adolescent sexual and reproductive health and implementation of innovative community heath interventions. The interventions range from equipping young people (10-24 years) with age appropriate sexual reproductive health information, economic empowerment, life and livelihood skills, as well as enhancing partnerships collaboration, advocacy and capacity building for actors in sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) at all levels.
DSW has witnessed significant results not only in reproductive health, but also in life skills and livelihood skills for the young people and their communities .The business management skills , leadership and management , life and livelihood skills trainings , offered by DSW empower young people to be self determined life in making informed life choices and decisions . This is happening in the 12 DSW supported districts where innovative and creative actions are proving that young people can make a difference in their lives, homes and communities
DSW has positioned her efforts as a catalyst of evidence based advocacy efforts on ASRH and a key technical advisor to decision makers on health budgeting and the role of SRHR and family planning at national and sub national levels . At the same time, DSW fosters an active citizenry and civil society through capacity building on advocacy, resource mobilization, civic education and governance.
Experiential learning and training is among the core business of DSW in Uganda. Drawing on its 17 years experience, DSW provides exposure to practitioners in the field of youth programming, sexual and reproductive health, club leadership and organizational management, business and entrepreneurship training, general health and environmental issues. Practical interactive peer education trainings enabled trainees to understand the realities of translating theory into practice as opposed to theories and book based education. The Uganda training centre is a hub for young people that offers a spacious and serene, secure and quality environment for comfortable learning for young people but also offering exclusive space and gardens for company retreats, meetings, staff trainings, team building and private functions.
