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Uganda

Evelyn (36) and her daughter Patricia (7) in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

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Overview

Uganda is a stunningly beautiful country but it remains scarred from a troubled recent history.

The brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin in the 1970s caused devastation. Between 1987 and 2006 the insurgency of the Lord’s Resistance Army led to horrific violence in the north of the country.

Today, Uganda is one of the 30 least developed countries in the world.

Trócaire began working in Uganda in 1995.Our work is now focused on helping communities rebuild from those years of conflict. We help people access land and use that land to provide food and income. We also improve the rights of women and work to make the government more accountable to its people.

We work primarily in the north and north-eastern regions of the country. These are the areas of Uganda that were worst affected by violence. Poverty rates there continue to be above the national average.

Uganda

Human Development Index:
Ranked 159 out of 189 countries

Life expectancy:
63 years

Average number of years in education:
11

Impact in 2021

57,000

people supported to access and use land

27,000

people supported by our Women’s Empowerment work

13,000

supported with humanitarian aid

Contact Details

Ian Dolan

Country Director

Why we are working in Uganda

The people of Uganda face a range of challenges. Conflict devastated large parts of the country and left millions of people without homes or land. Women are worst affected and continue to be discriminated against in many ways. Uganda is a country of enormous potential but it is struggling to overcome its troubled recent history. Our efforts are focused on the north of the country. This is the area where needs are greatest. For 20 years this area played host to an appalling conflict that left millions homeless and traumatised. Now at peace, the legacy of this conflict remains.

How we are responding

Trócaire has funded local organisations in Uganda since 1995. Our primary focus is on the north of the country, which remains scarred following decades of conflict. We help people get access to land and make the best use of that land to provide for their families. We also work to strengthen governance in Uganda, ensuring people – particularly women – are at the heart of decision-making.

Trócaire works in three programme areas in Uganda

1. Food and Resource Rights

The 20-year war between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) destroyed much of northern Uganda.

Millions of people were forced from their homes into displacement camps. When the war ended in 2006, people began returning to their former homes. But many people found their homes were no longer there or were now occupied by others. Disputes over land ownership continue to this day.

Trócaire supports programmes in the Teso and Acholi regions that resolve these disputes. We also help people with land to make the best use of it. Our agro-ecology trainings and supports help people grow a diverse range of crops and provide an income.
2. Women’s Empowerment

Women in Uganda face discrimination and high levels of violence. Trócaire works with faith-based partners in the Acholi and Teso regions to reduce gender-based violence. We also encourage female voices to be heard at community level.

We use SASA! Faith to bring about behaviour and attitude change at community level. This approach works through faith communities to address the problem of violence against women. We work with Catholic, Muslim, Anglican and Born Again faith communities and leaders. We also work with faith leaders to establish dispute resolution services to support women.

At a national level, we advocate for stronger laws and systems to protect women from violence.

View our SASA Faith resources
3. Humanitarian

Uganda borders South Sudan, a country that has been destroyed by war since 2013. Approximately one million refugees from South Sudan now live in Uganda.

Uganda has adopted a positive approach towards hosting people fleeing violence in South Sudan. However, the sheer scale of the crisis requires an enormous effort from international aid agencies.

Trócaire supports South Sudanese refugees now living in the north of Uganda. With our partners, we provide skills training to help people earn an income, as well as training and equipment for refugees to grow their own food. We also provide trauma counselling. Many refugees have lost family members and experienced horrific violence in South Sudan. Coping with this trauma is vital for rebuilding their lives.

Highlighted Resources

Protecting Rights to Customary Land

Download

SASA! Faith: A guide for faith communities to prevent violence against women and HIV

Download

Uganda Resources

Title		Resource Type	Year
	Baseline Study of the Flora Offaka Sub County, Arua District, Uganda	Policy and Programmes	26 May 2020	Download
	Customary Land Ownership in Acholiland, Uganda – Phase I and Phase II Research Reports	Policy and Programmes	26 May 2020	Download

View More Resources

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Latest Uganda News

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5 Lessons from Zimbabwe and Uganda on citizen action to tackle Violence against Women

Leigh Brady 08 April 2021

...

Uganda

Ugandan family featured on 2019 Trócaire box get back on their land

Trócaire 24 June 2020

...

Uganda

Trócaire wins RISE Challenge in Uganda

Trócaire 02 June 2020

...

Covid 19

‘Here in Uganda we have never faced a situation like COVID before’

Trócaire 01 April 2020

...

Humanitarian

Photostory : Flourishing gardens for South Sudan’s refugees

Trócaire 05 February 2020

...

Humanitarian

Working for widow’s land rights in Uganda

Trócaire 30 April 2019

Evelyn, 36, from the Gulu District, in the Acholi region of Northern Uganda describes the night in 2015 when the uncle o...

Humanitarian

“We had a house and land. We left it all.”

Trócaire 24 December 2018

...

Lent

It instils me with pride that Irish people can support families to flourish

Trócaire 04 April 2018

Daniel was only eighteen months old when his family survived one of the last and worst massacres of a 20 year war in Uga...

Lent

Six years later: Meeting Daniel, the boy on the Lent 2012 Trócaire box

Trócaire 16 March 2018

...

Uganda

Empowering women to become community leaders in Uganda

Trócaire 21 November 2017

“I used to be timid and unable to address so many people, but now everyone listens to me when I stand up to speak.” ...

Resource Rights

A day in the life of Annah

Trócaire 13 February 2017

Read the video transcript While Annah Boonabana’s average day looks busy but well-organised today, just two y...

Resource Rights

Protecting rights to customary land in Northern Uganda

Trócaire 08 June 2016

Trócaire’s Lisa Byrne reports on the continuing legacy of land-grabbing and conflict in Northern Uganda in the af...

Lent

Making a lasting difference in Uganda

Trócaire 01 March 2016

I remember seeing Daniel’s face on the front of Trócaire’s Lenten Box in 2012 and wondering about what life mus...

Uganda

The Widows’ Programme, Mbikko, Uganda

Trócaire 20 January 2016

During a recent trip to the Twezimbe Integrated Development Centre, Mbikko, Uganda, part-funded by Trócaire, Lisa Byrne...

Uganda

Sharing financial know-how in Uganda

Trócaire 30 September 2015

By Alison Smith, an accountant and VSO Volunteer, shares her experience of working with Trócaire Uganda I can’t quite...

Supporters

Supporter Kieran Downey sees lifesaving work in Uganda

Trócaire 27 June 2014

by Kieran Downey Teacher Kieran Downey shares his experiences about visiting some of our projects in Uganda which benefi...

Uganda

‘Now there is love and unity in our home’ – tackling domestic violence in Uganda

Trócaire 31 July 2013

By Tine Frank Trócaire is supporting programmes aimed at tackling domestic violence issues in Uganda, where 50% of wome...

Uganda

Tackling violence against women in Uganda

Trócaire 25 April 2013

By Sean Farrell, Trócaire Country Representative in Uganda For many women in Uganda, violence is not an is...

Human Rights

If people don’t have a voice, then what is it all for?

Trócaire 31 January 2013

By Tine Frank You can improve people’s farms, increase the number of children enrolled in schools, treat – and even ...

Resource Rights

Thanks for your support this Lent!

Trócaire 04 April 2012

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who’s put in so much effort into our Lent campaign in the last si...

Uganda

What the people of northern Uganda need now

Trócaire 16 March 2012

Uganda is an eye opener. In Kampala, the capital city, the noise, traffic and general sense of chaos is disorientating. ...

Human Rights

Stopping the slide into war

Trócaire 15 March 2012

By Justin Kilcullen, Director of Trócaire, 15 March 2012 At the last count, 79 million people around the world have wat...

Resource Rights

Kony 2012 video is six years too late

Trócaire 11 March 2012

Millions of people have been captivated by Kony 2012 – but we believe it’s six years too late. While there&#...

Uganda

Uganda – home to some remarkable women

Trócaire 05 March 2012

With International Women’s Day fast approaching, we’re taking the opportunity to introduce some women who ha...

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Uganda

Overview

Uganda

Impact in 2021

57,000

people supported to access and use land

27,000

people supported by our Women’s Empowerment work

13,000

supported with humanitarian aid

Contact Details

Ian Dolan

Why we are working in Uganda

How we are responding

Trócaire works in three programme areas in Uganda

Highlighted Resources

Uganda Resources

Baseline Study of the Flora Offaka Sub County, Arua District, Uganda

Customary Land Ownership in Acholiland, Uganda – Phase I and Phase II Research Reports

View More Resources

Latest Uganda News

Funding Partners in Uganda

Irish Aid

USAID

Local Implementing Partners

African Women and Youth Action for Development

African Women Rising

Caritas Gulu

Thrive Gulu

Lira Catholic Diocese -Justice and Peace Commission

Sisters Of The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Teso Diocese

Land & Equity Movement in Uganda

SARDNET

Muslim Centre for Justice and Law

Soroti Catholic Diocese

Action for Development Kampala

Uganda Debt Network

PELUM

Inter Religious Council of Uganda

Food Rights Alliance