We are delighted to announce that our project “HIV Prevention for Adolescents & Youth: Awareness, Protection & Testing in Uganda” has received a one-year follow-on grant from the Mercury Phoenix Trust.  

This new phase builds on the success of our initial work in Kasese District, where we reached hundreds of young people with vital HIV education, testing, and counselling in partnership with the Rwenzori Centre for Research and Advocacy (RCRA) Uganda. 

Through activities in schools, youth groups, and outreach clinics, we helped adolescents access accurate information to make informed choices and access local services as required.

With Mercury Phoenix Foundation’s continued support, we are expanding our reach beyond Kasese to the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in collaboration with our local partners RICE-West Nile and RCRA Uganda.  

This strategic expansion will allow us to reach more adolescents and youth, especially those facing unique challenges such as displacement, limited access to healthcare, and heightened vulnerability to HIV. Working in two different contexts enables us to share learning, strengthen best practice, and enhance HIV prevention, awareness, and testing among young people across Uganda.

One inspiring example of our impact is Maria, an 18-year-old from Kasese. Diagnosed with HIV at 16, Maria joined RCRA Uganda’s kitchen gardening programme, which provides nutrition and psychosocial support to people living with HIV. Initially hesitant to join due to feeling stigma from living with HIV, Maria gained confidence through growing vegetables, improving her family’s diet, and earning an income from selling her produce. She now feels empowered and resilient as a young mother, an example of how holistic, community-based initiatives can transform lives.

Together, with the Mercury Phoenix Foundation’s continued support, we are helping more young people across Uganda, like Maria, build brighter future and have the support to stay healthy and reduce HIV risk.