Great Lakes Peace Center promotes peace through youth empowerment, develops global partnerships for development, improve maternal and Child health, promotes education and empowers women, combats HIV/AIDS through Youth lead advocacy for improved services. We implemented an Adolescent and Young Girls HIV/AIDS Advocacy project that was aimed at providing vulnerable young girls in HIV/AIDS Hot spots of Kasese to understand their rights and responsibilities, a voice out their concerns, and inspire their peers. The project was a pilot grant from Her Voice Fund.

Great Lakes Peace Center with support from Her Voice Fund carried out a mapping exercise to ascertain the existing policies and policy gaps in line with Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS services. Our team visited the DHOs office, District community development office, OVC Focal Person, District, and Municipality line departments, Implementing partners, and other stakeholders. The data collected will help the project team to advocate for policy dissemination, amendment, or enactment of new ones to create an enabling environment for HIV/AIDS service delivery for Adolescents and Young women.

Great Lakes Peace Center with support from #HERVOICEFUND carried out various dialogues in schools and in Communities with young mothers in Hima Town Council. In liaison with the Community Development Officer Hima Town Council, we discussed and listened to the young women and Adolescents on numerous health issues which result from early marriages, early pregnancies in schools, and joining bad peer groups for the sake of holidaymakers among others. We also stressed the need to test for HIV AIDS so that they can know their status for better prevention of the disease. Such outreaches help in providing more awareness to the most at-risk segment of the community.

Great Lakes Peace Center held a Regional Girl Child symposium commemorating the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in Hima town council. The event brought together Adolescents, young mothers, political leaders from District and Sub County levels, and caregivers from all over the region. #HearMeToo was the theme of the day. We inspired and empowered our participants in different skills such as making pads, mushroom farming among others. We also spread awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention thanks to #HERVOICEFUND