Initiative for Better Health (IBH) is a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) in Uganda, established in 2015, dedicated to empowering and protecting women, girls, and young people. IBH delivers integrated programs in health, economic empowerment, legal support, psychosocial counselling, and community justice.
We strengthen communities, promote rights awareness, and create pathways for women and girls to live safely, access justice, and achieve their full potential. Our work directly addresses challenges such as HIV/AIDS, child marriage, gender-based violence (GBV), poverty, and lack of access to justice and education especially among vulnerable populations in rural and urban Uganda.
Programmatic Focus Areas & Components
- Economic Security Program
Objective: Equip women and young people with vocational and entrepreneurial skills and facilitate access to financial services and enterprise development.
Components:
- Vocational training: tailoring, hairdressing, ICT, mechanics
- Women’s savings and loan groups
- Market-oriented training and business mentorship
- Linkage to jobs and enterprise opportunities
- Income-generating centers for sustainability
Expected Outcomes: Improved livelihoods, financial literacy, and economic resilience
- Health Promotion & Community Engagement Program
Objective: Improve health, SRHR, and well-being of women and young people
Components:
- Community health education and outreach
- Mobile clinics for HIV testing, counselling, and treatment linkage
- SRHR and disease prevention campaigns
- Annual Empuumo Marathon for HIV/AIDS awareness and stigma reduction
Expected Outcomes: Increased access to health services, improved health behaviors, and reduced stigma
- Legal Support, Counselling & Community Justice (LCCJ) Program
Objective: Protect and empower women and young people through legal aid, psychosocial counselling, and community justice interventions
Components:
- Legal aid, representation, and mediation for GBV, child marriage, defilement, and property disputes
- Psychosocial counselling and trauma-informed care
- Community dialogues, awareness campaigns, and advocacy to prevent harmful practices
- Referral pathways linking survivors to health, legal, and social services
- Mobile hubs, office services, hotline, and digital case intake
Expected Outcomes: Increased access to justice, trauma recovery, and stronger community awareness
- Research & Advocacy Program
Objective: Generate evidence-based knowledge and advocate for policies that protect rights, health, and economic opportunities of women and young people
Components:
- Community-based and operational research
- Documentation of best practices and survivor cases
- Policy advocacy campaigns
- Research dissemination to stakeholders
Expected Outcomes: Evidence-driven interventions and informed policymaking
- Institutional Development Program
Objective: Strengthen IBH’s governance, operational capacity, and sustainability
Components:
- Governance and leadership strengthening
- Monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems
- Staff capacity building in rights-based program delivery
- Resource mobilization and sustainability planning
Expected Outcomes: Improved accountability, enhanced staff capacity, and sustainable operations
Key Activities
- Vocational training and skills development
- Women’s savings and loan groups
- Annual Empuumo Marathon – HIV/AIDS awareness campaign
- Community health camps and mobile clinics
- Legal clinics and psychosocial counselling sessions
- Community dialogues and justice initiatives to prevent child marriage and GBV
- Research dissemination and policy advocacy
Geographical Reach
IBH operates in Rwampara, Kabale, Mbarara, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Bushenyi, Wakiso, and Kampala, serving both rural and urban populations.
Strategic Objectives / Key Outcomes
- Economic Empowerment: Train 500 women and youth annually
- Health & Well-being: Reach 5,000 beneficiaries annually with health services
- Access to Justice: Provide legal aid and counselling to 200 survivors annually
- Community Engagement: Mobilize 10,000 community members annually
- Research & Advocacy: Influence policies and promote rights-based interventions
Why IBH Stands Out
- Holistic Approach: Combines health, economic, legal, psychosocial, and community justice interventions
- Community-Centered: Strong grassroots engagement with scalable national impact
- Track Record: Flagship initiatives like the Empuumo Marathon demonstrate mobilization and advocacy capacity
- Sustainability: Income-generating activities and strong governance structures ensure program continuity
- Impact-Driven: Evidence-based programs with measurable outcomes
