GYPA Uganda

GYPA's Uganda Office aims to build capacity amongst the children, youth, and women of Uganda. GYPA strives to partner with existing, indigenous initiatives in an effort to support local leadership. The Uganda-based staff accomplish this through recreational sports, creative arts, and traditional culture programs that educate, train, and encourage the spirit of self-empowerment and entrepreneurialism.

Objective
To equip tomorrow's educators, leaders, and citizens in Africa with the skills, tools, and resources necessary to promote sustainable social change through healthy living, economic empowerment, peace, and the successful design and implementation of youth-led community building efforts.

Community-Based Programming in Uganda

Girls Kick It! (Anyira Gweyo!)

Girls Kick It! is a comprehensive sports program for young women and girls ages 13-25 in areas of northern Uganda. The project provides these women, most of whom have been personally affected by the conflict, opportunities to educate and empower themselves through recreational sports. Currently, GYPA has one team in Gulu and one in Paicho IDP camp. Local colleagues lead trainings throughout the week and facilitates leadership development through the election of team captains and group leaders who help run practices. Through training in soccer and life skills, leadership opportunities, and four annual tournaments between the two teams, the Girls Kick It! program empowers vulnerable young women and fosters unity in communities in northern Uganda.
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Helping Hands Medical Fellowship (HHMF)

HHMF is one of GYPA's most successful and longest-running initiatives. Running since 2005, HHMF is a program in partnership with an organization called Brit Olam whereby Israeli physicians, nurses and other health experts spend from 2-4 months working at local hospitals and holding outreach clinics in the rural Kiboga District about two hours Northwest of Kampala, Uganda. In addition, the Israeli volunteers train community youth and leaders to be knowledgeable village health advocates. Through these efforts, HHMFs seeks to increase education and awareness about how to practice a healthy lifestyle, teach and train local medical practitioners in issues pertaining to public health, while treating, caring for, and advising those residents who live without access to medical care. Check out a recent HHMF team or contact Molly Sonenklar for more information.