The Journeys of Courage: Uganda booklet highlights how young women across eight districts are redefining what SRHR leadership looks like in their communities.
Their experiences reflect what Maureen Kinume notes in her foreword; that despite persistent cultural norms, stigma, and unequal access to services, young women continue to step forward with clarity and confidence. These pages bring you face to face with that reality: from Sandra in Tororo, who rebuilt her life and now mentors other young people living with HIV, to Mercy in Busia, whose charcoal business evolved into an unexpected entry point for SRHR advocacy. You will also encounter stories of young women in Jinja and Busia using reusable pad production to promote dignity and financial independence, Girls and Young Women with Disabilities in Kamuli strengthening inclusion through climate-smart agriculture, and displaced young women in Arua and Terego who turned silence around menstruation into community awareness through local media and pad-making.
This booklet also reflects the collective effort behind these individual journeys, the SRHR Alliance Uganda, Community of Action organizations, local governments, and partners who created spaces where young women could lead, learn, and influence decisions that shape their lives. The stories show how access to knowledge, mentorship, and community support has enabled young women to challenge attitudes, build skills, and expand opportunities for themselves and others. Together, these narratives offer a picture of change that is practical, community-driven, and rooted in the everyday realities of young women who chose to act rather than adapt to the limitations placed before them.
