This year, the Uganda Community Based Association for Women and Children Welfare (UCOBAC) celebrates an extraordinary milestone: 35 years of advancing the rights and wellbeing of women and children across Uganda.
Founded in 1990 as a small initiative supporting orphans and vulnerable children, UCOBAC has grown into a national leader in community-driven development. Their work today spans critical areas such as child protection, sexual and reproductive health and rights, women’s land and property rights, and climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Through grassroots organising, they empower communities—women, men, and youth alike—to identify their own solutions, mobilise local resources, and lead transformative change.
A valued partner in LEAD Uganda
Within the LEAD Uganda programme, UCOBAC plays a central role in strengthening the leadership and agency of refugee and host community actors. Their expertise in inclusive land rights, women’s empowerment, and community-based advocacy aligns seamlessly with LEAD’s commitment to localisation—ensuring that the people most affected by displacement and inequality are not just participants, but decision-makers and change agents.
In Palabek Settlement, for example, UCOBAC has trained refugee women and local leaders in climate-smart agriculture, facilitated community dialogues on gender equality, and supported land governance structures that protect women from eviction or exclusion. These efforts contribute directly to LEAD’s wider goals of building sustainable livelihoods, fostering social cohesion, and influencing systems for long-term change.
Stories of transformation
UCOBAC’s 35th anniversary newsletter, The MouthPiece, is filled with stories that speak to their impact on the ground.
In Bugiri District, Ms Jamala Naigulu joined a women’s savings group supported by UCOBAC. With a modest weekly saving of Shs 2,000, she eventually accessed a loan to rent land, apply climate-smart farming techniques, and grow resilient crops. This shift not only improved her family’s food security but also earned her respect in a community where she was once doubted.
In Butalejja District, UCOBAC’s community sensitisation on land rights challenged a deeply entrenched norm—that women without children have no claim to land. Couples like Sam Mwangale and Jane Nasole, married for over a decade without biological children, found their confidence to stand up for their rights after engaging with UCOBAC’s programmes. Their story is a reminder that changing laws and policies must go hand-in-hand with shifting mindsets.
A legacy of partnership and impact
As they mark 35 years of resilience, growth, and transformation, UCOBAC continues to influence policy, reshape harmful norms, and equip communities with the tools to claim their rights and lead their own development journeys. LEAD Uganda congratulates UCOBAC on this milestone and is proud to work alongside them in building a future where women, children, and communities across Uganda are empowered to thrive.
“True localisation means not just listening to communities, but ensuring they hold the pen. UCOBAC’s work is a living example of that principle in action.” – LEAD Uganda
For more about UCOBAC’s work, visit www.ucobac.org.
