Mohamed Awadh Aboud
Mohamed is the proud father of two daughters. He is an outreach worker with the Omari Project, which advocates for the rights of drug users and works to slow the spread of HIV and reduce harm related to drug use. Mohamed is a hard worker, eager to learn new things and make new friends.
Mohamed Shosi
Mohamed Shosi, better known as Showsee, is a 45-year-old man who has worked as the Program Coordinator for the Omari Project since 2000. He works on Advocacy for NSP and OST both locally and nationally to increase access to comprehensive health services for male and female drug users.
The Omari Project was established in 1995 as a community-based organization that advocates which advocates for the rights of drug users and works to slow the spread of HIV and reduce harm related to drug use. Omari provides addiction treatment in their rehab center, as well as outreach programs focusing on reduction of HIV and other blood borne infections, HTC, condoms, safe injections practices, psychosocial support, legal rights assistance among others. The Omari Project works primarily in the north coast of Kenya, in Kilifi County of Malindi district.
Esther Nalugya
Esther is a Program Officer in charge of information & communications technology (ICT) projects with the Ugandan National Health Users’/Consumers’ Organization (UNHCO). Esther is driven by hard work and her enthusiasm for fighting for the right to health so that patients can access quality health care. Her hobbies include reading, working with ICTs, listening to music, and eating.
Frederick Okwi
Frederick is an activist, social and development worker who has worked with various projects and advocacy teams. He works with the Ugandan National Health Users’/Consumers’ Organization (UNHCO), where he leads, manages, organizes, and develops materials for teams and individuals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and social administration from Makerere University and is currently a Master’s degree candidate of development studies at Uganda Martyrs University. He enjoys reading, watching documentaries, research, advocacy for health rights and urban development.
The Ugandan National Health Users’/Consumers’ Organization (UNHCO) is a national membership advocacy organization established in 1999 to advocate for the realization of the right to health for all Ugandans. Since its inception, UNHCO has been implementing programs that advocate for a strong institutionalized platform that is able to articulate voices of consumers of health goods and services. UNHCO was among the champions of the Rights Based Approach (RBA) to healthcare delivery and contributed to efforts to improve community participation and accountability. It promotes and advocates for sustainable access to affordable and quality health care services for all, based on the mutuality of rights and obligations of both the health service users and providers. The organization spearheaded the formulation of a Patient’s Charter for Uganda which provides an overall framework for empowerment of health consumers to demand for high quality healthcare and promote accountability in the health sector.
Julie Najjunju
Julie currently works as a Program Assistant for the Action Group for Health, Human Rights & HIV/AIDS (AGHA) Uganda. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Uganda Christian University Mukono, a Diploma in Legal Practice from Law Development Centre and is an enrolled advocate of the High Court of Uganda. She is currently pursuing her Masters degree at Makerere University School of Law. She also holds a certificate in Public Administration and Management from Makerere University Department of Adult and Continuing Education, certificate of attendance for the first school on Human Rights, Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines and certificate of attendance second East African School on Law, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS. She worked as an intern at the Parliament of Uganda in the Department of Legal and Legislative services, and was fredkorpset intern at the Human Rights House Foundation Oslo-Norway in 2011.
Mark Muganga
Mark is a health and human rights activist who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Development studies from Kyambogo University in Kampala, Uganda. He holds a certificate in Sales Fundamentals from Hearts 4Peace Canada, a certificate in HIV/AIDS Counseling, and a certificate in Monitoring the Rights to Health and the Roles of Health Professionals. He worked as a Field Officer with Community Shelters Uganda, and since 2011 has worked with the Action Group for Health Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (ACHA-Uganda).
Action Group for Health Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (ACHA-Uganda) is a health rights advocacy organization in Uganda dedicated to raising awareness of the human rights aspects of health, and improving the quality of health and health care for all Ugandans. Grounded in a rights-based approach, AGHA mobilizes health professionals, in collaboration with communities, to be health right advocates promoting equity and social justice for all Ugandans, with a particular focus on marginalized and vulnerable populations. AGHA has a proven track record of addressing health rights violations in Uganda through advocacy-oriented research, education and training.
Javie Ssozi
Javie is a Media Consultant with the Health Media Initiative of Open Society Foundations (OSF) supporting OSF grantees in Uganda to use (new) media tools for advocacy and documentation. He has over four years of experience in use of Information and Communication Technology for Development and Advocacy in Uganda.
Apart from his work with OSF, he also works as a freelance consultant for organizations in Uganda on use of new media for advocacy.
Consolata Imade Omerikwa
Consolata is a health care provider who works with the Africa Gender and Media Initiative (GEM). Consolata is social, outgoing, and enjoys making friends with all kinds of people.
Teresia Wanijiku Njoki
Triza was born 37 years ago in Kiambu, a district neighboring Nairobi. She is a married mother of two – a 12-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. Her background is in counseling and she has worked as a counselor and a social worker for 7 years, dealing with women and HIV-related work. Triza is involved in national and global advocacy on issues affecting women living with HIV, am is an activist on human rights and social justice. She currently works with the African Gender and Media Initiative (GEM).
The African Gender and Media Initiative (GEM) is a national not-for-profit research organization that advances gender equality through research and action on women’s human rights. GEM has four priority areas that include sexual and reproductive health rights of women, violence against women, economic justice, and new media. GEM is currently implementing and coordinating a national advocacy campaign to end forced and coerced sterilization among women living with HIV in Kenya.
Nakibuuka Noor Musisi
Nakibuuka is a Program Manager of the Strategic Litigation program at the Centre for health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD). She has a degree in law from Makerere University with a special interest in Human Rights, and has done short courses in arbitration and reconciliation. She has attended many trainings relating to health including one on the justiciability of the right to health. The objectives of the Strategic Litigation program include; 1 ) Strengthen the recognition, protection & fulfillment of health and human rights in Uganda and at regional level; 2) Build the field and legacy of health and human rights in East Africa. Her interest in activism and human rights began after she viewed a media report that showed a woman forced to breast feed dogs simply because the husband had paid dowry; she thus joined CEHURD with a passion for advocating for women’s rights.
Nantaba Juliana
Juliana works with the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) as a program officer for their Community Empowerment Program whose main objectives are: 1) To work with communities to generate empirical evidence for advocacy on health and human rights, and 2) To empower communities to demand policy change in health and human rights. Her interest in issues of activism and human rights was nurtured during her first internship while in law school at the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Central Region Office. She completed her Bachelor of Laws degree at Uganda Christian University and thereafter joined CEHURD where she was introduced to community aspects of advocacy and human rights – specifically health rights. Working with the community as part of advocacy has been eye opening for her, and interesting experience – especially where she has seen positive results.
CEHURD is an indigenous, non-profit, research and advocacy organization which is pioneering the justiciability of the right to health in the East African Region. CEHURD was founded to ensure that public health laws are used as principle tools for the promotion and protection of public health for the vulnerable populations in Uganda and in the East African region. CEHURD realizes this through a comprehensive set of programs including Community Empowerment; Human Rights Documentation and Advocacy; and Strategic Litigation. CEHURD concentrates its efforts on vulnerable populations such as women, children, orphans, sexual minorities, HIV/AIDs, persons with disabilities, refugee populations, and critical issues affecting the health systems in the region such trade, health, medical ethics, and social welfare.
Maureen Milanga
Maureen is a young woman who has done extensive work on issues related to HIV/AIDS in Kenya. She currently works as the Project Associate with the AIDS Law Project and is a 2013 AVAC fellow working on treatment as prevention. She is also working on the People Living with HIV (PLHIV) Manifesto, which contains recommendations from PLHIVs from around Kenya. She is working to promote its adoption by presidential aspirants and their political parties. This involves chasing candidates around the country as they hold political rallies, urging them to make public statements on Health and HIV and to adopt the Manifesto. She looks forward to helping Kenya achieve an HIV-free generation.
Paul Ogendi
Paul is the Programmes Manager, in charge of access to medicines at AIDS Law Project (ALP). In this position, he works to promote the right to health of PLWHIV and AIDS.
The AIDS Law Project is a law-focused NGO that deals with issues on HIV and AIDS in Kenya. Its mission is to enhance lives by promoting the realization of human and health rights of PLHIV through advocacy and communication, legal services, policy, capacity strengthening, information dissemination and creation of partnerships through networking. ALP has a history of using creative techniques to address its advocacy efforts, including the publication of a comic booklet on intellectual property and access to essential medicines which has proven to be very effective in community mobilisation on this issue.
Esther Sharara
Esther is a 30-year-old woman born and living in Harare, Zimbabwe. From 2002-2005, she studied at the University of Zimbabwe and graduated with a degree in Nutritional Sciences. Later, she did research and development for a food manufacturing company before joining the NGO sector. She currently works as a Program Officer with the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH), an organization formed in 1998 to take up health issues of common concern. She is a development practitioner with field experience in HIV/AIDS resource and service monitoring, public and social accountability, community mobilization, sexual and reproductive health rights and gender issues. She has published research on how to strengthen community health systems for people living with HIV/AIDS. Esther is well-travelled, and has visited West Africa, East Africa and Asia. Her career objective is to bring transformation to ordinary community lives regardless of race, gender, religion and creed through social empowerment and advocacy of equitable distribution of and access to public goods and services.
The CWGH is a network of civic/community based organizations who aim to collectively enhance community participation in health in Zimbabwe. It is one of the biggest networks (40 civic member organizations) in Zimbabwe, which has spearheaded community participation and has improved public health financing systems, created stronger resource allocation for primary health care, and a greater status role for the community and public inputs to decision making on health. Currently it operates in 28 districts in the country, with a CWGH district in each. The organization has deep roots within communities, and has been pivotal in the revitalization and strengthening Health Centre Committees, a mechanism for community participation in health processes proposed by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare soon after independence. The organization has campaigned for the Right to Health in the New Zimbabwe Constitution and continues to advocate for the realization of socio-economic rights. Public and Social Accountability is key for the progressive realization of people’s rights and the organization is advocating for greater accountability in the manner in which public resources, particularly for HIV/AIDS, are used for realization of health rights.
Artwell Kadungure
Artwell is a 33-year-old man, married with two kids. He has background skills in social accountability, public health, results-based management, data use and management as well as risk management. He received his schooling in rural Zimbabwe and experienced first hand the effects of inequities in the distribution of national resources for social and economic transformation. He later joined the development sector and is currently working for the Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC) as a program officer in the Community Based Research and Training Programme. He works with membership-based Civil Society Organizations to gather evidence and engage it at both local and national levels, while linking local actions to national policy dialogue. He covers areas relating to health and the determinants of health, social security, incomes and production, education and so on. Artwell is currently working to implement a “Not just recovery but a JUST recovery for Zimbabwe” advocacy program. Zimbabwe’s economic and social crisis has deeply affected people’s living conditions, and the country and the people need economic and social ‘recovery’. This ‘just recovery’ campaign advocates for a recovery that improves the opportunities, conditions, productive capacities, social security and wellbeing of the people as a whole. The advocacy is being implemented through a coalition of CSOs working at both local and national levels.
TARSC provides training, research, and support services to state and civil society organizations. TARSC is a learning and knowledge organization, with a particular focus on skills-building and methods to support community-based work, and with a commitment to long term capacity building in the public sector and in civil society. TARSC implements a range of research, from cross-country formal research to local participatory and community based research with membership based civil society organizations. TARSC programs nationally and regionally in EQUINET cover Adolescent health, health literacy, research and a range of other areas and has for over 15 years used participatory methodologies to build evidence, action and to strengthen CSO in areas of health and social policy.