A socially and economically self sustaining healthy pastoral community.
To identify, examine and respond to social-economic and cultural barriers affecting the most vulnerable Pastoralist
Rangelands Interventions for Women Empowerment–Africa (RIWE_AFRICA) is an indigenous Non-Governmental organization committed to transforming the lives of Pastoralist Women, Youth, and children in Uganda’s Cattle Corridor. Founded in 2019, the Organization addresses the unique challenges of underserved rural pastoral populations. RIWE_AFRICA promotes sustainable development through a justice-centered and layered services model anchored in four thematic areas: Health, Livelihood, Education, and Environment.
Our interventions focus on dismantling socio-economic and cultural barriers that hinder the well-being of pastoralist women, youth, and children, while promoting inclusive access to essential services, economic empowerment, and social justice, particularly for women, youth, and children
RIWE_AFRICA primarily targets Pastoralist Women, Youth, and children. Among these, special focus is put on vulnerable sub-populations, including Widows, those living with HIV, orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), Survivors of violence, and Persons with disabilities (PWDs).
As a pastoralist-founded and focused organization, we believe that the desired lasting change in pastoral communities begins with ourselves. Our lived experience has shaped how we work, what we prioritize, and how we define solutions.
RIWE-AFRICA was founded to respond to the deep-rooted socio-economic and culturally related barriers that continue to marginalize pastoralist women, youth, and children across Uganda’s cattle corridor. While our communities are resilient and rich in knowledge, they have for long been excluded from equitable access to essential service including quality healthcare, education, and dignified livelihood opportunities.
Our work is anchored in three highly interconnected thematic areas: Health, Education, and Livelihood. We recognize that a healthy community cannot thrive without access to education, just as education alone cannot translate into opportunity without sustainable livelihoods. By addressing these areas together, and through a justice-centered and layered-services model, we are supporting pastoral communities not only to flourish, but also to build long-term resilience and self-reliance.
In our work, we strongly prioritize community leadership, local solutions, and partnerships that respect indigenous knowledge and lived experience. Since its inception, RIWE-AFRICA has directly and indirectly reached tens of thousands of pastoralists across Uganda. We know that much more remains to be done. The challenges facing pastoral communities are complex, but with collective action, accountability, and compassion, they can be defeated.
We therefore invite other development partners, funders, and volunteers to join us as we work towards a future where pastoral communities are healthy, educated, and economically resilient.
Together, we can build a more just and inclusive future for pastoral communities.
Victor Amos Bamutana
Founder & Executive Director
vbamutana@riweafrica.org
Rangelands Interventions for Women Empowerment-Africa (RIWE_AFRICA)
