Locally Rooted, Globally Inspired
GrowthAid Uganda
GrowthAid Uganda is a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering inclusive, sustainable solutions in water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and public health. Established in 2023 as part of the GrowthAid family, our work is driven by the urgent needs of Uganda’s most underserved communities—from rural villages to refugee settlements.
We focus on what matters most: safe water, dignified sanitation, women’s health, equity, and the fight against neglected tropical diseases. Our interventions are guided by national priorities, global standards, and deep community engagement. With every project, we aim to not just meet immediate needs but build systems that last.
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Quick Facts / Highlights
0
Million
Population (2024 est.)
0
Million
Refugee Population (largest in Africa; 3rd globally)
Poverty Rate:
Access to Safe Water
Access to Improved Sanitation
WASH in Schools
WASH in Health Facilities:
Uganda Country Narrative
Uganda, home to nearly 48 million people, faces significant water, sanitation, and public health challenges. Over half the population lives in multidimensional poverty, with rural and northern regions most affected. Access to safe water and improved sanitation remains limited especially in schools and health facilities, where basic services are often absent.
Uganda also hosts more than 1.6 million refugees, placing immense pressure on already fragile WASH systems. In these settlements, vulnerable groups particularly women and children struggle daily for safe water and dignified sanitation.
Compounding these gaps is the widespread burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), tightly linked to poor WASH conditions. Northern, Eastern, and West Nile regions are most affected, with children and women bearing the brunt.
At GrowthAid Uganda, we see these intersecting challenges as a call to action. Through integrated, inclusive WASH and health interventions, we aim to shift the narrative from survival to dignity, resilience, and lasting impact.
What We Do
We Build Systems That Last Where WASH Meets Hope, Health, and Human Potential.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
At GrowthAid Uganda, we transform lives through inclusive, climate-resilient, and locally led WASH solutions. Our programs are designed to serve Uganda’s most underserved communities, with a strong focus on women, children, persons with disabilities, and displaced populations. Our approach goes beyond infrastructure, we build systems that ensure lasting health, dignity, and development for all.
Water Infrastructure Development
We construct reliable, climate-resilient water systems, including boreholes, piped networks, and rainwater harvesting, that serve communities year-round. All infrastructure is designed to meet the needs of all age groups and is disability-friendly, ensuring safe water is accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Water Safety Management
Our two-tiered approach ensures water is safe from source to sip:
Stage 1: Source-Level Treatment
We apply national and WHO guidelines to treat and monitor water quality at its point of origin.
Stage 2: Household-Level Safety
Through our Safe Water Education (SWE) Approach, we equip households to test, treat, and store water safely empowering the last user to confidently consume clean water.
Did you know?
Our SWE Approach boosts local capacity and reduces waterborne diseases, making clean water a sustainable reality for thousands.
Sanitation Solution
We champion gender-responsive and sustainable sanitation that upholds dignity:
In schools and healthcare facilities, we build latrines with menstrual hygiene rooms, handwashing stations, and accessibility features for persons with disabilities.
In schools and healthcare facilities, we build latrines with menstrual hygiene rooms, handwashing stations, and accessibility features for persons with disabilities.
In communities, we promote uptake of improved toilets through sanitation marketing, creating demand while supporting local businesses.
Hygiene Behavior Change
We promote hygiene through Safe Water Education, menstrual hygiene management, and school and community outreach. In refugee settlements and disaster zones, we respond rapidly with emergency WASH services.
From schools to marketplaces, we lead behavior change initiatives focused on:
Handwashing with soap
Menstrual hygiene management
Safe food handling and water storage
These efforts are rooted in local culture and powered by community mobilization.
Our Cross-Cutting Commitments
Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI): Ensuring that women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are fully considered in design and delivery.
Climate Resilience: Adapting infrastructure and practices to withstand droughts, floods, and shifting environmental conditions.
Sustainability and Systems Strengthening: Empowering local actors and institutions to manage WASH services for the long term.
NTD Prevention & Health Integration
We work alongside the Ministry of Health to eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), integrating WASH interventions with mass drug administration, health education, and community mobilization. Our approach targets endemic regions and emphasizes inclusion, behaviour change, and capacity building.
Livelihoods & Economic Empowermen
We strengthen resilience by integrating livelihood opportunities especially for women and youth into our programs. Through vocational training, WASH-focused entrepreneurship, and nutrition-sensitive farming, we enable communities to improve incomes while meeting basic needs.
Advocacy & Policy Engagement
We advocate for inclusive systems by engaging with local and national stakeholders on WASH, health, and nutrition policy. Our community-led advocacy empowers marginalized voices and supports Uganda’s broader goals, including the national NTD roadmap.
Humanitarian Response
In times of crisis, we deliver dignified support to refugees and disaster-affected populations. Our interventions include emergency WASH, health and NTD outreach, livelihoods recovery, and nutrition support—all delivered in alignment with national response plans.
Where We Work
Reaching Uganda’s Most Underserved Regions
GrowthAid Uganda operates across the country’s most WASH-deprived and health-vulnerable regions. Our work is concentrated in areas with high disease burdens, fragile health systems, low access to safe water and sanitation, and large populations of displaced people.
We focus our efforts where the need is greatest and where the opportunity for lasting impact is strongest. The regions we operate in are shown in the map below.
Our Strategic Priorities
Driving Change Where It Matters Most—With Partners Who Share Our Vision
GrowthAid Uganda’s work is guided by a clear strategy: to close the WASH and health equity gaps in Uganda’s most vulnerable communities and refugee settlements. Our approach is inclusive, community-centred, and aligned with national development frameworks and global goals.
We are also a flexible, partnership-ready organization. Whether through consortia, co-creation, or joint pilots, we welcome collaboration with like-minded partners—even where thematic or geographic overlaps are only emerging.
Our Strategic Priorities
The Team
Ms. Ruth Kuteesa
Ag. Country Director
Kyomuhendo Patrick
Head, Programs
Tuhaise Maureen
Finance & Administration Officer
Daniel Muwanguzi
Finance and Admin