Luhwahwa Youth Development Foundation | Empower to Change Lives

LUYODEFO was formed by a group of motivated youth who had a deep aspiration to respond to the plight of the Ugandan people.

We are a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides support to marginalized communities.

With the help of volunteers from all over the world, we serve people and communities across the Rwenzori region of western Uganda.

By empowering young people and women to build communities, we create long-lasting change throughout generations.

Our Causes

Preventable and treatable diseases present an enormous health burden f...

LUYODEFO is working to develop community driven, sustainable responses...

The government provides free education under its Universal Primary Edu...

LUYODEFO relies exclusively on grants, donations, and services from organizations and individuals.

Just The Facts

There are an estimated 5,500 AIDS deaths per day in Africa.(World Health Organization). In Uganda, around 1.2 million adults (aged 15 or over) live with HIV/AIDS or 6.5% of the adult population.(UNAIDS)
About 80% of illnesses in developing countries are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions. In Uganda, 54% of households travel 30 minutes or more to fetch their drinking water, 17% in urban areas and 62% in rural areas. (Uganda Demographic and Health Survey)
According to WHO, Uganda’s healthcare system is one of the worst in the world, ranking 186th out of 191 nations. In Uganda, about 51% of people don’t have any contact with public healthcare facilities.
With only 38% of healthcare posts filled in Uganda, the country suffers a chronic shortage of trained health workers. Some 70% of Ugandan doctors and 40% of nurses and midwives are based in urban areas, serving only 12% of the Ugandan population.
In Uganda, about 16% of under-fives are underweight and many more are stunted (39%), lack essential nutrients. (WHO 2000-2009)

According to UNESCO, Uganda has a very low primary survival rate of 33% in the East African region. In sub-saharan Africa, more than 30 percent of primary school students drop out before reaching a final grade (UN– DPI/2650 B – 2010).
According to UNICEF, with 2.5 million orphans in Uganda, orphans’ education is not a family priority due to the lack of financial means and high number of dependents.
According to UNICEF, nearly 1 in 5 girls who enrolls in primary school does not complete her primary education. One in ten school-aged African girls either skips school during menstruation or drops out entirely because of lack of hygiene solutions.
“Investment in girls’ education may well be the highest return investment available in the developing world.” – Lawrence Summers, Former Chief Economist, World Bank.
Educated women decide to have a skilled health worker present at their delivery 84% of the time, which translates to a higher chance of survival for mother and baby.

According to the World Bank, Uganda’s economy has grown at a slower pace, reducing its impact on poverty. In the five years to 2016, average annual growth was 4.5%, compared to 7% in years before.
With about 35 million people, Uganda has one of the world’s youngest population with over 51% and 78% of its population below the age of 15 and 30 years respectively.
About 80 per cent of Ugandan derive livelihood from agriculture but the sector is performing miserably due to lack of agricultural education.
According to the UNDP, Ugandan per capita income in 2015 was US$ 801, which is still much less than Sub-Saharan average of US$ 1,127.
More Ugandans are slipping into poverty with the number of poor people increasing from 6.6 million in 2012/13 to 10 million in 2016/17, translating into income poverty levels rising from 19.7 per cent to 27 per cent. (Uganda National Household Survey 2016/17 report – UBOS)
Because of the limited availability of safety net programs, total spending on social security was 1% of GDP in 2013, compared to an average of 2.8% for Sub-Saharan Africa. (World Bank)

About 2,000 children in Sub-Saharan Africa die each day from malaria. (World Health Organization). That is almost one death every 45 seconds.
According to UNICEF, Uganda has 2.5 million orphans; 1.2 million of them are orphaned as a result of AIDS. Due to the lack of financial means, orphans’ education is not a priority, causing either non-enrollment or a high absenteeism from school and often high drop-out rates.
700,000 Africans die each year from waterborne diseases – 90% are children under five years old. (World Health Organization)
An estimated 529,000 women die annually from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, leaving behind children who are more likely to die because they are motherless. (World Health Organization)
Fifty percent of pregnant women in developing countries lack proper maternal care, resulting in over 300,000 maternal deaths annually. (thp.org)