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Iziragobi Project

Building hope, healing, and lasting change in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda.

The classroom block constructed by the Iziragobi Project in Namutumba District
Eastern Uganda

Where the work began

Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda | Running since 2022

The Iziragobi Project began as a Basic Education and Literacy Initiative to restore dignity and opportunity to children learning under the most difficult conditions. In Namutumba District, home to some 169,669 children, many walk nearly two hours each way to reach the nearest school, only to study under trees without classrooms, exposed to rain and extreme heat. Long walking distances, unsafe learning environments, and constant lesson disruptions undermine concentration, retention, and long-term educational outcomes.

The situation is compounded by deep financial hardship. Many parents cannot afford basic scholastic materials, leaving children without books or essential supplies. For girls the crisis is more severe still: over 20% drop out of school for lack of access to sanitary pads, linking period poverty directly to lost education and diminished opportunity. That reality is why menstrual health support is built in as a peace and dignity intervention.

Our Approach

Peace as a whole system

Community consultations showed that education, poverty, health, psychosocial stress and environmental degradation were all connected. The response is deliberately holistic.

In our context, peace means children can learn safely, girls can stay in school with dignity, families can access basic services, and communities can move from survival to self-sustainability.

Impact Created So Far

What has changed in the community

100

Pupils attending school daily in the new classroom block

65%

Reported increase in pupil attendance

60%

Pupils receiving scholastic materials each quarter, three quarters a year

86%

Of the 1,200 fruit trees planted in the community are growing

Alongside the numbers, the school reports fewer fights and less bullying between pupils, and 100 children now access formal, national education every day.

In Pictures

The project in the community

Vision for Iziragobi

The Centre for Economics, Peace and Healing

Between 2026 and 2030 we are launching and constructing a physical Developmental Youth Centre: a sustainable community hub for education, wellness, and empowerment, offering vocational training, business mentorship, and community healing resources.

Honest Reporting

Challenges, and how we work through them

Challenges faced, and how we addressed them

How to join or support our mission

What Grew From It

She Means Business

Iziragobi has scaled into a women in business hub. She Means Business supports local women and teenage mothers with practical business skills, mentorship, and seed capital, training 30 women a year across six market-ready tracks.

She Means Business trainees presenting a finished handmade rug in the tailoring and sustainable fashion workshop

Help us build the Centre

Every contribution goes into classrooms, materials, and the young people of Namutumba.