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Rural Health Promotion and Poverty Alleviation Initiative (RUHEPAI) is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in 2004 and registered with the National NGO Board in 2005. RUHEPAI aims to improve the health condition and poverty situation in rural Uganda. It currently has 5 areas of focus; Household Income Generation, Agriculture and Environment, Water Hygiene and Environment, Disease Prevention and Mitigation, and Skills, Link and Research.

Through continuous training and information sharing, RUHEPAI undertakes projects that link health improvement and poverty alleviation in rural poor communities. This is achieved through training in income generation strategies at household level, promotion of better agricultural practices and environmental conservation approaches, hygiene, water and sanitation.

Ongoing Projects
RUHEPAI currently has 4 on-going projects:

1.      Promotion of Proper Land Use and Management of Environment

2.      Single Teenage Motherhood and HIV/AIDS

3.      Care and Support to Orphans and their Caretakers

4.      Skills Link Program

Generating awareness regarding health issues
RUHEPAI’s Single Teenage Motherhood and HIV/AIDs programme aims to educate single teenage mothers about health management and family planning; especially pertaining to HIV/AIDS issues predominant in Uganda. The programme also aims impart skills and knowledge regarding small business enterprise management, seeking to empower women with economic independence and self-sustenance.

This project is implemented under a play “the Strength of a Teenage Girl” and focuses on single teenage mothers aged 14-22 years. The play covers issues such as home hygiene best practices including latrine construction, garbage disposal, kitchen cleanliness and hand washing; all aimed at educating and ensuring that these teenage women better understand and incorporate hygiene and healthy nutritional habits into their daily lives. The concept of small business enterprise management is also introduced, encouraging these women to start small businesses as a step towards economic independence.

Poor health and the rampant occurrence of diseases is often quoted as a factor contributing to the poverty cycle in developing nations. These undermines the developing country’s efforts towards sustainable development and growth as a result of lower work productivity. In Ugandan, the lack of knowledge coupled with limited provision of health facilities and reliable sources of information have led to the inability to control and contain health problems such as HIV/AIDs; contributing to the poverty cycle and continued poor health.

RUHEPAI intervenes and attempts to improve the health of the people and their access to health facilities by advocating health programs that focus on disease prevention and mitigation with emphasis on HIV/AIDS and Malaria. RUHEPAI has decided to focus on single teenage mothers- one of the most vulnerable groups prone to poverty- hoping to alleviate their economic and social conditions. Furthermore, as women and child are deemed as a core family unit, maternal health and education is a feasible start in helping these women and children break out of the poverty cycle.