YAWE Foundation Distributes Food Relief to Youth Living with HIV in Western Uganda

On April 16th and 17th, 2025, YAWE Foundation carried out a successful food relief distribution to support youth living with HIV across Fort Portal City, Kabarole, and Bunyangabu districts. This initiative provided much-needed support to 181 youth, addressing food insecurity issues that had been clearly voiced during the 12th Annual Youth Conference held at YAWE Foundation in late 2024.

Responding to a Clear Need

The youth participants at the conference highlighted growing concerns over limited access to food caused by poor harvests, land shortages, and soaring food prices. In response, YAWE Foundation committed to providing essential food support—a promise fulfilled through this two-day distribution exercise.

The distributed relief included:

• 1,810 kg of maize flour
• 94 packets of iodized table salt

Each beneficiary received 10 kg of maize flour and 1 packet of salt.

“This food support comes at a critical time for many youth living with HIV, who struggle not just with health, but with basic daily needs,” a YAWE team member noted during the exercise.

Where and How Distribution Happened

The mobilization process was carried out through phone calls using contact numbers collected during the youth conference. Youth were informed of the location, date, and time to collect their packages from nearby health facilities.

Day 1 (April 16):
Distribution sites in Fort Portal City and Kabarole included:

• YAWE Medical Centre
• Bukuku HC IV
• Kicwamba HC III
• Kataraka HC IV

Day 2 (April 17):
Distribution in Bunyangabu took place at:

• Kiyombya HC III
• Kibiito HC IV
• Rwimi HC III

Youth Voices and Challenges Faced

Many beneficiaries expressed deep gratitude for the support during this challenging economic time. However, the distribution team faced some logistical hurdles:

• Several youth had incorrect or unreachable phone numbers.
• Some beneficiaries had no personal or family contact numbers.
• The distribution vehicle broke down on return.
• A few health facility staff requested support packages.

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Lessons Learned and Way Forward

The team recognized the importance of allowing more time for phone-based mobilization, as some numbers require multiple attempts to reach. Despite the challenges, the distribution was a success, reinforcing YAWE Foundation’s commitment to supporting vulnerable youth.

We extend our sincere thanks to our partner Bild Heife for making this initiative possible.