World Action Fund

Why This Matters to Us We believe no woman should die while giving life simply because she is poor, lives in a remote village, or cannot reach lifesaving care in time. Through our work with vulnerable communities in Uganda, we have seen how distance, poverty, teenage pregnancy, lack of transport, shortages of essential supplies, and limited health services can turn a normal pregnancy into a life-threatening emergency. Uganda has made important progress, reducing maternal mortality from 336 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016 to 189 in 2022 . However, approximately 1,300 women still die every year from pregnancy-related complications , while neonatal mortality remains about 22 deaths per 1,000 live births . About one in four girls aged 15–19 has begun childbearing , placing adolescent mothers and their babies at particular risk. The need is especially urgent in underserved areas of West Nile, Acholi, Karamoja and other rural communities , where distance and shortages of health workers and equipment can delay emergency care. In West Nile, for example, Arua Regional Referral Hospital reported a maternal mortality rate of 279.7 per 100,000 live births , although this had improved significantly from 520.7 in 2019/20—showing that investment in maternal and newborn services can save lives. Who Will Benefit Our programme will prioritize pregnant women, newborns, children under five, adolescent girls and vulnerable families in hard-to-reach and underserved communities. Over three years, we aim to reach approximately: 15,000 pregnant women 12,000 newborns 25,000 children under five 15,000 adolescent girls 300 community health workers and volunteers 20 rural health facilities 3,000 emergency maternal and newborn referrals Donations will help us provide community health education, antenatal and postnatal support, maternal and newborn referral assistance, health-worker training, essential supplies, newborn care, child health and nutrition services, and support for adolescent mothers. The Difference Your Donation Can Make A donation can help a pregnant woman recognize danger signs early, help a family reach a health facility during an emergency, help a newborn receive essential care in the first hours of life, or help a rural health worker serve a mother who would otherwise struggle to access care. Our goal is simple: more mothers surviving childbirth, more newborns surviving their first days, and more children growing up healthy. Every donation helps bring lifesaving healthcare closer to the families who need it most. Help us ensure that a mother can give birth—and come home with her baby.

AI is changing the world. We want Uganda to be part of that future—not left behind. Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing how people work, learn, communicate, run businesses and access services. Yet many ordinary Ugandans have never had the opportunity to learn what AI is, how to use it safely, or how it can improve their livelihoods and businesses. We want to change that. Our AI for Everyone Uganda initiative will bring practical, understandable and responsible AI education to ordinary citizens, young people, entrepreneurs, small businesses, teachers, community organizations, civil society and public-sector communities . This is not about teaching only computer scientists. It is about making AI understandable and useful to everyone. Why This Matters Uganda is currently developing its National AI and Emerging Technologies Strategy, recognizing that AI can contribute to economic growth, public services and innovation across sectors including agriculture, health, education, finance, tourism and manufacturing. The Government of Uganda and UNESCO's 2026 AI Readiness Assessment also identified AI literacy and skills development as important areas requiring continued investment. Uganda's own Digital Transformation Roadmap calls for investment in AI literacy and research to empower people to interact effectively with AI, reduce digital divides and promote responsible AI development. The opportunity is enormous—but access to knowledge is unequal. A small business owner who learns how to use AI can save hours preparing documents, marketing products, analysing information or communicating with customers. A farmer can learn how AI-powered tools can support agricultural decisions. A teacher can use AI to develop learning materials. A young person can learn skills that open doors to new employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. A community organization can use AI to improve research, fundraising, reporting and communication. AI knowledge should not belong only to large corporations or people who can afford expensive courses. What We Will Teach Our training will focus on practical, everyday applications of AI, including: What AI is and how it works Generative AI and AI assistants Using AI for work and productivity AI for small businesses and entrepreneurs AI for marketing and customer engagement AI for research and information analysis AI for education and teaching AI for agriculture and livelihoods AI for NGOs and community organizations AI for writing, proposals and fundraising AI for data analysis AI-powered entrepreneurship Online safety and cybersecurity Privacy and responsible use of AI Recognizing misinformation and AI-generated content Ethical use of AI Practical career opportunities in the AI economy Who Will Benefit? We will prioritize people who have limited access to technology training, including: Young people • Women • Entrepreneurs • Small-business owners • Teachers • Students • Community leaders • Civil society organizations • Public servants • Farmers • Informal businesses • People in rural and underserved communities We intend to begin in West Nile and other underserved regions of Uganda , while developing a model that can eventually be replicated nationally. Our Three-Year Goal With donor support, we aim to: 10,000+ people trained in basic AI literacy 3,000+ entrepreneurs and small businesses trained to use AI productively 2,000+ young people introduced to AI careers and entrepreneurship 1,000+ teachers and community educators trained 500+ civil society/community organizations supported to use AI 100+ practical AI workshops conducted 50+ AI community trainers developed 20+ business and community AI innovation projects supported Our targets will be refined through baseline assessments and participant monitoring. What Your Donation Can Do $10 can help provide AI learning materials and connectivity support for a participant. $25 can help one person participate in a practical AI training session. $50 can help support training materials, internet access and digital learning resources for multiple participants. $100 can help support an entrepreneur or community organization through practical AI training. $500 can help organize a community AI workshop. $1,000 can help deliver an AI training programme for a larger group of citizens and businesses. $5,000 can help establish a community-based AI learning programme. Imagine the Impact Imagine a young Ugandan who learns AI and uses that knowledge to start a business. Imagine a small shop owner using AI to improve marketing and reach more customers. Imagine a teacher creating better learning materials in less time. Imagine an NGO using AI to analyse community data and write stronger funding proposals. Imagine a farmer using digital tools to make better decisions. Imagine a young person in a rural community discovering that they can participate in the global digital economy without leaving Uganda. That is the future we want to help build. We Are Raising $50,000 Our initial fundraising goal is US$50,000 to launch and expand the AI literacy programme, develop training materials, conduct community workshops, support trainers, provide digital access and document the impact of AI adoption among citizens and businesses. We want to create a model that is practical, inclusive, affordable and scalable . AI Should Work for People—not Leave People Behind The future of AI is already here. The question is not whether Uganda will encounter AI. The question is whether Ugandans will have the knowledge and confidence to use it. Help us put AI knowledge into the hands of people who need it most. Donate today. Help someone learn AI. Help a business become more productive. Help a young person discover a new opportunity. Help Uganda participate in the AI economy. Teach AI. Empower People. Transform Businesses. Build Uganda's Digital Future.