KASESE WOMEN’S HEALTH SUPPORT INITIATIVE (KWHSI)

Basic Information

Organization Name: Kasese Women’s Health Support Initiative (KWHSI)
Country & Location: Uganda
Year of Establishment: 2011

Vision

A Ugandan society that upholds, respects, and protects the human rights of women, girls, and key populations.

Mission

To create a sustainable model that advocates for, promotes, protects, and avails women, girls, and key populations with equitable health and economic opportunities.

Core Focus Areas and Activities

1. Comprehensive Health Services
KWHSI provides integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services, HIV/AIDS and TB prevention, care and treatment, and GBV response. The organization works to reduce HIV transmission, morbidity, and mortality while improving access to quality health and human rights services for women, girls, and key populations.

2. Advocacy and Human Rights Awareness
KWHSI promotes human rights literacy and advocacy to address stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence, strengthening access to justice and dignity for key populations.

3. Economic Empowerment and Livelihood Enhancement
Through savings groups and socio-economic support, KWHSI empowers female sex workers and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) with financial literacy, bookkeeping skills, apprenticeships, and diversified income opportunities to reduce vulnerability.

4. Drop-In-Centre (DIC) Model
KWHSI operates two strategically located Drop-In Centres within hotspots, providing safe spaces for relaxation, peer support, psychosocial services, disclosure, and access to SRHR, HIV, GBV, and TB services. Services include HIV testing, STI treatment, family planning, PrEP, and access to condoms, lubricants, and IEC materials.

Target Population

KWHSI primarily serves Female Sex Workers, while also reaching clients of sex workers, long-distance drivers, fisher folk, uniformed personnel, and AGYW with targeted health and social services.

Achievements and Impact

Improved knowledge among female sex workers on human rights, GBV prevention, savings, and health
Increased disclosure and improved health-seeking behavior among key populations
Reduced cases of rights violations, arrests, stigma, and violence through sustained engagement with law enforcement and behavior change communication
Improved access to HIV prevention, care, treatment, and SRHR services
Establishment of two KP-friendly DICs, increasing demand for integrated community-based health services