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Two years of partnership with theUNITED NATIONS TRUSTFUND TO END VIOLENCEAGAINST WOMEN

Training key service providers (health, social, law enforcement) on best practices inreferrals, COVID-19 protocols, and delivering survivor-centered care; Training community Lay Counsellors/GBV Monitors as frontline responders to VAW/G; Establishing Village Savings & Loans Associations to empower women and girls witheconomic self-reliance; Mobilizing Zero Tolerance Village Alliance (ZTVA) Stakeholder Forums to rectify pre-existing gender inequalities and promote women’s human rights; Introducing Girl Shine programs to support adolescent girls with life skills, building self-confidence, and preventing VAW/G. In 2020, THRIVE Gulu applied for funding support from the United Nations Trust Fund to EndViolence Against Women as Northern Uganda experienced unprecedented numbers of GBVpolice filings, teenage pregnancies, child marriages, and suicides, all directly related to COVID-19 and exposing a major gap in MHPSS services.Survivors of violence against women & girls (VAW/G) struggle to access essential services, likemedical exams and filing police reports, on account of misinformation, fear of infection,government restrictions on movement, or being denied service—challenges that alsodisproportionately affect girls & women with disabilities, female refugees, and girls & womenwho live in hard-to-reach rural communities. Co-occurring risk factors, including financial insecurity, school closures, and food shortages,amplify pre-existing gender inequalities, and generate new vulnerabilities for VAW/G.PROJECT TITLE: Access to MHPSS and Empowerment Support Services for Survivors ofVAW/G in the Context of COVID-19: Post-Conflict Survivors and South Sudanese RefugeePopulations in Northern UgandaTHRIVEGulu is delivering 5 principal activities aimed at producing two specific outcomes: The 5 Principal Activities:2PROJECT OVERVIEW The Impact of THRIVE GULU partnership with the United NationsTrust Funds to End Violence Against Women & Girls.Outcome 2: Communitiesempowered to improve pre-existing gender inequalitiesamplified due to COVID-19pandemic.Outcome 1: Multi-sectoral service providersaligned in referral pathways and trained todeliver safe, adequate, and essential supportservices to women and girls who survive VAW/Gduring the COVID-19 pandemic.

3THRIVEGulu's MethodologiesThe Girl Shine methodology provides an opportunity to the girls to have girls-only safe spaces wherethey can participate in learning, using the Girl Shine Life Skills Curriculum. The learning sessions help tobuild and equip adolescent girls with key skills to prevent, mitigate, and respond to violence againstthem and their peers. Through the groups, girls develop and strengthen key skills focused onnegotiation and decision-making, while also accessing essential information on adolescent sexual andreproductive health. The groups provide opportunity for girls to voice what is important to them, exploretheir strengths and opportunities, and develop their leadership skills. The adolescent girls participate in52 Girl Shine sessions for 6-8 months. During the sessions, girls learn 6 core topics including Trust,Social & Emotional skills, Health & Hygiene, Safety and Solidarity. THRIVEGulu enrolled and graduated322 (84 refugee, 74 host community and 164 post-conflict Odek) older adolescent girls in 10 groups forcompleting the entire program.Girl ShineGirl shine mentor peer to peer support during support supervision Girl shine topics and sub-topics for the entire 6-8 month periodA Girl Shine groupGirl shine mentor delivering session with the girls in the Girl Shine group

Zero Tolerance Village AllianceThe ZTVA methodology is premised on the notion that change of gender norms requires theinvolvement of all community members. Ultimately, the village would take ownership of issues related toending violence against women and girls, understand the need to ensure a zero tolerance, and be theagents of change. The engagement of the entire community in the prevention of VAWG reduces thenumber of violent incidents, lessen the stigma for VAWG survivors, and increases awareness of where toseek assistance. The ZTVA model includes components aimed at mobilizing communities to preventVAWG, including community dialogues, the establishment of Stakeholders Forum which will haverepresentatives of community structures, churches, schools, businesses etc. the mapping of partnershipsthat can enhance VAWG service provision and awareness raising. Established the ZTVA Stakeholder's Forum with 64 (F24, M40) ZTVA members comprising ofLocal councilors, clan leaders, religious leaders, youth, women leaders, disabled persons, andelders to mobilize communities in ending VAW/G in both project sites;Publicly introduced the ZTVA members who pledged to proactively address the eradication ofsexual and gender-based violence in their villages by signing the Roll of Honor. They were also given a Badge of Honor to commemorate their declaration. Built the capacity of the ZTVA-Forum members on their roles and responsibilities includingeducation on women and girls’ legal rights.The ZTVA members conducted 10 radio talks to raise awareness about ending VAW/G, mobilizingcommunities to take part in the prevention of and response to VAW/G. They continue to supportresponse activities to enable survivors and those at risk to access services.Capacity building session for the ZTVA members to be able to carry out their activities in thecommunities.The ZTVA and Key stakeholders take their pledge of honor and Role of honor respectively, acommitment before the community4THRIVEGulu's Methodologies

Community Volunteers being introduced to the community and sub county stakeholdersEngaged community leaders and keystakeholders by hosting project introductionmeetings before beginning activities and againthroughout the project to enable local actors toprovide feedback, and to keep leaders apprisedof the progress in the community.Project Achievements: May 2021–May 2023 Built the capacity of 121 (F52:69M including 10disabled F4:6M) community service providers; thepolice, religious and cultural leaders, governmentofficials, civil society actors, & community leadersto identify warning signs, provide safe, adequate,and essential support services, and refer womenand girls’ survivors of VAW/G. The people trainedare now part of the community referral network.Empowered 48 (F=28, M=20). CommunityVolunteers (Lay counselors/VAW/G monitors) asfront-line response team through training,support supervision and facilitation on preventionof VAW/G, response, and Psychological First Aid(PFA) & basic counseling.Awareness session with women and girlsAwareness session through road drive.Conducted door-to-door community awarenesssessions with 507 (153 Settlement F127:26M,and 354 post-conflict Odek F267:78 including 9PWD), and road drives (est 2,000-3,000 girls &women) providing education and information; mobilizing community’s commitment tosustainable behavioral change and harnessingpeer-to-peer discussions to inform on theavailable services for survivors and those at risk. Feedback session with key District Stakeholders5

Project Achievements: May 2021–May 2023 Women and girls facilitated to participate in international advocacy days to joint otherwomen movements and amplify their voices for gender equality6Facilitated 216 women and girls to participate ininternational events to advocate against VAW/G.38 refugee women and girls in the celebration ofworld Refugee Day in Lamwo refugee settlement.116 (108 refugee women and girls and 8 from hostcommunity) in the launch of 16 Days of GenderActivism in Lamwo settlement and 61 (25 refugeeand 36 post-conflict Odek) women and girls inthe International Women’s Day celebration. Identified and Trained 391(177 refugee, 92 hostand 122 post conflict Odek and 20 PWDs) into 10empowerment groups of women and girl’ssurvivors and those at risk in Village Savings andLoans Association (VSLA) methodology including(Group dynamics and leadership, Savings andLoans and Business Selection, planning andManagement trainings). Conducted 32 community dialogues with 1182women and girls including 14 PWDs. Thedialogue provided opportunity to shareinformation among and with women and girls onthe different forms of violence to recognize signsand symptoms of violence, how and where toseek support. Influenced local capacities toprevent and respond appropriately to VAW/G.Participants recognized that most violenceagainst women and girls are perpetrated by closefamily members, relatives or friends and thatperpetrator protection was a concern as familiestend to conceal such cases from pursuit ofjustice.ZTVA members conducted 6 community radiodialogues; “Her Voice in Public and on Air”attended by 339 (90 refugee communityF57:33M, 122 Host F70:52M and 127 Post-conflictF49:37M), providing an opportunity for womenand girls to amplify their voices in public spaces.The women initiated conversations aboutchallenges they face, solutions they are workingon and the opportunities they see. Supported both the 10 Empowerment groups and10 Girl shine groups seed grant worth 2 millionUganda shillings as a livelihood startup capital toempower women and girls with economic self-reliance. Economic independence is a vital part ofreducing vulnerability to VAW/G.Dialogue with women and girls to enable them recognize violence and be able to reportunwanted sexual behaviorsA Girl Shine groupRadio show to raise women's voices in the dialogue about gender equality

Project Achievements: May 2021–May 2023 Health education with women and girls as they receive specialized services duringintegrated outreach.Facilitated a total of 8 specialized integratedservices outreach clinics to 2,251 (984 Refugee[F609:375M], 515 host community [F322:193M]and 752 post-conflict Odek [F518:234M], and 31PWDs). Provided counseling services to 294 including 7women and girls with highly intensive counselingservices. THRIVE counselors provided individual,group, family, and tele-counseling. The trainedvolunteers provided low intensive/basiccounseling to 740 women and girls including 21PWD, women and girls’ survivors, and those at risk. Facilitated 216 survivors (103 Refugee womenand girls, including 4 PWD; 29 Host community,and 84 from post-conflict Odek, including 6 PWD)of VAW/G with transportation costs, meals, andservice fees to access essential services from thedifferent community specialized service points.Injuries to 13-year-old girl who was sexually assaultedA professional counselor providing emotional support and referral to police and medicalsupport7A girl survivor receiving individual counselling session with a professional counselorCommunity integrated outreach, providing specialized services with support of differentservice providers.With the participation of local & governmenthealth workers, the services provided includepublic education and awareness on women'sand girls’ legal rights, with legal advice andreferrals; mental health information, withscreening, treatment, and referrals;reproductive health information with cervical-cancer screening, HPV vaccines for girls 11 to 14yrs; HIV education, with testing and counseling;and COVID-19 education, testing, counseling,and vaccines.

THRIVEGulu is a trauma recovery organization. We support survivors of the atrocities of the 1986-2006 Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency, refugees from South Sudan, and survivors ofgender-based violence. We support individuals of all ages and genders, with priorities on thewelfare of girls and women in our holistic interventions. As THRIVEGulu we believe that meaningfulexistence is more than mere survival and that the invisible wounds of psychological traumadeserve healing. And we believe that functionality and productivity can only flourish when anindividual and her community are more-than-surviving.Our VisionTHRIVEGulu assists communities in post-conflict northern Uganda to heal from the traumaticeffects of war, sexual exploitation, extreme poverty, and the resulting loss of opportunities.Our MissionOur vision for Northern Uganda is one in which all people are treated with dignity, live in safety,and have the chance to contribute to the good of the community.Our PeopleTHRIVE is proud to have women-led operations in Gulu, topped with our Director of 10 years, AlalSingle Dora. A trauma-counseling specialist, she leads a team of thirty, including professionalcounselors; gender-based violence, literacy, finance, and empowerment specialists; andadministrative support staff—all native Ugandans. Half of our senior management is female. Ourinternational affiliate is headed by women also, with our Executive Director, Mah-Séré Keita, in Maliand our Operations & Development Director based in the US.As a locally led organization, our people come from the communities that we serve, forgingrelationships that empower our beneficiaries to guide the programs we provide, fulfilling ourpromise—Nothing about Us without Us.info@thrivegulu.orgwww.thrivegulu.orgConnect with Us