BRAC Uganda

A Brief on Program Activities of BRAC Uganda

INTRODUCTION
BRAC is a non governmental development organization started in 1972 in Bangladesh by
Mr. Fazle Hassan Abed, soon after the liberation war. Therefore the initial focus was on
resettling of refugees returning from India, however in 1973 BRAC shifted its focus to
long-term issues of poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor for sustainable
development. BRAC is now a global institution working in Asia and Africa through its
development interventions, reaching over 110 million people, 72% of whom are women.
BRAC Vision
“A just, enlightened, healthy, democratic society free from hunger, poverty, environmental
degradation, and all forms of exploitation based on age, sex, religion and ethnicity”

BRAC GOAL
Poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor specially women through integrated
program interventions.
CORE PROGRAMS
BRAC applies an integrated approach to community development, involving the
following core programs: Economic Development Programs (Microfinance, Agriculture
and Livestock), Education, Health, Social Development, Human Rights and Legal
Services.
BRAC AFRICA
With its years of experience in development and poverty alleviation BRAC started
expanding development interventions beyond the borders of Bangladesh in 2002. Today
BRAC is implementing development programs in other Asia countries of Afghanistan, Sri
lanka, Pakistan, and while in Africa in the countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Southern
Sudan. Shortly BRAC is going to expand its program in Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
BRAC UGANDA
In Uganda, BRAC registered as Non Government Organization (NGO) with the National
NGO Board in January 2006 under Reg No S5914/6217, to promote integrated program
approach to poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor, especially women and
thus contribute to the struggle against poverty in general.
The organization has since then launched programs in microfinance, Health, Education,
Adolescent development, Agriculture and Livestock and Poultry in the country with a
current coverage of 26 districts (Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, Kayunga, Jinja, Kamuli,
Iganga, Kaliro, Bugiri, Busia, Tororo, Mbale, Sironko, Pallisa, Kumi, Soroti, Lyantonde,
Mbarara, Ibanda, Bushenyi, Ntungamo, Nebbi, Arua, Koboko, Pader & Kitgum ) ,with a
network of 9 Area offices (Kampala east, Kampala west, Iganga, Mbale, Mukono,
Mbarara, Arua ,Kitgum and Pader). Now BRAC is operating 48 branch offices,

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employing a total of 24 Bangladeshi and 487 Ugandan nationals. In all its programs,
BRAC Uganda attaches specific importance to capacity building of both the staff and the
client. A Training and Research Center has been established at Nateete and BRAC
Uganda has its country office at Kalema road, Lungujja, Kampala.
The programs currently implemented by BRAC Uganda are summarized below with
variations in area coverage based on the organization phase by phase approach, targeting
to cover the whole country.
MICROFINANCE
BRAC launched its microfinance program in Uganda in June 2006 under Tier IV
financial system (Finance Act 2002) as an NGO primarily to enhance access to financial
services by the majority of poor Ugandans, especially women who have generally been
left out by the mainstream financial system in the country. The program design focuses
on poverty alleviation through provision of credit at an affordable cost, convenience, no
collateral or pre-saving requirement, plus provision of capacity building to clients to
enhance planned for income generation activities.
In the span of only two years, the microfinance program has a network outreach of 46
branch offices in 24 districts across the four (East, central, West, North) geographical
regions of Uganda. The program offers two micro credit products:
Micro group lending: - 1,932 member groups formed with 55472 clients. Total loan
disbursed is US $ 11,727.153 to 39,888 clients at 20% annual interest rate. No collateral
or pre-saving required, and services delivery at client doorstep.
MICRO ENTERPRISE
This is a new product popularly known as “individual loan” designed to benefit small but
progressive entrepreneurs to expand their enterprises and create jobs. Within last six
months, 44 borrowers have accessed loans amounting to US $ 74,000. The operational
modalities for the microfinance program include: household surveys, door to door visits,
formation of groups and recommendations from local council and opinion leaders.
Future plans include opening up 31 more branches covering 20 more districts, to serve
106,000 clients by end of 2008.
EDUCATION PROGRAM
BRAC Uganda in partnership with UNICEF and M.O.E & S is implementing a non
formal basic education Program in Kitgum and Pader districts. The program targets out of
school children including those who have never been to school or dropped out of school
before attaining basic literacy or numeracy skills, and aged between 10 to 15 years. It’s a
two year learning cycle, giving children opportunity to attain a primary three level of
education, and thereafter enroll them into mainstream system at primary four level.
BRAC offers free teaching and student learning materials. In January 2008, a total of 844
students from BRAC learning centers were transferred to government schools, while
another 1981 students are in 58 learning centers in the IDP camps.
HEALTH, WATER AND SANITATION PROGRAM
This is another component of the integrated approach by BRAC to poverty alleviation.
The Health Program launched in July 2007, is designed to address and mitigate the non
income prevalence among the poor especially women and children through the provision

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of essential (primary) healthcare services (EHC). The program is carries out health
education and information, provision of basic medicines and other essential medical
products at affordable prices for common and preventable infectious diseases like
malaria, typhoid, diarrhoea and immunization. The ultimate goal is to free human energy,
time, and financial savings to be directed into income generating economic activities by
the borrowers of BRAC microfinance BRAC cares about the health of its clients. The
program coverage is currently 10 branches, in Kampala and Iganga areas reaching 42024
households. Expansion plans of another 24 branch offices is underway to cover Kampala,
Iganga, Mbale, Mbarara, and Arua areas. BRAC uses community Health Promoters
(CHP) as change agents. Water and sanitation will be launched by December 2008.
ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
This is a program designed to empower the youth (Adolescents) particularly girls /
women aged between 13 to 19 years, through innovative livelihood and life skill training,
combined with credit facilitation. The objective is to cause positive behavior change and
improve the quality of life.
The Adolescent girls/women are organized into clubs in their localities and receive
training in life skills, information evaluation and assimilation, peer management,
reproductive education and functional literacy in financial management and leadership
skills. The target group includes adolescents at school, out of school as well as those who
have never been to school. This program is important since 28% of Uganda’s population
is adolescents between 10 to 19 years of age. Currently, the program coverage is 10
branches and 100 clubs under Kampala and Iganga areas, and a total of 2500 adolescents
have enrolled. Hence BRAC is contributing to create a critical mass of informed and
empowered young girls and women for a better Uganda.
AGRICULTURE PROGRAM
The agriculture program aims at addressing the food security needs and household
income among the rural women farmers, especially members of BRAC Microfinance.
The program conducts selection and training to four specific categories of farmers
namely, horticulture nursery farmers, model farmers cum extension workers, vegetable/
kitchen gardeners and general farmers.
The training covers soil and water conservation, proper use of fertilizers, use of quality
seeds, integrated pest management, crop diversification, vegetable gardening and proper
crop management.
The Agriculture program is currently implemented in four regions (Iganga, Mbale,
Mbarara, Arua), covering 20 branches. It targets to train 400 Model farmers, 200
Horticulture Nursery farmers, 1000 Vegetable farmers, and 20,000 general farmers. The
seed trial pilot scheme in Iganga will be used for selection of different varieties of seeds
suitable to different soils and weather conditions.
POULTRY AND LIVESTOCK PROGRAM
The program is also designed to improve the quality of livestock and poultry and their
products through technical assistance and capacity building at community level. Training
and provision of vaccines, artificial insemination services and quality chicks and feeds
will be availed to the rural farmers in order to improve on their productivity and income.
This program is implemented along side the agriculture production, and BRAC has

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entered into a memorandum of understanding (M.O.U) with the ministry of Agriculture,
Livestock and Fisheries on the two programs.
TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTRE
In May 2008, BRAC Training and Research Centre (BTARC) has been established at
Nateete, Kampala realizing the capacity needs that has been considered as one of the
strategic interventions of capacity building. The aim of the BRAC capacity building
program is to develop competencies of the professionals of BRAC itself and other non-
government organizations so that they can manage the development process and the
human resources efficiently and effectively. It also intends to share its expertise that have
acquired over a period of time towards achieving the development goals of Uganda.
BTARC is offering variety of training programs for different level of participants of non-
government organizations. These courses are conducted by the professional facilitators
who have gained considerable experiences in the art and technology of training in
Bangladesh and around the world. Considering the training needs of different local,
national and international development organizations, BTARC has designed a wide range
of training courses.
MONITORING, RESEARCH AND EVALUATION UNIT
BRAC Uganda has established the above unit to provide an analytical basis for BRAC
Uganda's programmatic decisions, allowing BRAC Uganda to learn from its mistakes,
and helping BRAC Uganda to share the impact and lessons from its work with
academics, NGOs, and development agencies around the world. The Monitoring,
Research and Evaluation Division (M, RED) undertakes many of its studies in
cooperation with international research and academic institutions of the highest caliber.
M, RED is regional research center that serve BRAC programs in Tanzania, Uganda, and
South Sudan. Regular monitoring and well designed research and evaluation of impact
and process are carried out. The performances of BRAC’s programs are tracked on a
regular basis and in a consistent and systematic manner. Research areas span the full
range of BRAC activities: microfinance, family planning, health, education, agriculture,
livestock, adolescent development, gender, vulnerable group development and much
more. The regional research team based in Uganda already initiated various large scale
base line surveys to conduct impact assessment of adolescent development program,
micro finance and health programs in Uganda, vulnerable group development program
effectiveness in southern Sudan and health, microfinance, and livestock programs in
Tanzania.
BRAC UGANDA STAFF POSITION
The organization gives priority to Uganda nationals in regard to staff recruitments and
currently employs 478 Ugandans, and only 24 expatriates. The employment portfolio
continues to grow as the organization expands.
Country office: BRAC Uganda country office is located at
Plot 24, Block 1052, Kalama Road
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +2560712111322, +256414270978
Email: Arifbrac@yahoo.com