Community Voice and Visibility

  • Home
  • Community Voice and Visibility

Overview

MAHIPSO’s Community Voice and Visibility Program Domain aims to empower Structurally Excluded Persons by building their voice, agency, and leadership to advocate for their rights. Through capacity-building efforts, the program nurtures self-determination and promotes inclusive development that reflects the real experiences and needs of marginalized communities. This domain plays a vital role in dismantling systemic barriers and fostering a more just and equitable society where excluded individuals are active agents of change.

Key interventions include Transformative Leadership Development through adult literacy and the Change Makers Fellowship; TUMBIIZA, which focuses on advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and strategic partnerships; and AWAMU, a progressive social movement-building initiative. Additionally, the program emphasizes sustained collaboration with local governments in Greater Masaka Region through joint campaigns, outreach activities, and commemorative events like International Women’s Day, the 16 Days of Activism, medical camps, and legal awareness sessions, all designed to increase visibility and amplify community voices.

Community Voice and Visibility Services

1. Transformative Leadership Development for Structurally Excluded Persons

This service is designed to empower community members to become confident and effective leaders. It includes:

  • Functional Adult Literacy Programs: These are tailored to enable individuals who missed formal education to acquire basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills, improving their ability to engage with public services and civic processes.

  • Change Makers Fellowship: A leadership development initiative targeting young people and community champions from structurally excluded populations. Participants receive training in public speaking, governance, human rights, policy engagement, and grassroots organizing, enabling them to lead community-driven advocacy efforts.

2. TUMBIIZA – Advocacy, Stakeholder Mapping, and Strategic Partnerships

This component focuses on increasing visibility and influence through advocacy. Services include:

  • Stakeholder Mapping: Identifying key influencers, allies, and decision-makers at the community, district, and national level to help amplify advocacy initiatives.

  • Strategic Partnership Development: Creating and nurturing relationships with media houses, local governments, traditional leaders, and CSOs to foster support for Structurally Excluded Persons.

  • Advocacy Campaigns: Designing evidence-based advocacy initiatives around key policy issues affecting target populations, including gender-based violence, access to healthcare, and justice.

3. AWAMU – Progressive Social Movement Building

MAHIPSO’s AWAMU platform supports collective action and social cohesion through:

  • Community Mobilization: Bringing together community members around shared struggles to build solidarity and collective voice.

  • Movement-Building Training: Offering workshops on the principles of movement building, human rights, inclusion, and participatory governance.

  • Youth and Women-Led Initiatives: Supporting grassroots-led initiatives driven by women and young people from excluded groups to advocate for policy and social change.

4. Public Participation and Government Engagement

To bridge the gap between communities and decision-making processes, MAHIPSO facilitates:

  • Public Dialogues and Barazas: Hosting structured community dialogues between citizens and duty-bearers to promote transparency and accountability.

  • Policy Forums and Consultative Meetings: Involving community representatives in local and district-level planning and policy-making processes.

  • Social Accountability Tools: Training communities in using scorecards, citizen charters, and other tools to monitor service delivery and demand accountability.

5. Commemoration and Public Events

Community visibility is amplified through strategic public events that foster awareness and solidarity. These include:

  • Key International Days: Organizing campaigns and events during days like International Women’s Day, World AIDS Day, and the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV to rally support and raise awareness.

  • The Joint HIV/AIDS Campaign: Partnering with local health bodies and CSOs to conduct large-scale community health awareness events.

  • The Footprints Summit: A platform to celebrate changemakers, share best practices, and reflect on community development achievements.

  • Open Day Court Sessions: Conducted in collaboration with the Judiciary to raise awareness about access to justice, particularly for women and structurally excluded individuals.