Sisters Uganda
Our partner organization in Uganda is helping to carry out our shared mission and vision
Girls and women in poor communities all over the world struggle every month to manage their periods; many can’t afford sanitary pads, causing girls to miss school and women to miss opportunities for work that could provide income for their families. Sisters Uganda is flourishing in their small community.
The Sisters Uganda team has identified many barriers to girls’s success and are confronting them pragmatically. Most girls lack awareness about their bodies, menstruation, and hygiene, which can lead to early pregnancy, school dropout, and emotional and generational trauma. Together, we established the Sisters Outreach Center where they learn sewing skills, make washable menstrual pads which they provide to girls in need, and sew clothing that is sold and helps sustain the center while also providing personal income. This nurturing space for women and girls empowers them to feel strong, valued, and supported.
Their mission is to share skills and knowledge with their peers, strengthening their sisterhood and encouraging each other to become leaders in their community. They envision a world where girls and women have opportunities to thrive in health, education, and business.
Learn about the Rwenzori Support Center where we are building an improved Sisters Outreach Center!
Donate to help girls stay in school
Sisters UGanda Team
The Sisters Uganda team is fully devoted to their community’s health, wellness, and success. They are almost entirely volunteer-based, with the exception of compensation for sewing pads and facilitating outreaches, for which individuals are paid per piece or per session.
Current Programs
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![Ugandan women holding handmade sanitary pads for personal hygiene]()
Pad Distribution & Personal Hygiene Outreach
“Sister Pads” are hand-sewn washable menstrual pads and they’re delivered to schoolgirls and poor families through “Sister Outreaches” at local schools near our Uganda headquarters or directly to girls & women in need. The pads are accompanied with instructions on proper ways to use and wash, training on the menstrual cycle and other important matters of personal hygiene. At these outreaches, many girls learn for the first time about why periods happen and how to manage them—while gaining confidence and pride in their bodies.
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![Ugandan woman learning to sew]()
Tailoring Initiative
Members of Sisters Uganda are involved in the tailoring program at the Sisters Outreach Center. They practice sewing and cutting skills, and produce both reusable sanitary pads made out of cotton and absorbent fleece and clothing that they sell for a profit. Reusable pads are distributed to schoolgirls during "Sister Outreaches." These washable pads were designed by The Mooncatcher Project and the Sisters were trained by their Uganda team in 2024.
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![Ugandan women offering emotional support and community during the COVID-19 pandemic]()
Psychosocial Support
During the “COVID lockdown,” Ugandan public schools were closed for 22 months. Many girls fell victim to early pregnancy; they were left home unattended and unsupervised, at risk for rape. Teenage pregnancy is condemned and girls are traumatized. During the “lockdown,” Sisters Uganda began reaching out to young mothers, offering emotional support and encouragement to stay in (or return to) school. The Sisters Tailoring Center offers a space where all ladies are welcome to share their stories and find words of encouragement.
MEET THE MEMBERS
Bwambale Morice Rupanzura
Manager and Communications Director, Manager of Rwenzori Support Center, Outreach Facilitator
Marco Collins
Director of Sisters Outreach Center, Tailor, Social worker, Mother
Sharon Gyrah M/yaah
Manager of Rwenzori Support Center, Tailor, Carpenter
Muhindo Kristine
Sisters Outreach Center Administrator, Outreach Facilitator, Tailor
Baseme Evalyne
Treasurer, Outreach Facilitator and Counselor, Teacher, Mother
Masika Harriet
Founding Member, Assistant Supervisor to Water Project (2020), Entrepreneur, Mother
Malikia Rizik
Secretary, Outreach Assistant, Part-Time Teacher, Mother
Kiza Winnie Onyango
Tailoring Coach, Secondary Teacher, Mother
Mupeleka Loice
Tailoring Assistant, Nursery Teacher, Mother
Musoki Christine
Outreach Assistant, Girls’ Dormitory Matron and Mentor, Mother
Musoki Bridget
Outreach Assistant, Student, Tailoring Trainee
Kabugho Appophia
Founding Member, Tailoring Trainee, Student
Musoki Sharon
Tailoring Trainee, Student, Mother
Mwero Lovice
Tailoring Trainee, Student
Mwenge Lilian
Tailoring Trainee, Student
Medress
Tailoring Trainee, Student
Biira Immaculate
Tailoring Trainee, Student
Kabugho Masline
Tailoring Trainee, Student
Mbambu Macklin
Tailoring Trainee, Student
“I am very greatful for the Sisters Outreach Center and me being part of it. I take it as an opportunity. The sisters Outreach Center exposes us to very many activities like learning new things and sharing experiences about women health and hygiene where washable pads are being made by our selves. This has helped many girls to attend school on a daily basis, it also help to empower economically when we make kitenge clothes and sell them. All in all the Center has helped all women and girls to build self confidence in them and self esteem. The Sisters love you so much..🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️”
Past Projects
Clean Water
In May 2018 the village purchased enough pipe and a holding tank to bring them safe water for the first time EVER, from deep within the mountains. People’s health improved; illnesses decreased, people didn’t rack up medical bills. They experienced an overall healthier and more prosperous community.
On May 7, 2020, River Mubuku “burst its banks” in the middle of the night and swept away homes, bridges, and entire roads, leaving hundreds terrified and displaced. Much was lost, including hundreds of meters of pipe that had brought life-saving water to the people of Maliba and neighboring Kyanya and Ibanda.
The local community contributed a small portion of the total cost to complete the project that reconnected hundreds of private taps and built three large taps for public use.
Women’s Public Restroom
Access to water and sanitation are recognized by the United Nations as human rights. “Lack of access to safe, sufficient and affordable water, sanitation and hygiene facilities has a devastating effect on the health, dignity and prosperity of billions of people.”
A women’s-only bathroom was constructed in 2021, complete with four toilet rooms, two changing rooms, sinks and showers with running water. Never before was there a safe, clean place for women to use a restroom who work in the Maliba market area. *If I need to add more to make it the same length as the next project, let me know.
Humble Home
Four orphaned siblings, ages six to twelve, (one not pictured) not only lost their home during the flooding, but sadly, their grandmother passed away soon after. The land on which their house sat is now a flood zone. Sisters in Circles provided funding for land on which to build a stable home of their own where they can grow and thrive together. Many locals contributed labor, bricks and other building materials. Mbambu Ruth is their loving caregiver who is raising Musoki, Muhindo, Kabugho, and Bwambale as her own. They now have a solid foundation for health and success!