Otuke, Uganda | A major fundraising campaign has been launched to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Otuke District, with organisers warning that hundreds of women, girls and children still require urgent assistance decades after the violence that scarred communities in the region.
The initiative, known as the Healing and Restoration Fundraising Drive, is being led by Facilitation for Peace and Development (FAPAD) as an extension of the ongoing STOP STIGMA project, which focuses on survivors of sexual abuse linked to past cattle raids and armed conflicts.
According to Ruth Abwot, a social worker with FAPAD, more than 600 survivors have been documented across Ogor, Ogwete, Adwari and Okwang subcounties, but only 60 women have received direct support over the past three years because of limited funding.
She explained that many survivors had lived with silent trauma for years and that some were raising children born of war while also dealing with identity challenges, custody disputes, and discrimination.
Abwot noted that others continued to face long-term health complications and economic hardship arising from the violence they endured.
The STOP STIGMA programme, an acronym for Scarification, Torment, Ostracisation, and Profiling of silent trauma, has provided psychosocial counselling, medical treatment, legal aid and income-generating activities for survivors.
The project also works with clan leaders to promote reintegration, gender sensitivity, and progressive cultural norms.
Research conducted by FAPAD between 2017 and 2021 indicated that the legacies of conflict-related sexual violence in Otuke remain widespread, with children born of these violations reportedly facing social rejection, documentation challenges and limited access to education.
The new fundraising drive aims to support at least 20 additional survivors while advocating for rehabilitation and economic empowerment for survivors to be integrated into Otuke’s District Development Plan.
District leaders, including medical partners led by Dr. James Olum of Orum Health Centre IV has expressed strong support for the campaign, although organisers say significant funding gaps persist.
The fundraising dinner will take place tomorrow, Friday 12 December 2025, at Pacific Grand Hotel in Lira City, beginning at 3:30 pm.
FAPAD is appealing to development partners, residents, leaders, and well-wishers to attend or contribute remotely.
The organisation has emphasised that every contribution, whether in person or from afar, will make a difference to the recovery of the affected women.
FAPAD says it hopes the event will not only raise the necessary funds but also change public attitudes and draw renewed attention to survivors who have lived with silence, discrimination, and neglect for decades.
The post New Findings Prompt FAPAD to Expand Support for Otuke’s Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Survivors Ahead of Friday Lira Fundraising Dinner appeared first on Dokolo Post.