Where We Work
Gulu District, formerly Aswa County was at the epicenter of a brutal 20-year armed conflict between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan government.
The war destroyed infrastructure, displaced thousands of people, shattered social networks, and disconnected people from their traditional cultural and social practices. Thousands of children were abducted to serve as sex slaves and child soldiers. These tragic events occurred in what was already one of the poorest, isolated and least resourced regions of Uganda.
lra-affected-districts-map
Emerging from this collective trauma, the communities in Aswa have shown great resilience over the past 15 years, returning to their rural farms, rebuilding, and restructuring their society, including restructuring and solidifying their health care system.
However, there continues to be high rates of maternal and infant mortality, adolescent pregnancy, suicide, alcoholism and domestic violence. The current work of WOtW is focused on maternal and child health.
We partner directly with the Ministry of Health in Gulu District, through a six member Board of Directors which includes three midwives, one public health nurse, the assistant District Health Officer and the District Health Officer.