At the Heart: Youth Participation
At the Heart: Youth Participation
We often hear that young people are lazy, disengaged, or indifferent to the issues that affect them. This is simply not true. The young people involved in Omoana’s projects are living proof of the opposite. In both Uganda and Iraq, they demonstrate remarkable energy, commitment, and determination every day. This is one of the greatest strengths of our work.
Beyond addressing essential health needs, Omoana is committed to strengthening key life skills: public speaking, self-confidence, critical thinking, respect for others, and active listening. These skills not only help uphold a fundamental right—the right to participate—but also contribute to building a more inclusive society shaped by engaged citizens who understand their ability to create change.
Since 2022, I have had the privilege of being involved with Omoana, first as a staff member and later as a committee member. This experience has allowed me to travel regularly to Uganda, build trusting relationships with local teams, and meet the young people involved in our projects. Through these encounters, I have witnessed remarkable transformations.
One example is Anisha, who could barely bring herself to say hello to me during her first workshop. A year later, she had become one of the spokespersons for the project implemented with St. Francis HCS. Today, she facilitates workshops, confidently shares her ideas, and encourages others to make their voices heard.
Omoana’s strength lies not only in providing children and young people with a space to express themselves, but also in genuinely listening to them. By taking the time to understand their perspectives and aspirations, we ensure that our responses address real needs in a relevant and respectful way. This is how we design all of our projects: by placing those most directly concerned at the centre of the process, remaining open to challenge and reflection, and affirming that every voice matters.
I invite you to discover, through the articles below, how these principles come to life in our projects in Uganda and Iraq.
Enjoy the reading!
Chloé Collier
Committee Member
Youth Clubs: Spaces for Solidarity and Active Participation
In Uganda, Omoana’s partners support youth clubs as genuine spaces for expression, participation, and mutual support. Established in schools and communities, these clubs provide safe environments where children and young people can share their experiences, strengthen their skills, and actively engage in local initiatives. Beyond peer support, they empower young people to become agents of change—able to identify challenges, propose solutions, and take concrete action to improve their communities.
In schools, Backup Uganda runs Inclusion Clubs. These clubs enable students to become advocates for change by supporting classmates with learning difficulties. They demonstrate that creating an inclusive environment depends not only on adults but also on the commitment and involvement of peers.
Within communities, Omoana House and St. Francis HCS support youth clubs for young people living with HIV. Members, often those with greater experience or confidence, provide emotional support to their peers, particularly in encouraging adherence to treatment. This role has become even more important in the context of USAID funding cuts, which have weakened many support systems. These clubs also operate collective savings groups, strengthening solidarity and helping young people plan for their future.
In Iganga, Girls Menarch Initiative runs inclusive menstrual health clubs involving both girls and boys as menstrual health ambassadors. These clubs also create opportunities for discussion on gender, violence prevention, and self-confidence through interactive activities and peer learning.
A particularly inspiring aspect of these initiatives is that several of their leaders are former beneficiaries of clubs previously supported by Omoana. Their journeys demonstrate the long-term impact of these spaces, which foster confidence, autonomy, leadership, and sustained engagement among young people.
Peace Initiatives: Youth Driving Change in Mosul
In Mosul, a city shaped by years of conflict, division, and reconstruction, young people are emerging as a powerful force for social transformation. A crossroads of identities, histories, and communities, the city continues to face challenges, but it is also a place where hopeful initiatives promoting dialogue and understanding are taking root.
The project implemented by Aid Gate Organization, Omoana’s partner in Iraq, aims to give young people a stronger voice by supporting them in reflecting on their identities and their capacity to create change. Identity is never singular: each person carries multiple layers of belonging, including gender, family, beliefs, community, and personal history. While some aspects of identity are inherited or imposed, others are shaped by our choices—our words, our attitudes, and the way we relate to others. Peace begins with these everyday choices: rejecting narratives of division and choosing dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect.
To support this process, young people take part in artistic activities such as drawing, music, and forum theatre, which provide opportunities to express their experiences and imagine alternative futures beyond imposed narratives. At the same time, training sessions for peace education facilitators and advocacy workshops have been launched to strengthen their skills and engagement.
Advocacy is approached as a practical tool for change. It involves raising awareness, mobilising communities, and influencing behaviours, decisions, or policies around issues that matter to young people. Through the Civic Engagement Together programme, participants develop essential skills in public speaking, storytelling, and community mobilisation while learning how to design collective actions promoting human rights, peace, and sustainable development.
In the coming months, young participants will develop and propose their own peace initiatives, which will be selected and supported for implementation. This important step will further strengthen their civic engagement and reinforce their role as active agents of change within their communities.
Every Child Can Learn: Omoana strengthens school inclusion in Uganda
From 1 December 2025 onward, Omoana is supporting the expansion of the “Every Child Can Learn” project led by Backup Uganda in Northern Uganda.
This program aims to build a truly inclusive school environment for children with learning difficulties or disabilities — an issue that remains insufficiently recognized in Uganda. In Ugandan public schools, the challenges are many: overcrowded classrooms, a lack of materials, and low household incomes. When a child experiences a learning difficulty — dyslexia, dyscalculia, autism, or attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) — these barriers become even heavier to bear. Without understanding from adults, many children develop feelings of rejection, lose confidence, and gradually drop out of school, jeopardizing their future.
To address this situation, the project invests in strengthening the capacities of education teams. Six hundred teachers and school administrators will be trained to detect learning difficulties early and adapt their teaching practices. In-person workshops, classroom coaching, and hybrid learning modules also make it possible to reach rural schools, while providing teams with practical tools to support every child according to their specific needs.
Collaboration with parents and caregivers is another essential pillar. Many are unaware of the existence of learning difficulties or interpret them through local beliefs. Community meetings and episodes of the “Every Child Can Learn” podcast, available in several languages, help improve family understanding and engagement. Digital tools make information more accessible, but in-person exchanges remain indispensable to build trust and answer questions.
Finally, the introduction of inclusion clubs will enable students to become active contributors to a caring and supportive school environment. These clubs create spaces where each student can express themselves, share experiences, and encourage their peers — helping transform school culture from within.
Through this project, Omoana contributes to building schools where every child can learn, thrive, and find their place — whatever their differences may be.
In Mosul, a Youth Committed to Peace
Since 1 July 2025, Omoana and its partner Aid Gate Organization (AGO) have launched a new phase of their project supporting young people in Mosul as they rebuild themselves, their communities, and their futures. In a city deeply marked by conflict and loss, young people are seeking spaces where they can express themselves, heal, and reclaim an active role in society.
The project draws on creativity, art, and collective learning to strengthen the resilience and talents of Mosul’s youth. More than 600 young people will take part in structured programs combining drawing, painting, music composition, performance, filmmaking, theatre, and fashion design. Each cycle of 15 sessions helps participants develop artistic skills while fostering self-esteem, confidence, and the expression of lived experiences. Here, art becomes a shared language that brings people together, soothes, and opens new horizons.
This new phase also places youth-led advocacy at its core. Three days of training will reinforce participants’ knowledge of human rights, violence prevention, and peacebuilding. They will then receive support to implement 25 innovative initiatives ranging from forum theatre performances to awareness-raising videos and public murals.
By sharing their messages, young people help transform mindsets and rebuild social cohesion.
Finally, the project promotes peer learning by training youth trainers in peace education and art with psychosocial aims, enabling a further 700 young people to benefit indirectly.
With this renewed momentum, Omoana is empowering a generation that is rebuilding itself by creating, sharing, and taking action for lasting peace.
Therapy for Women and Girls Survivors of Sexual Violence in Northern Uganda
During the war with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), sexual violence against women and girls was widespread. It was used as a means of terror, but also to force them to conceive children who were intended to become future fighters. vivo documents and tracks these acts of violence, both during the war and within post-conflict society.
The majority of vivo’s clients (60 to 70% of formerly abducted girls and women) experienced sexual violence, some as early as six years old, with an average age of 15 at the time of the first assault. Many were repeatedly raped by rebels, often as part of their forced assignment as “wives.” Women also suffered other forms of gender-based violence at the hands of the LRA, including beatings or executions for cooking during menstruation or for wearing trousers.
Beyond the psychological trauma, these survivors still face long-lasting consequences today: 30% of the women and girls who were raped became pregnant in captivity, many of them giving birth without any medical assistance. In today’s post-conflict society, they suffer from stigma, struggle to explain to their children the violent circumstances of their conception, and are often denied rights to paternal land—both for themselves and their children. Many also live with chronic health issues (such as HIV), financial insecurity, and must take on the role of mother alone or live with partners who reject their stepchildren.
Sexual violence against women remains a pressing issue in northern Uganda’s post-war society, with survivors continuing to face stigma and social exclusion. vivo has established a broad network of actors providing various forms of support for survivors of gender-based violence, including legal, medical, and social assistance. Within this network, vivo is responsible for trauma-focused therapy for survivors, as well as general psychological support, family mediation, and emergency planning for women in high-risk relationships. vivo also offers anger management training for violent partners who are willing to change. Additionally, vivo trains public and private partner organizations on the psychological impact of sexual violence, helping them better support survivors.
Anett Pfeiffer
vivo Uganda
Thank you for your support - News from Omoana - October 2024
Dear friends and donors,
Thanks to your unfailing support, we have been able to carry out some wonderful initiatives in recent months. In May, we organised a magnificent photo exhibition in Brussels in support of Omoana. A huge thank you to the talented photographer Maxime Collier for his moving work, and to everyone who came along and shared this moment with us. Your presence made this event a real success!
We also took part in the Race for Gift, where we were able to mobilise 20 passionate runners, collect 200 donations and raise an impressive total of CHF 13,659 to support our projects. A big thank you to all the participants and donors who, through their efforts and generosity, enable us to continue to make a real difference.
Finally, as we embark on a new donation tracking system, we would like to express our deep gratitude to Jean Genoud, father of our founder and director, for over 20 years of invaluable commitment, particularly in managing the database. His constant support has been an invaluable force for Omoana.
Your commitment to us is the driving force behind what we do, and for that we thank you a thousand times over.
2 weeks of exchange, 10 years of experience - News from Omoana - October 2024
Thanks to the Fédération Genevoise de Coopération’s Knowledge Sharing fund, three Iraqi colleagues were able to travel to Uganda, where they took part in workshops and visited projects. The exchanges, particularly on how to support children affected by violence, proved invaluable. Amjed Al-Rufaye gives us some feedback.
I’ve always been fascinated by the projects supported by Omoana in Uganda, but during my time there they continued to exceed my expectations.
My name is Amjed Al-Rufaye and I am originally from Baghdad, Iraq. In the past, I have worked for various NGOs in Iraq and Turkey. I am currently working as a technical advisor for Omoana and Aid Gate Organization in Iraq.
Our trip to Uganda began in Gulu with a four-day workshop bringing together teams from the NGOs currently supported by Omoana in Uganda. Along with other colleagues, we led visual art exercises for psychosocial support as part of the creation of the ‘Drawing Together’ manual. The workshop continued with Adrien and other drama coaches presenting drama exercises (for the ‘Theatre Together’ manual). It was a creative and interactive experience that filled the room with laughter. At the end, we listened to the feedback, discussed the importance of art, how it can benefit children and how it can be adapted to local projects and culture.
In the days that followed, we had meetings with Omoana’s NGO partners. We had a presentation of the teams behind the projects, exchanged questions and learned about each other’s experiences. After that, they took us out into the field and showed us how they interact with the local communities.
During these visits, I gained valuable information about the history and needs of the local community, and how Uganda and Iraq have gone through similar circumstances. For example, I loved what vivo is doing in Gulu to help victims overcome the trauma of being abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army as children and the horrors they were forced to see or do. Hearing these experiences reminded me of the time of the Islamic State in Mosul and the stories I heard from the locals. It made me think about how we can adapt what vivo does to help young people in detention centres and the community. The same goes for St. Moses and Hashtag Gulu and the psychosocial support projects they run in the community, and how we can implement similar projects by supporting and revitalising community centres for neglected young people in Iraq. Omoana House and St. Francis and their support for people living with HIV have opened my eyes to a serious problem facing Iraq. The lack of awareness about HIV and the growing number of undisclosed cases in the community make it a potential time bomb.
We learned a lot about the processes of various development NGOs, the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. It provided me with information about Omoana, highlighted the importance of art and how it helped beneficiaries to express themselves when words were not enough. It also opened my eyes to new ideas and projects that can be adapted in Iraq. It was a very artistic experience filled with traditional dances and theatrical performances. In a fortnight in Uganda, we feel like we’ve gained ten years’ experience! We exchanged invaluable knowledge, immersed ourselves in a new culture and formed solid friendships, all the while escaping the 50°C temperatures in Baghdad.
Amjed Al-Rufaye
Technical Counsellor, Omoana
Young people marching towards a future together - News from Omoana - October 2024
Coming back from Uganda is always a mixture of joy and emotion for me. During my trip last September, I had the opportunity to attend an awareness-raising session run by Girls Menarche Initiative (GMI), our new partner, in an isolated village where access to education and resources is terribly limited. There, surrounded by shy but curious young girls, I was struck by the strength of this initiative and the hope it represents for thousands of girls who would otherwise be left behind.
In this remote village, seeing these young girls open up about a subject as sensitive as menstruation was a powerful moment. But what touched me even more was seeing the boys present, involved in the discussion. GMI understands that to break taboos and fight stigma, you have to talk to boys too. Their approach is incredibly intelligent: by educating both sexes, they transform the perception of menstruation into a collective issue of respect and empathy. In this way, boys become allies in the fight for equality and inclusion.
What touches me even more is the personal story that links us to GMI. One of the founders is a former beneficiary of Omoana House, our rehabilitation project for children born with HIV. To see that he has now become a key agent of change in his own community, working to transform the lives of other young people, was a moment that moved me deeply. It’s a great example of how, with support and resources, marginalised children can become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
By launching this project, ‘Menstruation doesn’t stand in the way of dreams’, we’re taking a new step together, and I know we’ll have a real impact. Because what we’re doing is much more than providing products or information. It’s about restoring confidence, dignity and hope. This project reminds me that every support counts, that every gesture we make resonates in the lives of these young people. Through this collaboration, we’re not just changing the face of menstrual insecurity, we’re building bridges between the past and the future, between the dreams of yesterday and the hopes of tomorrow. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your commitment to us.
Chloé Collier
Program coordinator
‘Family Together’, Supporting the families of children in conflict with the law - News from Omoana - May 2024
In Uganda and Iraq, children in conflict with the law have generally been exposed to situations of extreme violence. Various forms of exploitation, including prostitution, dangerous work, the sale of drugs and affiliation with armed groups, have affected their development. Many of those monitored by the Omoana partners have also been placed in detention in difficult conditions, far from their families. When they return, it is not always easy for their families to know how to support them emotionally.
This is why Omoana and its partners have created the ‘Family Together’ approach. These interactive sessions help families and friends to know how best to welcome children back from detention.
They are invited to reflect on the causes and contextual factors that lead children into these exploitative situations. They are also encouraged to draw inspiration from key people who have had a positive impact in their own lives to better support children and young people in their families. Sessions on child and adolescent development and the impact of trauma on children and adolescents are taught. Stress management methods for parents are also proposed. This is complemented by interactive exercises on communication and discipline, with role-plays inspired by forum theatre. Through these, they explore a way of guiding children by letting them know what behaviour is acceptable and what is not, in a way that is both firm and caring. Finally, they discuss how to boost their self-confidence. Alongside these group sessions, family members also have access to individual counselling.
Children in conflict with the law are first and foremost victims of exploitative systems, and require all the attention they can get. The method used by Omoana’s partners aims to put families at the centre of solutions. Omoana focuses on technical support and moves away from material support. Strengthening their ability to face adversity together is essential. This requires dedicated and competent social workers, whom we are lucky enough to have as partners, and to whom we try to offer the most relevant tools possible.
Tackling violence against children through forum theatre - News from Omoana - May 2024
Dealing with violence is not always easy. Presentations, discussions and documentation can certainly play a part in preventing it. However, when working with children and young people suffering from exclusion, it is necessary to find interactive methods that speak to them and appeal to their senses and emotions. Omoana uses forum theatre in its projects. Derived from Brazilian playwright Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, this approach invites the people concerned to address situations of violence and explore solutions through play, in a participatory way. A scene recounting a situation that ends badly is presented to an audience. The members are then invited to replace one of the characters in the scene, which is replayed with the other actors improvising as realistically as possible what should happen next.
In Gulu, Uganda, children who live or work on the street present their own forum theatre scenes to the community to discuss ways of preventing violence against them. In Iraq, in the Mosul juvenile prison, children use forum theatre to discuss situations relating to their return to civilian life, and the possible discrimination they could face. This enables them to prepare for their reintegration by experiencing situations and exploring them through play. By using their senses, their ability to react appropriately will help to avoid a new cycle of violence. Other themes such as gender equality are also addressed, enabling the young people themselves to seek solutions that are often more progressive and innovative than what might be imagined in contexts where patriarchal norms prevail.
Social workers from Omoana’s partner organisations are trained in the approach and are monitored. Several workshops have already been held and the feedback has been positive. In fact, they go beyond just talking about human rights, enabling everyone to take part in a very practical discussion about living together, in order to preserve the dignity of children affected by violence.
Technical know-how to help children affected by violence - News from Omoana - May 2024
If people’s ability to take care of themselves and others is strengthened, their resilience, both individually and collectively, will be optimised. This is how Omoana approaches helping the most vulnerable children. By involving family and community members in the development of solutions, children will be helped in a sustainable way. This is particularly true when their protection is threatened. If we take the example of children in conflict with the law, one of the association’s beneficiary groups, they have often been victims of the most abject forms of exploitation, such as forced prostitution or enslavement to armed groups. This has disastrous consequences for their well-being and future prospects. All resources must be mobilised in response. In this context, Omoana provides technical added value to its partners dealing with complex situations. In 2023, the ‘Youth Together’ manual, which offers psychosocial and violence prevention sessions to vulnerable young people, was produced.
This year, Omoana also developed the ‘Family Together’ approach. This aims to support parents of children in conflict with the law, giving them the tools to respond to the situations created by trauma, deprivation of liberty and the resulting consequences for their rights. In addition, to ensure that the emphasis is always on interactivity and on solutions coming from the people concerned, forum theatre is a widespread tool in all Omoana projects in Uganda and Iraq. It is the subject of an article in this new issue of Omoana News. It is this technical added value, this constant energy devoted to finding concrete solutions to difficult problems, this emphasis on mutual learning between those involved in the field, that makes Omoana a particularly important organisation in the contexts in which we work. We would like to thank you for believing in us and for your moral and financial support, which enables us to move forward.
Adrien Genoud,
Director
