LIFTING HANDS COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

INITIATIVE LTD (LIHACEI)

STRATEGIC WORK PLAN

2021-2025

FEBRUARY 2021

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................................................i

VISION................................................................................................ii

MISSION.............................................................................................ii

CORE VALUES.................................................................................ii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...............................................................iv

1.1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................1

2.0 STRATEGIC AIMS OF SETTING THE OBJECTIVES........2

2.1 Limited Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and

Adolescent Health (RMNCAH).........................................................3

2.2 Weak community – facility referral linkages...............................4

2.3 Underserved OVC population.....................................................5

2.4 Limited research and information management on the various

health related issues affecting the people of Namutumba District....5

2.5 High prevalence of HIV/AIDs, Malaria, TB, Cancers, and NCDs

among youth and Adolescents...........................................................6

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 2.6 High prevalence of Teenage Pregnancy/ unwanted pregnancies

among youth and Adolescents and PLHIV........................................8

3.0 SWOT ANALYSIS.....................................................................18

4.0 MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF LIHACEI’S

STRATEGY......................................................................................22

4.1 LIHACEI Results Chain Model.................................................24

4.2 LIHACEI Framework................................................................25

5.0 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE.......................................29

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VISION
To have a health and empowered God Fearing Community
where the vulnerable Women, Orphans and Vulnerable
Children (OVC), Widows, Disabled, and Youth are equipped
with practical knowledge and skills for self-dependence and
sustainable livelihoods

MISSION
To provide family centred equitable quality Healthcare
services for individuals, families and the community we serve
and expand access of such care for the underprivileged/
underserved populations, while promoting optimal wellbeing
within the community

CORE VALUES
 Honest and integrity
 Hard work and Team work
 Non Discrimination
 Respect for humanity
 Confidentiality
 Voluntarism
 Accountability
 Equity

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These core values are the essential and enduring principles
which will form the ethos of how everyone at LIHACEI
thinks and acts day by day and year by year. They are the
identity of LIHACEI and they show what LIHACEI stands
for. Constant recognition and adherence to these shared core
values will enable LIHACEI to achieve its Mission.

iii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
Namutumba District and its neighboring districts are one of
those districts in Uganda with uncertain quality estimate
figures regarding HIV prevalence, TB, Cancer and other
NCDs. Lifting Hands Community Empowerment Initiative
intends to be at the forefront of fighting the HIV scourge,
Malaria, TB, and Rising Numbers of cancer, teenage
pregnancies and NCDs. As the country rethinks its response
strategy in managing HIV, TB, Cancer, Malaria and other
NCDs like Hypertension, Diabetes among others. it is all
important that LIHACEI considers her contribution as well to
the good practice in prevention, care, treatment, training and
education, and advocacy, In addition to the changing external
environment in which Lifting Hands Community
Empowerment Initiative operates, the organization’s internal
environment has been dynamic – there has been a rapid
growth over the years to accommodate changing priority
needs of our clients and also other stakeholders. In spite of the
environment, at LIHACEI, we have remained consistent in
our approach – a family-centred, multi-disciplinary approach
to prevention, care and treatment which has ensured that we
remain relevant to the fight against HIV and AIDS, TB,

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Cancer, Malaria, maternal and neonatal mortality, mental
health and teenage pregnancies reaching some of the most
vulnerable children, women and men as well as alleviation of
their standards of living.

___________________
Mr. Kiwagama Geofrey
Executive Director

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1.1 INTRODUCTION
This plan lays out the strategic intents for Lifting Hands
Community Empowerment Initiative for the period 2021-
2025.The strategy was informed by a contextual analysis and
strategic drivers which were the basis for constructing the
strategic intents. The strategic plan sets the boundaries within
which Lifting Hands Community Empowerment Initiative
will implement its programs within the framework of its
mandate. It will further be used as a tool for resource
mobilization as well as being a programmatic reference for
addressing health care needs of the target population by
Lifting Hands Community Empowerment Initiative.

LIFTING HANDS COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

INITIATIVE (LIHACEI) is a private not for- profit
Community Based organization with its Head Office in
Namutumba Town Council, Namutumba district in the East
central region of Uganda. It was founded in 2018 and received
its certificate of registration at the district (Namutumba
district) in 2019 with registration Number 0305/2019. And on
the 19th day of October 2020, it was incorporated as a
company limited by guarantee by the Uganda Registration

1
Services Bureau (URSB) under Registration Number:
80020002744862

Since its formation, it has registered over 380 children from

the area in the category of orphans, disabled, street children
and other vulnerable children, 23 Cancer Patients and linked
them to Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja for Palliative Care
Services, Over 1000 people referred and Screened for HIV/
AIDs and other STIs and offered appropriate Care Services,
Over 200 mothers attended Antenatal Services and Deliveries
and over 1000 people treated for different disease conditions.

The objectives of LIHACEI majorly include but not limited to

the following; provision of basic life needs like health and
education to the orphans, under privileged, vulnerable
children and youths, to improve the living conditions of the
needy groups by establishing permanent homes, schools and
health care facilities for them, preventing the spread of
HIV/AIDS and mitigate its effects among children and the
disabled.

2.0 STRATEGIC AIMS OF SETTING THE

OBJECTIVES
The strategic aims provide a basis for setting the strategic
direction and define the facts and trends which this strategic

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plan will address. They bring about the rationale for the
strategic choices that Lifting Hands Community
Empowerment Initiative has made in addressing Maternal and
child Health, social economic empowerment of the OVCs,
Paediatric and adolescent health as well as HIV/AIDS
challenges in Namutumba and Uganda at large,. As such, six
strategic drivers elaborated hereunder provided the foundation
for Lifting Hands Community Empowerment Initiative’s
strategic intents.

2.1 Limited Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and

Adolescent Health (RMNCAH)
Over the years, Uganda has experienced slow progress in
reduction of child and maternal mortality rates. The country
has the tools and knowledge to change that trajectory to bring
an end to preventable deaths; with greater participation of all
partners and stakeholders, a change in focus, and commitment
to hold ourselves accountable. Uganda has put in place five
strategic shifts as the priority for a forward-looking,
compelling and integrated sustainable RMNCH agenda
(MoH, 2013)6. The five shifts namely; focus geographically,
targeting high burden populations with high impact solutions
in addition to education (educating girls and women;
empower women to make decisions; address environmental
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factors e.g. sanitation and hygiene), empowerment, economy
as well as environment and mutual accountability will form
the focus for LIHACEI’s actions.

This will enable LIHACEI introduce a paradigm shift that will

overcome the obstacles to prevent avoidable death.

2.2 Weak community – facility referral linkages

In Uganda, the community and health care systems (Including
leadership, governance and stewardship) to facilitate early
detection, linkage, management and retention of paediatric
and adolescent diseases (TB, HIV, Cancers, etc.) continue to
face challenges. The Uganda health care delivery system is
designed to receive clients from the community without clear
mechanisms to actively facilitate early detection of adolescent
and paediatric diseases in the population. The VHTs who
would otherwise play this role are poorly facilitated and in
most cases non-existent in some communities. By the time
clients report to health facilities for care, their health
conditions may have deteriorated even where such disease
progression would have been arrested if reported early. This
situation has significantly contributed the current disease
burden and more so among the adolescents and paediatrics
who rely on their parents to access health services.

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2.3 Underserved OVC population
There are a high and increasing number of orphans and other
vulnerable children who are underserved with the requisite
health care and social- economic services that meet their
peculiar needs. According to the Uganda National Household
Survey (2014), orphans and other vulnerable children were
among the populations that constituted a higher share of the
19.7% of the population who live below the poverty line. This
category of the population with its increasing number amidst
limited resources continues to make planning and provision
for their needs a challenge.

2.4 Limited research and information management on the

various health related issues affecting the people of
Namutumba District
There is limited research and low utilization of research
findings and achievements in Namutumba district and Uganda
at large given the paucity of institutions which focus in this
area. Consequently, credible research knowledge in this
domain has continued to limit innovations on programming
for pediatric and adolescent health interventions. In addition,
the existing knowledge generated through research has not
been appropriately packaged for consumption by audiences
outside the academia to effectively inform programming.

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Research publications in peer reviewed scientific journals
have content that is scantly used by community based
organizations where actual program implementation occurs. It
is common knowledge that effective advocacy to influence
policy and programming largely depends on credibility and
consumption of research evidence otherwise it constitutes
efforts in vain. The inadequacy of capacity and inability to
localize pediatric and adolescent research findings

Is a result of limited expertise in effective knowledge

management and behavior change communication. As such,
the need to generate credible and consistent information on
pediatric and adolescent health to influence policy, legislation
and programs in as far as they impact on the HSD Plan (2015)
goal of accelerating movement towards Universal Health
Coverage with essential health and related services needed
for promotion of a healthy and productive life cannot be over
emphasized.

2.5 High prevalence of HIV/AIDs, Malaria, TB, Cancers,

and NCDs among youth and Adolescents.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Non
Communicable Diseases (NCD) are now the major chronic
diseases of public health concern. This joint burden has major

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adverse effects on the quality of life of the affected individual;
causes premature death; creates adverse economic effects on
families in general.

Hypertensive people living with HIV often receive services

for hypertension and HIV in separate clinics. This leads to
undiagnosed and untreated hypertension among people living
with HIV due to the time, costs and stigma that comes with
seeking treatment from multiple clinics. This approach is not
patient centered, is costly and inefficient for both HIV and
hypertension control.  

Review indicates that there are emerging developments to

bridge the gap between the NCD and HIV, however, no
focused strategy is available to address NCD in PLHIV. Some
of the key suggested approaches are; build evidence for
planning and management of NCD in PLHIV, increase
allocation of financial resources for investigation and
treatment of common NCDs in PLHIV, strengthening
governance structure for improved efficiency and
effectiveness of systems to address NCD in HIV and non-HIV
services, reconfiguration of primary health care, routine
screening of PLHIV for NCD and promoting healthy lifestyle
to reduce PLHA’s susceptibility to NCD, multi-/inter-sectoral
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cooperation, public private partnership and community
participation for sustained efforts.

Although context-specific factors vary from place to place,

LIHACEI will identify different feasible and cost effective
approaches tackling NCD in PLHIV and adolescents.

2.6 High prevalence of Teenage Pregnancy/ unwanted

pregnancies among youth and Adolescents and PLHIV.
In Namutumba, district, 8 out of 10 girls is married off before
their 18th birthday. The Probation Officer confirms that an
average of 5 child marriage related cases are received every
month, while many go unreported. (According to UNICEF
report on 28 April 2018).

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STRATEGY INTERVENTIONS OUTCOME
To reduce morbidity and mortality due to HIV&AIDS, Non
Communicable Diseases, pregnancy and related maternal and
Childhood conditions

Increasing access Recruitment of well trained Overall increase in

to maternal and and competent health Antenatal care,
child health workers especially postnatal and
services midwives to our facility. postabortal
Provision of life saving attendance
commodities targeted at Overall increase in
enhancing new born care Health facility
standards, diagnosis and deliveries
management of new born Improved quality of
sepsis. care
 Scaling up of immunization Reduction in low
services birth weight and

 Scaling up of reproductive premature births

health services. Reduction in birth

 Training of TBA’s and asphyxia

Skilled Birth Attendants Reduction in

 Looking for and linking of neonatal sepsis

Reduced maternal,
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 pregnant women and infant and neonatal
newborns in the mortality
communities and Elimination of
encourage prompt leading causes of
attending of ANC/MCH maternal, infant and
clinic appointments. neonatal mortality
 Provide complete like Eclampsia,
Enhanced HealthCare Abortions, sepsis,
Package. Hemorrhage,
 Tracking of mothers and Obstructed labor etc.
defaulters followed up to
ensure their compliance.
 Promotion of male
involvement in the care of
pregnant women
Provision of  Facilitate training of health Percent increase in
pediatric and workers 0f LIHACEI in the number of
adolescent health delivery of children and paediatrics and
care services adolescent friendly health adolescents utilizing
care services health care services
• Facilitate peer support from
groups to address retention in Baylor-Uganda

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 care especially for children, service delivery
mothers and points and public
adolescents health facilities
• In partnership with other Number of health
stakeholders, we shall workers trained in
develop and rollout an delivery
adolescent HIV curriculum of children and
• Partner with other adolescent friendly
implementing partners to health care
scale up pediatric and
adolescent HIV services
To reduce HIV  Provision of free HTS – Percent reduction in
infection TST services for all HIV infection
among children, targeted populations among children,
adolescents, especially Adolescents, sex adolescents and
youth, women workers, drug addicts youth
and men among others. Increased uptake of
 Offering SMC/VMMC integrated ANC
services services among
 Health Education and HIV+ women
community sensitization on Increased uptake of
the effects of HIV/AIDs SMC/VMMC

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 Strengthening referral and services
linkages mechanisms Reduced rate of
mother to child
 Provide Sexual and
transmission
Reproductive health
Reduced HIV
services to PLHIV
burden
 Support for victims of
sexual and gender based
violence.
 Integrating follow up care
and support (including
ART) for mothers, babies
and other family members
into existing PMTCT
services.
 Integrate family planning
so as to reduce unwanted
pregnancies among HIV
positive women,
adolescents
 Treat all those that require
ART to reduce community

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 viral load
 Health Education of Proportion of all
Provide
patients and caretakers on identified OI and
Opportunistic
different opportunistic NCD cases managed
infections and
Infections, their signs and
Non-
symptoms and how to
Communicable
prevent them
diseases
 Screening for all
management
opportunistic infections and
services
NCD diseases.
 Linkage and referral
systems
 Proportion of eligible 100% of eligible
Provide Palliative
clients provided with clients provided with
care services
palliative care palliative care
services

Contribute to the
 Increase access to
national goals to
psychosocial support
provide Social
services to PLHIV &OVC
Support and
Households by provision of
Protection
risk reduction
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services to counseling(Evidence based
PLHIV, OVC models)
and other
 Provision of health services
vulnerable
to PLHIV & OVC
groups
Households
 Promotion of education
both formal and informal to
girls and boys in PLHIV &
OVC House holds
 Increase access to nutrition
and food security among
PLHIV & OVC House
holds
Establish Functional, effective and
Effective and efficient M&E system
efficient M&E established Timely and
systems for Accurate reporting
Service Delivery
Socio-economic strengthening to OVC and their care takers
provided.
To develop • Conduct training on VSLA Percent of targeted
Knowledge and OVC and caregivers
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skills for OVC • Conduct training on IGAs able to start and
and • Attach OVC to skilled sustain IGAs
caretakers to start trainers Number of OVC and
income • conduct follow up visits to caretakers trained in
generating OVC under apprenticeship VSLA
activities • Evaluate VSLA, IGAs and Number of OVC and
apprenticeship program caretakers trained in
IGA
To enhance • Conduct household visits to Percent of targeted
Capacity of OVC support OVC households OVC households
households to • Conduct evaluation able to meet their
meet their basic amongst OVC households to basic needs
needs (health, assess program effect (health, food,
education, education, shelter)
food, shelter) Number of trained
OVC and caretakers
provided with
routine support
supervision
To improve • Collaborate with MoGLSD Percent of OVC
Psychosocial and district to map and benefiting from
wellbeing of support OVC. MoGLSD programs

15
children • Support children
and adolescents psychosocial clubs for high
infected and volume clinics.
affected by
HIV&AIDS and
their families
Leverage Partnerships and Collaborations and Advocacy
Gender Based Seminars and Sensitization
Violence against Workshop
Family Based Counseling
women and
Couples counseling
children Music Drama and Dancing
Intervention Show on GBV
Strengthening Linkage and
referral system for gender
based
Identify of Contracts and MOU’s
partnership signed with key partners
opportunities and
Engage with
partners at
national and
international
level
Establish work Work Plans with Partners
plan schedules) developed
to deliver on
partnership
16
objectives

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3.0 SWOT ANALYSIS
LIHACEI recognizes that it is one of many providers in
Uganda concentrating on offering Services in the area of
Health and Education. LIHACEI’s SWOT analysis highlights
areas where LIHACEI can leverage its strengths and
opportunities as well as outline the weaknesses and threats
that LIHACEI can limit through actions of its own or by
working in collaboration with others

Strength Weakness
Limited partner networks
Ability to use modern Limited resources
technology in service Weak lobbying and resource
provision mobilization.
Efficient and experienced Little or no focus on Research
administration in LIHACEI
Superior location, nearer to No strong image; No clear
the community to be served LIHACEI story
and the headquarters of Poor staff retention resulting in
LIHACEI for easy loss of some experienced staff
supervision Lack of clearly
Excellent reputation since documented/approved
establishment (LIHACEI) policies/procedures
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Excellent connection with Incomplete beneficiary
highly skilled health care involvement at different levels
personnel Inadequate staff training and
God fearing character as we development
believe that God is above all Inadequate use of M&E and its
Good experience in running derived data
not- for profit organization Weak staff orientation to
Family centred approach research and use of data
Poor staff performance
Strong Board of Directors management culture
Segregated IT systems
Committed, knowledgeable Bureaucratic systems
and highly experienced staff Weak control and procedures
Inadequate marketing
Innovative model of training strategies
Strong Board of Directors Inadequate documentation and
publishing
Technical / functional teams Expensive model
can support resource Undocumented research
mobilization. findings
Increased coverage through
our centres

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Multidisciplinary work-
hence wider base for
funding opportunities
Resilience
Grown strength in
HIV/AIDs care, treatment
and training
Opportunities. Threats.
In
Technological advancement Tax increases
in service provision An increasing number of
Availability of highly orphans in Africa
trained and qualified health Inadequate publicity of
care personnel, set to work LIHACEI’s success stories
with us
Cost effective services Shift in focus away from only
provided to our beneficiaries HIV/AIDs.
Large catchment area. Vast number of
Good relationship with the implementation partners( both
local community direct and indirect)
New infections in the Decline in HIV/AIDs funding
country attributed to global economic

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Integration; beyond HIV crisis
Improve donor relations Evolving HIV trends
and strategic partnerships Other stakeholders offering the
Scale up of adapted same package in a more
comprehensive holistic affordable way.
package in the district. Dependence on restricted
To use referral and funding
communities to make the Changing demands of
packages less expensive customers and donors
Create partnerships Some implementing partners
Focus on pediatrics offering higher salary packages,
Training linked to care which adversely affects staff
Market survey to target retention
PLHIV Organizational fraud
Stiff competition with
established research bodies
Changed priority for research
funding
Intellectual property right
issues

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4.0 MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF LIHACEI’S
STRATEGY
The implementation of the LIHACEI Strategic Plan will be
monitored and evaluated using a results-based monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) framework. The M&E framework outlines
in detail how and when the plan will be monitored and
evaluated, key performance indicators, the data collection
tools to be used in collecting the data and information
necessary to track progress as well as the mechanisms for
reporting achievements. In order to ensure that this strategic
plan is a „live‟ document that will inform LIHACEI ongoing
interventions, there is a clear connection between the strategic
plan, the annual work plans and the routine monthly work-
plans to be monitored and evaluated under the LIHACEI staff
performance appraisal system for the different departments.
The M&E framework includes key activity targets (based on
the SMART formula i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic and Time-based) and these are to be systematically
monitored and evaluated, and reported on over the next five
years (2013/4 – 2018/9). The Results Based Monitoring and
Evaluation (RBME) framework will support tracking and
reporting on the results in a pro-active manner on a

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continuous basis through collection and analysis of
information to compare the implementation of the LIHACEI
interventions against the expected results. The inclusion of the
M&E framework in LIHACEI strategic plan is aimed at
ensuring that decision-makers are guided in assessing how
and whether LIHACEI goals are being achieved over time.
The M&E framework offers LIHACEI managers guidance on
what their responsibilities are, how to approach them and how
often the tasks are to be performed. Below are the model of
the LIHACEI result chain and the actual results framework
which LIHACEI will track for the next five years.

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4.1 LIHACEI Results Chain Model
Results Chain Model/ Framework
`
RESULTS BASED M & E

TARGET OUTCOMES OUTCOMES

(Long term (Medium (Short Term) OUT PUTS ACTIVITIES INPUTS
goal) Term)

9LON 9LON 9LON 9LON

9LON 9LON

Products Utilization Utilization

Long term – Effects or behavioral
and of of
widespread changes resulting
services resources resources
improvement in from program outputs
used to to to produce
community
stimulate produce products
achieveme products and
9LON nts of and services
9LON results. services

9LON
Results Time9LON Implementation
9LON

Results – Based M & E Implementation M & E

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4.2 LIHACEI Framework
Inputs Outputs Outcomes Impact

 Staff/  Improve  Increased Improved

personnel d HIV/AIDS proportion of quality of
 Financial service Adolescents life for
resources/ delivery and youth PLHIV
funds (more receiving and their
 HIV/ people SHRH families in
AIDS receiving services Uganda
training HIV/AIDS  Increased
materials/ services, proportion of Overall
aides expansion of PLHIV and health
 Facilities access to families systems
/ services, receiving and
infrastructure programmes HIV/AIDS infrastruct
 Training / , networks, services and ure change
Technical materials or care i.e.: with
Assistance information) capacity
sessions  Changes Access to developme
 Stakehold in capacity ART/ nt,
ers and quality HAART/EMT improvem
sensitization (improved, CT medicines. ent in
 Mentorin maternal and Access to supplies
g / support child health, psycho-social and
supervision Cancer, support. upgrading
guidelines Mental Increased of
 LIHACEI Health and proportion of equipment.
strategies HIV/AIDS mothers
services, receiving Access to
(advocacy,
education, skills and MCH services SHRH
abilities to services to
training, Increased
25
 public address proportion of all
relations/ needs) people adolescent
communicati  Health receiving s and
on, systems mental Health youth in
fundraising) developed services need in
 HIV/ and capacity Namutumb
AIDS of personnel  Improved a and
advocacy built survival and Uganda at
guidelines &  Increase economic large.
indicators d productivity of
 LIHACEI stakeholders OVCs and Access to
databases ‟ PLHIV and HIV/AIDS
 LIHACEI participation their families services/
SOPs/ in maternal care for all
guidelines. and child  Proportion in need in
 HIV/ health, of PLHIV Uganda
AIDS mental receiving
Health, ART/ Access to
research
resources cancer, HAART/EMT MCH
HIV/AIDS / CT medicines services
 HIV/ for all
AIDS best TB services mothers in
practices / provision  Increased
need.
lessons learnt  HIV/ and sustained
 LIHACEI AIDS, TB, political
Reduced
Information/ NCDs and commitment
Cancer towards new HIV
publications
 LIHACEI awareness provision of infections
systems and and quality
prevention HIV/AIDS Reduced
processes Deaths due
(fundraising / messages services
to MCH,
resource disseminated
mobilization, in LIHACEI  Evidence- Cancer,
outreach based Mental
HR
26
development, areas in implementatio Health,
communicati Uganda. n of MCH, HIV
on / PR and  Increase Mental Health
governance) d and
information HIV/AIDS
about, services in
maternal and Namutumba
child Health, district and
Cancer, Uganda
Malaria,
HIV/AIDS
and NCDs
generated,
disseminated
and utilized
in decision
making
(enhanced
evidence
base)
 Increase
d capacity
and
sustainabilit
y of
LIHACEI to
ensure
provision of
sustainable
maternal and
neonatal,
Cancer,
mental
27
 health and
HIV/AIDS
services in
Namutumba
and Uganda
Project level
Tracking efficiency
(Implementation monitoring)
Programme Level
Strategic Level
Evaluating Effectiveness
Results/ outcome monitoring

28
 5.0 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXCECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FINANCE HUMAN
MANAGER PROGRAMS M&E OFFICER RESOURCE
MANAGER OFFICER

ACCOUNTS OFFICER
COMMUNITY OFFICERS
ASSISTANT PROJECT
MANAGER

29