Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G) began as a support group for war-affected women that met under a mango tree in Gulu. The women met to share their struggles and found refuge in solidarity. Under the leadership of Pamela Angwech, they started to leverage that solidarity into solutions. Pamela recognized the need for more organizations that would focus on advancing women’s rights and grassroots advocacy like the support group. In 2004, Pamela left her job at the World Food Programme to found Northern Uganda’s first grassroots human rights organization focus on women, GWED-G.

GWED-G aims to strengthen the capacity of grassroots communities in Northern Uganda to become self-reliant agents of change for peace and development. Today, GWED-G serves over 150,000 individuals through six main program areas: health, human rights and access to justice, peace-building, psychosocial support, research and advocacy, and economic empowerment.

Read more about our GROW trip to visit GWED-G, and be sure to check out GWED-G’s Website as well!

Every summer, five members from GlobeMed at Columbia participate in a Grassroots On-Site Work (GROW) internship at GWED-G. The overarching task of the interns is to evaluate the strengths and weakness of our current project through conversations with beneficiaries in rural communities and determine the strengths and weaknesses. This includes meeting with youth groups, HIV positive women’s groups, communities at blood screenings, and other GWED-G partner organizations. Once this feedback is collected, the interns work closely with GWED-G staff to develop a new project work plan for the coming year, making sure that all additions align with beneficiaries’ expressed needs. Through collaboration with GWED-G, GROW interns also form close relationships with the staff. These bonds formed with the staff are brought back in the form of stories and photos to the chapter, strengthening the human connection within the partnership.

To learn more about Gulu, Uganda, and the GROW trip, see our page Welcome to Gulu or watch our video Nicole Goes to Gulu. 

To learn more about GlobeMed at Columbia and GWED-G, visit Meet GlobeMed & Meet GWED-G.

GlobeMed at Columbia was founded in 2008 by a student who was continually frustrated with the current social justice groups on campus. Our partnership with GWED-G was formed one year later, marking a transformation for our chapter and proving the success of GlobeMed’s model for change. Through countless Skype calls and emails, two GROW internships, and two visits from GWED-G staff members to the United States, chapter members have learned alongside GWED-G about the impact of our projects and the continuing needs of communities in Northern Uganda.

In addition to learning from GWED-G, chapter members also learn from each other during globalhealthU at our weekly meetings. We take forty minutes out of our weeks to engage in discussion about global health issues, improving our position as advocates for our counterparts in Uganda. We also hold awareness, fundraising, and community building events on campus, encouraging students to get involved and support our partnership. We are extraordinarily lucky to have a staff comprised of individuals with diverse skills and ambitions, all of whom are passionate about both GlobeMed and the broader vision for global health equity and social justice.

To see more of GlobeMed at Columbia, visit Meet GlobeMed at Columbia, or watch any of our Videos. Also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram!