Fighting Dementia in Uganda: Empowering Women for a Healthier Future
Dr. Joyce Namwase, currently pursuing a Psychiatry Masters at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, also holds the role of project coordinator for the "Fight Dementia" initiative at the Ugandan Centre for Women and Youth Empowerment (CEWAYE). With the support of our Giving Joy grant, she is leading the "Fight Dementia" project, a groundbreaking initiative raising awareness about dementia in the Nakivale refugee settlement, Isingiro district, southwestern Uganda. This project fills a critical gap by focusing on one of the most vulnerable groups—elderly refugee women—and is the only dementia-focused initiative in Uganda for this population.
This project promotes awareness, inclusion, and care, advocating for policy changes to support individuals affected by dementia in both refugee and host communities. Our Giving Joy grant has enabled the project’s launch and opened the door to potentially expanding it to other parts of the country.
Joyce and her team organized stakeholder meetings with local leaders, healthcare providers, and elderly group leaders in Nakivale settlement to raise awareness about dementia. These sessions addressed misconceptions, defined dementia, outlined risk factors, and provided care guidance. To reach a wider audience, information materials in local languages were displayed in public spaces like markets and schools.
Through our $500 Giving Joy grant, Joyce and her team achieved:
68 screenings for elderly women
23 early dementia diagnoses referred for further care
205 lives directly impacted, including healthcare workers, elderly women, and caregivers
1,025 people indirectly benefited in the wider community
Giving Joy is so proud to support such a groundbreaking and important project!