Absa Bank hands over UGX 400 million from 2025 Absa KH3 7 Hills Run to empower vulnerable girls across Uganda
David GOMBE
Absa Bank Uganda has today announced the handover of UGX 400 million raised during the third edition of the Absa KH3_7 Hills Run, an annual charity run held in partnership with the Kampala Hash House Harriers, to eight partner organizations working to improve access to education, health, and opportunity for vulnerable girls across Uganda.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Michael Segwaya, Executive Director and Chief Finance Officer at Absa Bank Uganda, noted, “The Absa KH3_7 Hills Run is more than a race. It is a platform to change lives. Through our collective action, we are accelerating progress toward a just and inclusive future, especially for young girls who face tremendous barriers to education. This initiative is aligned with our purpose of being an active force for good and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 on quality education and SDG 5 on gender equality”.
Growing Impact Over the Years
Since its inception in 2023, the Absa KH3_7 Hills Run has raised a total of UGX 900 million:
These funds have been used to implement impactful programs across Uganda to keep girls in school, improve menstrual hygiene, provide access to clean and safe water, enhance school infrastructure, and support vulnerable girls with skills and transportation.
Key Achievements from Previous Editions
Education: Over 10, 843 girls have been supported since inception.
Health and Menstrual Hygiene: Through Amref Health Africa and World Vision, reusable sanitary pads were distributed and new sanitation facilities constructed at Awach Primary School in Abim District, benefiting 5,700 people including 897 girls.
Easing School Attendance in Remote Communities: Through Windle International, 266 girls in rural refugee settlements received bicycles, helping them overcome the barrier of long and unsafe journeys to school. This support has significantly reduced absenteeism and the risk of school dropout among girls living in hard-to-reach areas.
Skills and Reintegration: Partners such as Amref Health Africa supported teen mothers and girls with skilling and school reintegration support.
“Thanks to the bursary and menstrual hygiene support, I no longer miss school during my periods,” says Sarah, Lokiru, a beneficiary from Karamoja.
“We’ve seen a marked improvement in attendance and academic performance since the sanitation facilities were installed,” shared a teacher from Awach Primary School.
2025 Proceeds and Beneficiaries
The UGX 400 million raised in the 2025 edition will support transformative initiatives through the following partner organizations:
UGX 100 million to World Vision Uganda: This funding will enhance menstrual hygiene management in Eastern and Northern Uganda, benefiting 3,492 school children including 1,648 girls by providing access to clean water and sanitation.
UGX 60 million to Windle International: This investment will procure smart school bags equipped with solar-powered lights and reusable menstrual hygiene products, to support over 600 girls in rural communities of Kitgum and Karamoja.
UGX 50 million to Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation: This support will help cover school fees for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) under the DREAMS program in Mubende, Kassanda, Mityana, and Fort Portal.
UGX 50 million for the Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project: This will support 30 vulnerable girls in Rukungiri and Kanungu with tuition, scholastic materials, menstrual hygiene supplies, and psychosocial care.
UGX 50 million for Amref Health Africa: Facilitating the distribution of reusable sanitary pads and providing reintegration support for teen mothers who dropped out of school.
UGX 50 million to Willow International: To offer vocational skills training to girls rescued from human trafficking to promote their independence and dignity.
UGX 40 million for Katalemwa Cheshire Home: To supply assistive devices, scholastic materials, and reusable sanitary pads to help girls with disabilities remain in school.
UGX 60 million to Smart Girls Uganda: This support will empower girls in the remote Eastern and Northern regions of Uganda by training them to make solar-powered school bags, facilitating their continued education.
About the Absa KH3 7 Hills Run
The Absa KH3 7 Hills Run is an annual charity event hosted in partnership with the Kampala Hash House Harriers. It takes runners through the iconic seven hills of Kampala while raising funds for causes that promote education equity.
The run has quickly become a signature event in Uganda’s social impact calendar, mobilizing communities, corporate partners, and development organizations around a shared purpose; ‘Run for Her’.