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Founded in 2004, Umbrella of Hope Initiative started as a Community Based Organization (CBO) by women groups, “Twegatte Tuyambagane Women Association” located in Nakulabye, in Kampala city and “Kweyo United Women’s Association” in Ongako Sub-county in Gulu District in Uganda. Kweyo United Women’s Association members were at the time suffering trauma caused by atrocities and loss of their loved ones to the LRA war, coupled with escalated Gender Based Violence incidences in the region. The group included formerly abducted girls by Kony rebels that returned home and were rejected by their families, discriminated against and tagged “wives of Kony”. The formerly abducted girls returned with children fathered by the former rebels. Consequent to the conflict in the region, Women and girls of this group were gang raped and subjected to forms of intersecting gender based violence that exposed them to HIV/AIDS. The group was characterized with a high number of orphans and children born durin

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