SHE SOARS
SHE SOARS
SHE SOARS (Supporting Out-of-School Adolescent Girls’ Rights and Skills) is a seven-year Sexual and Reproductive Health and Economic Empowerment initiative that began in 2021 with support from the Government of Canada through CARE International in Uganda. Implemented across Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia, the project addresses the intersecting challenges faced by out-of-school adolescents aged 10–19, particularly girls, by delivering holistic Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR), life skills, and financial literacy programming. In Uganda, SHE SOARS is implemented in four districts through a strong consortium comprising Reach Out Mbuya (Kampala), Fund Trust Agency (Terego), Restless Development and Naguru Teenage Centre (NTC) in Arua City and Madi-Okollo. The project focuses on increasing equitable access to SRHR services, strengthening gender- and adolescent-responsive health systems, and enhancing the capacity of rights organisations and stakeholders to advocate for accountable, evidence-based ASRHR policies and services.
Through integrated health, economic, and social accountability interventions, SHE SOARS has empowered thousands of adolescents to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health while strengthening their economic resilience. Over 9,600 adolescents have accessed age-appropriate ASRHR information, alongside improved health-seeking behaviour such as increased HIV testing among boys and expanded family planning uptake among teenage mothers. The project has also equipped adolescents with practical vocational skills, strengthened Youth Savings and Loans Associations, and enhanced the capacity of healthcare providers, peer educators, and community-based trainers. Youth-led social accountability initiatives have driven tangible health system improvements, including better PHC resource allocation, construction of adolescent-friendly and inclusive infrastructure, and establishment of adolescent-centered feedback mechanisms at community and facility levels—ensuring more responsive, inclusive, and accountable health services for adolescents and young people.
