
From the Ground Up: The Story Behind HRD
Humanitarian Response and Development (HRD) is a national NGO in Uganda that works with refugees and host communities.
Established under the NGO Act of 2016 (Registration No. 3570), HRD is committed to delivering inclusive and sustainable humanitarian and development solutions aimed at restoring dignity, reducing poverty, and building resilience among conflict-affected and marginalized communities in Uganda.
Our Purpose and Principles
At HRD, our mission, vision, and core values guide everything we do ā from delivering urgent humanitarian aid to building long-term solutions that restore dignity, promote equity, and empower communities to thrive.
To lead in delivering sustainable solutions that restore hope and resilience to vulnerableĀ communities.
To restore dignity and enhance the well-being of vulnerable communities through humanitarian aid, gender equality, economic empowerment, psychosocial support, and capacityĀ building.
1. Dignity and Respect
2. Inclusivity and Equity
3. Accountability and Transparency
4. Empowerment and Participation
5. Resilience and Innovation
6. Compassion and Solidarity

Objectives
” Our objectives are more than goals ā theyāre our promise to stand with the vulnerable, champion equality, and create opportunities where hope once felt out of reach. “
- To promote and protect the rights and well-being of refugees and displaced populations through inclusive humanitarian assistance, access to essential services, and durable solutions that enhance resilience and self-reliance
- To advance gender equality and empower women and girls through leadership development, protection services, and economic inclusion across humanitarian and development settings.
- To support gender-inclusive financial access and economic empowerment through the promotion of equitable livelihood opportunities, access to microfinance, and skills development for marginalized groups.
- To promote mental health and psychosocial well-being through community-based Psychosocial Support and local capacity strengthening.
- To reduce malnutrition and improve food security among vulnerable populations, especially among refugees, children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and persons with special needs, through integrated nutrition and referral programs.
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Our Lead Team

Sajas Akabitunga
Experience
Gender and Safeguarding Specialist 10+ years in humanitarian and development programming.
Academic & Professional Qualifications
- Masters in Human Rights
- PGD in Gender & Local Economic Development
- PGD in Project Planning & Management
- BA in Philosophy
- Certificate in Practice Oriented Child Protection
Areas of Expertise
- Gender mainstreaming
- Safeguarding policy development
- Child protection
- Risk mitigation
- Capacity building

Apollo Muyanja Mbazzira
Apollo Muyanja Mbazzira is an enterprise development expert who possesses cross sector experience having worked with key government agencies, the private sector and with development agencies. He has extensive team leadership, project management, marketing, communications, agribusiness, value chain development, impact investing, inclusive business, enterprise development, partnerships, and business development experience. His working experience stretches across East Africa and the United Arab Emirates. His current mandate is to grow businesses and to open up new, external markets for the close to 40 different private sector companies that they are working in partnership with, at the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU).
Apollo is a member of the board for TPO Uganda, and he is currently undertaking an assignment with the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) as a Project Director for the five-year, $42M MasterCard Foundation funded Young Africa Works Uganda-Enhancing Lead firm Structure for youth employment project, that seeks to open up close to 300,000 new youth work opportunities in Uganda. These new work opportunities include work opportunitiesfor refugees.
Apollo is passionate about giving refugees a meaningful shot at life in Uganda, seeing as he too was raised as refugee, in the early part of his life. This experience, helped shape his life view and he now dedicates his time,energy, effort and networks to opening up new work
opportunities for refugees, globally.

Salome Amuge
Salome Amuge is a seasoned development professional with expertise in poverty reduction, gender equality, and social inclusion. She is dedicated to empowering vulnerable familiesāespecially women and refugeesāthrough skills development, financial empowerment, and community leadership.Her work is driven by a commitment to human dignity, fairness, and creating sustainable change that transforms lives and strengthens communities.

Dr Rose Muraguri
Experience
Dynamic and results-driven Grants Manager with over 10 years of experience in the development and humanitarian sectors, expertly managing the full grant lifecycle and multi-donor portfolios to ensure impact, compliance, and sustainability.
Academic & Professional Qualifications
- PhD in Counselling,
- Masters in Education - Counselling
- Bachelor of Education
- Certificate in Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
- Certificate in Humanitarian Negotiation
Areas of Expertise
Designing, securing, and managing donor-funded projects
Proposal development and donor engagement
Compliance monitoring and financial reporting
Managing bilateral, multilateral, and private foundation grants
Coordinating cross-functional teams
Building partner capacity
Streamlining grants management systems
Budgeting and financial oversight
Strategic resource mobilization
Transparency and accountability
Sustainable development outcomes

Redinah Kabasambu
Experience
Humanitarian and Program Development Specialist with 15 years in public health, youth & gender inclusion
Academic & Professional Qualifications
- Masters in Public Health
- BA in Social Work and Social Administration
Areas of Expertise
- Public health programming
- Risk communication
- Community empowerment
- Gender and youth inclusion

Paul Orikushaba

Peter Manza
Experienced Humanitarian and Development Program Specialist with over 8 years of expertise in the humanitarian and development sectors, and a strong background in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. Possesses solid academic credentials in economic policy and planning, economics, statistics, data science, project planning and management.
Skilled in strategic planning; monitoring, evaluation, and reporting; project design and resource mobilization; emergency response; safeguarding; donor compliance; and data management. Experienced in coordinating multi-sectoral programs in climate-resilient livelihoods, education, protection (including child protection, gender-based violence, and mental health and psychosocial support), gender equality, and public health emergencies.
Demonstrated ability to lead assessments, contribute to appeals, strengthen partnerships, and integrate rights-based, inclusive approaches into program design and delivery, ensuring impact, accountability, and sustainability.

Anna B Ninsiima (PhD)
Dr Anna B Ninsiima is a Lecturer at the Institute of Gender and Development Studies Makerere University. She is an experienced and self-motivated gender and policy analyst with extensive knowledge of academic work, development, and research. Anna holds a Bachelorās Degree from Makerere University, a Master of Philosophy from Bergen University Norway, a PhD in Gender and Diversity from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, and has done post-doctoral research funded by NORHED on a collaboration between Agder University Norway and Makerere University.
Anna has done extensive research; consultancies and capacity building in Gender, sexual and reproductive health, policy analysis, Gender and governance, gender and economics, gender-based violence, among others. She is currently working on a project on integrating Gender in Evidence informed Policy Making in Africa.

TWESIGOMUHANGI BARNABAS KITUNGA
Twesigomuhangi Barnabas Kitunga is an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and all subordinate courts, with a solid track record in legal practice and public service. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the
Law Development Centre.
With a strong foundation in education, he also holds a Masterās Degree in Education Management and Administration and a Bachelorās Degree in Education, both from Makerere University. His combined expertise in law and education brings a unique perspective to
institutional governance, policy oversight, and strategic leadership. He currently practices law in Kampala, offering legal advisory services on issues ranging from compliance and governance to rights-based development. In addition to his legal and academic contributions, he is a passionate tea farmer, with a strong interest in rural development, livelihoods, and sustainable enterprise.
Mr. Kitunga brings to board leadership a multidisciplinary lens, grounded in justice, education, and agribusinessāqualities that strengthen oversight, risk management, and accountability frameworks in organizations serving vulnerable populations.

CECILIA MUTABANURA
A private sector development and investment practitioner with extensive expertise in enterprise development, business environment and stakeholder engagement. Cecilia has a strong background in trade promotion, partnership management, business advisory and policy development with a focus on driving operational efficiency, investment readiness, and sustainability for SMEs.
She has played key roles in shaping Ugandaās entrepreneurial ecosystem by coordinating the development of National BDS Standards and supporting SMEs to adopt inclusive business practices. Her career highlights include leading private sector engagement strategies, designing SME technical assistance frameworks, leading a successful travel startup, facilitating trade and business linkages between Ugandan and European enterprises and supporting investment facilitation for enterprises across various sectors.
An Irish Aid Awardee with additional training in sustainable business and ESG Integration, Cecilia is passionate about enabling SMEs to achieve operational excellence, investment readiness, and sustainability. She is open to exploring new opportunities that align with her expertise in enterprise development, stakeholder collaboration, and SME transformation

John Baguma
John Baguma is a seasoned humanitarian and development professional with over 14 years of progressive experience in designing, implementing, and coordinating programs in child protection, gender mainstreaming, community based protection, and emergency response. His expertise spans protection emergency operations, Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) programming, and GBV prevention and response, making him a valuable asset in both crisis and development settings. He has a solid record of working with international organizations such as UNHCR, GIZ, and the Lutheran World Federation, where he led and supported field teams, managed multi-sectoral projects, and ensured rights-based, inclusive service delivery for vulnerable populations.
