About Us

Background Information

Palma Memorial Hope Center (PMHC) is a women-led and youth-serving, voluntary, humanitarian, socio-economic development, private not for profit, community-based organization (CBO), founded in 2017 by a group of skilled and experienced professionals (Social Scientists and Educationists -well-wishers) in Uganda, and is dedicated to addressing the plight of disadvantaged Adolescent Girls and Boys (largely school dropouts between the age of 14 to 24years), who are in dire need of regaining lost Hope and Dignity for improved livelihoods and meaningful participation in development activities across West Nile –Sub-region-Northern Uganda.

PMHC focuses mainly on psychosocial support through counseling Social and Economic empowerment programs for young girls and boys, with a keen emphasis on their Rights to health, education, and socio-economic benefits, raise awareness and prevent barriers, create access to social justice, undertake livelihoods and skills development.

Our livelihood programs such as Tree planting for improved nutrition, financial freedom, and environmental protection, catering, events management, music dance & drama, sports for health and unity, are designed while putting the young girls and boys at the fore front of societal behavior change and their socio-economic growth.

We work within churches, schools and communities where the most at risk and disadvantaged young girls and boys are easily accessed. Through innovative ways, we involve the young and capture their voices to inform our activities and programming.

Palma’s story; how it is an inspiration!

There was no better way to remember and live the legacy of PALMA; a mother of 12 children (4 boys and 8 girls), a victim of Teenage pregnancy and child marriage (at 14years), yet a woman of great faith, hope, courage and passion for Girl child education who defied Cultural norms and barriers of lack of education, negative attitudes towards women by championing girl education and ensuring all the eight girls were highly educated and are serving humanity in all spheres of Life. Until her untimely death on 23/11/2015, her story was never been told except now for the birth of PALMA MEMORIAL HOPE CENTER (PMHC).

Today with very little incentive to unlock their full potential, girls either by choice or circumstance produce children at early age and engage in risky behavior such as drug abuse, theft, pangs, prostitution, causing high rate of sexual transmission infections. This plight is compounded by laziness, negative attitude, urge to find quick fixes and poor upbringing, consequently leading to lack of education, low employable skills, school dropout, teenage mothers, and high rate of Fistula prevalence, hence leading to rejection, isolation and depression.

To address these challenges PALMA MEMORIAL HOPE CENTER a Women led, Indigenous, Private, Not, Social-economic Transformative organization founded by a group of experienced Social Scientists and Educationists (Well Wishers), in Uganda in 2017, is dedicated to address the plight of disadvantaged Women, Adolescent Girls and Boys (Largely School drop outs) who are in dire need of regaining Hope and Dignity for improved livelihood.

Our Impact

From a humble beginning as a CBO to now a National NGO, PMHC has made tremendous milestone. School health programs for awareness on SRHRs, menstrual hygiene and management, trained the girls in making reusable sanitary pads. This helps the girls not to look for quick fixes for such basic needs and keeps them in school. PMHC is uniquely advancing interventions around SRHR through advocacy and awareness raising for prevention, mobilization and referral of fistula patients for treatment and provision of social reintegration services for fistula survivors, and on 24th May 2025, PMHC spearheaded the first ever West Nile Fistula Walk for creating awareness and advocating for the rights of women and girls victims, as well as mobilize resources to establish a regional rehabilitation center for fistula survivors for their proper healing and reintegration. provision of psychosocial support to over 600 beneficiaries, economic skilling of 342 women and girls in briquette making and shear nut butter processing, 160 women and girls as bee keepers, 9200 fruit and natural tree seedlings distributed to over four hundred households in Obongi district.

Our Strategic Objectives

To provide a conducive environment through psycho social and rehabilitative interventions for proper healing and learning for the traumatized Women, adolescent girls and boys for better livelihood.
To strengthen advocacy efforts and institutional capacity to improve the Health, Social economic justice for the under privileged Women, adolescent girls and boys.
To increase on awareness, advocacy and build community capacity to sustainably manage environmental restoration and protection to mitigate diverse effect of climate change.

News 1st West Nile Fistula walk 24 May 2025 OPM Ground Arua City.

Hundreds of people walked through the streets of Arua City to create awareness on the need to end Fistula and appeal for the establishment of a Rehabilitation center in the region.
Obstetric fistula is a medical condition in which a hole develops in the birth canal and rectum, arising from prolonged Labour. Women with fistula are unable to control their urine or stool, leading to other health complications. The condition can be avoided by delaying the age of first pregnancy and timely access to skilled health care for expectant women in Labour.
Lillian Eyotaru Bhoka, the team leader of Palma Memorial Hope Centre, the main organizer of the walk to end Fistula, said their main aim is to raise awareness on Fistula, encourage social reintegration for survivors and advocate for the establishment of a rehabilitation center.
Dr. Gilbert Aniku from Arua regional referral hospital, who represented the Hospital Director, disclosed that the referral facility is always ready to help carry out surgery for those with fistula and encouraged women with such a condition to seek help.
Doctor Jacinto Amandua, former Commissioner of Clinical Services, Ministry of Health, appealed to all stakeholders to join hands in the fight to end fistula, which he says destabilises families.
Caroline Angucia, a mother of one and a Fistula Survivor in Ayivu Division, testified that she suffered from Fistula due to ignorance from 2021 until last year when she was informed of free treatment at Arua hospital. “After delayed giving birth to a 4.9 kg child, I later started experiencing urine and faeces leaking from my body and I did not know what this was and I had to avoid moving to public places for nearly two years until I was told of treatment in Arua hospital which I went for and I was operated and now I’m fit, clean, smart and healthy,” Angucia narrated.
This year’s national Fistula Day celebrations shall be held on 31st May 2025 in Lira City under the theme: Her health, her Right; Shaping the Future without Fistula.

Executive Summary

I have the pleasure and great honor and pride to share with you PMHC’s experiences in advocacy and socio-economic transformation over the years on our new website. This website showcases PMHC’s journey in Advocacy for women’s rights and Gender Equality. It is our sincere hope that browsing through the website will provide insights into the work around women’s rights and Gender equality and more so be a learning point to all stakeholders.

PMHC has contributed to uplifting the political, social and economic status of women through her work of amplifying women’s voices in the public domain. It has groomed a cohort of foot soldiers of whom I am proud to be a member. PMHC has groomed over the years women and men who are changing the discourse towards gender transformation and empowerment.

Our past work has shown significant successes in increasing access to SRHR services through community outreaches and mobile clinic services, empowering adolescent girls through life skills training and economic empowerment programs, and providing psychosocial support to over 600 beneficiaries and economic skilling to 342 women and girls. Our current projects, such as the Women Voice and Leadership Project in Arua City and Obongi district, funded by CARE Canada through Care International in Uganda, aim to improve gender equality for women and girls, enhance their rights, and capacity to advocate and access sexual reproductive health for host and refugee communities.

However, we have also faced challenges, including limited resources and social and cultural barriers that restrict adolescent girls' access to SRHR services and information. Despite these challenges, PMHC brings a wealth of experience in working with local communities, health providers, and government ministries to build capacity and improve access to SRHR services. We have successfully advocated for policy changes and legal frameworks that promote ASRHR and protect the rights of adolescent girls.

While we acknowledge the pivotal role PMHC has played in transforming gender relations in the social, economic and political spheres, it is certain that the challenges remain enormous. We are more than ever committed to confronting the unfinished business in the years to come “and this journey requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders. I hereby appeal to our development partners, government, citizens, and willing person to join us in protecting and empowering women and the girl child.

Eyotaru A. B. Lillian
Founder and Executive Director