About Us

We empower women and girls to rise above poverty with dignity.

We Create Opportunities

VAC-NET is a leading nonprofit Organization dedicated to empowering women and girls in Uganda. Our mission is to provide spaces and resources that enable them to participate effectively in both personal and community development processes. We design proven, scalable solutions that equip women with the support, skills, and confidence they need to lift themselves out of poverty and lead successful, dignified lives.

Our vision

VAC-NET envisions a balanced and open society where women and girls participate effectively in the development

What Makes VAC-NET Unique

Community engagement

VAC-NET develops solutions in partnership with communities, building trust, and making it a priority to meet local needs.

A holistic approach

Poverty is complex and multifaceted, and it demands holistic solutions. VAC-NET’s programs are designed to address poverty’s many dimensions.

Sustainable solutions

VAC-NET takes a business approach to ending poverty, using social enterprise models to recover costs and accelerate impact at scale.

The Story of VAC-NET

Following a devastating 25-year LRA insurgency in Northern Uganda that resulted in over 100,000 deaths and displaced more than 1.5 million people into internally displaced camps (IDPs), Bukenya Muusa, at just 21 years old, joined forces with a group of dedicated Ugandans (volunteers) who had served in the region. They were deeply moved by the plight of the rural poor, particularly women suffering from socio-economic disparities, and felt compelled to take action. In 2005, they founded VAC-NET, initially a small community-based organization focused on providing relief services. Leaving his journalism career behind, Muusa devoted himself entirely to the organization, which has since transformed countless lives in Uganda over the past 19 years. Today, VAC-NET’s initiatives includes economic empowerment, sexual and reproductive health rights, governance and leadership for women, education and financial inclusion have positively impacted over 158,000 women in Uganda.

About Volunteer Action Network (VAC-NET)

VAC-NET is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that strengthens VAC-NET's impact by raising awareness and mobilizing resources to support its programs.

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