About L.I.V.E Uganda

Our vision: every life matters

L.I.V.E Uganda is a national convening platform for mental health and youth wellbeing — not a single programme.

Our story

L.I.V.E grew out of a personal reckoning.

Two colleagues at a staff fellowship discovered, in the same conversation, that each had recently lost a close friend to suicide. That moment surfaced a question that became the founding premise of L.I.V.E: what would happen if Uganda became a country where every person felt listened to, included, validated and empowered?

On 10 September 2025 — World Suicide Prevention Day — L.I.V.E convened Uganda's first national conference dedicated exclusively to youth mental health and suicide prevention. More than 400 delegates attended from government, development agencies, academia, healthcare, business, civil society, faith communities and youth organisations.

On the same day in September 2026, we convened our second conference bringing together a larger gathering of mental health and youth stakeholders for a critical conversation that went beyond mental health awareness.

In 2027 and 2028, L.I.V.E is building a permanent national platform connecting policy, research, community action, digital innovation and youth leadership into one coordinated ecosystem of care.

Download our story (PDF)

“We cannot heal what we hide, and we cannot transform what we ignore. L.I.V.E exists to bring light, dialogue, and dignity where silence once prevailed.”
Andrew Rugasira, Founder & Chairman

Vision & mission

Vision

A mentally healthy and resilient Uganda where every person is listened to, included, validated and empowered to thrive.

Mission

To convene, coordinate and catalyze multi-sectoral efforts that advance mental health, wellbeing and resilience through dialogue, collaboration, research, innovation and advocacy.

The four pillars

Listen

We listen before we act.

Create safe spaces — digital and physical — where people share stories without judgment; build trust through active listening and dialogue.

Include

We work together because no one can solve this challenge alone.

Bring every sector — government, private enterprise, civil society, faith, academia, youth — onto one national platform. No one should be left behind.

Validate

We replace shame with belonging.

Affirm lived experience; turn stigma into understanding, isolation into acceptance. Your pain is real, your story deserves to be heard.

Empower

We transform empathy into action.

Equip individuals, institutions and communities with knowledge, tools and networks; move people from silence to strength.

Uganda's silent crisis

Mental health is no longer just a health issue. It is a national crisis.

Over three-quarters of Uganda's population is under age 35.
Rising emotional distress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicide affect families, schools, workplaces and communities — often hidden by stigma and silence.
Mental health remains one of the most underfunded areas of public health; services are concentrated in urban centres and specialists are scarce.

Our institutional mandate

Convene

Bring government, private sector, academia, civil society, faith institutions and youth networks into a national mental health dialogue.

Coordinate

Align stakeholders around common strategies, standards and interventions.

Catalyze

Stimulate cross-sectoral partnerships, resource mobilisation and innovative solutions.

Curate Knowledge

Generate and disseminate data, research and evidence-based practice.

Communicate

Elevate national awareness, shape public narratives, and reduce stigma.

From a conversation to a national platform

10 September 2025
The Inaugural National Conference
On World Suicide Prevention Day, L.I.V.E convened Uganda's first national conference dedicated exclusively to youth mental health and suicide prevention — more than 400 leaders from government, development agencies, academia, healthcare, business, civil society, faith communities and youth organisations.
10 September 2026
The Second National Conference
L.I.V.E convened its second national conference dedicated to going beyond dialogue and building a youth mental health and wellbeing ecosystem. Over 400 young people, mental health professionals, academics, government, healthcare, business, civil society, faith communities and personalities together with youth organisations were in attendance.
2026–2028
Building the National Platform (In progress)
A permanent platform connecting policy, research, community action, digital innovation and youth leadership into one coordinated ecosystem of care.

Strategic priorities 2026–2028

Institutionalising Uganda's Premier Mental Health Platform

Establish the Secretariat, the Advisory Council and the eight clusters as permanent national infrastructure rather than a series of events.

Evidence, Data and the Wellbeing Index

Run national surveys and research that give Uganda a shared, credible picture of its mental health.

Youth Leadership and Community Action

Put young people in charge of the response in their own schools, campuses and neighbourhoods.

Narrative Change and Stigma Reduction

Shift public attitudes through media partnerships, campaigns and honest storytelling.

Conference Working Group 2026

The multi-sector team that convened L.I.V.E Uganda's second national conference.

Andrew Rugasira

Founder & Convenor, L.I.V.E Uganda

Alice Rugasira

Co-Founder & Host

Robert Kabushenga

Co-Host & Conference MC

Professor Eugene Kinyanda

Mental Health Researcher

Kimberly Jael Aremo

Youth Advocate

Rebecca Makyeli

Addiction Prevention Advocate & Lived-Experience Speaker

Dr Hafsa Lukwata

Mental Health Specialist

Albert Elwa

Clinical Psychologist, Addiction Professional & Recovery Coach

Brian Ahimbisibwe

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist

Bill Bekunda

Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professional

Dr Sabrina Kitaka

Adolescent Health Specialist

Collin Babirukamu

Mental Health & Wellness Advocate

Belinda Katumba

Founder & CEO, Can We Talk

Christine Mawadri

Media and Technology Entrepreneur

Daudi Ochieng

Conference Panelist

Dr Douglas Opio