About the Project

In Uganda, land is more than a resource — it is a source of identity, livelihood, shelter, and legacy. Yet for many widows in rural communities, land ownership is unjustly stripped away the moment they lose their spouses. The Widows’ Land Rights Project, initiated by Rural Smiles Foundation, is a dedicated campaign and support program that works to combat systemic land injustice, promote legal literacy, and empower widows to know, claim, and defend their rights to land.

Launched in Mugarama Subcounty, Kibaale District, this project provides widows with legal support, rights education, advocacy tools, and community protection systems that help them secure ownership and restore dignity.

Project Objectives

1. Enhance Awareness
   Educate widows, local leaders, and community members on the legal frameworks and customary practices surrounding land inheritance, ownership, and succession.
2. Provide Access to Legal Support
   Connect widows with community paralegals, legal aid officers, and local government structures to help mediate disputes, prevent evictions, and file for land titles or certificates.
3. Community Advocacy & Engagement
   Train widows and youth as Land Justice Ambassadors to lead public dialogues, radio campaigns, and peer-to-peer education about the land rights of women and widows.
4. Promote Legal Reform & Enforcement
   Engage with district officials, cultural institutions, and policymakers to demand the enforcement of women’s land rights as enshrined in Uganda’s Land Act and other statutory provisions.
5. Establish Peer Support Networks
   Facilitate healing circles, survivor-led advocacy groups, and local widow alliances to create emotional support and amplify collective voices.

Why This Project Matters

Widows in Uganda face multiple, overlapping vulnerabilities. After the loss of a spouse, many are subjected to land grabbing, forced evictions, intimidation, and social isolation — most often from their in-laws or male relatives.

Statistics and ground realities show:

• 7 in 10 widows in rural Uganda experience land-related conflict after bereavement.
• Customary practices often deny women the right to inherit or manage land.
• Legal aid services are inaccessible in most rural communities.
• Land insecurity leads to food insecurity, educational setbacks for children, and intergenerational poverty.

Through this project, Rural Smiles Foundation is restoring hope, strengthening resilience, and rewriting narratives for Uganda’s most marginalized women.

What We Offer

1. Legal Clinics: Mobile legal aid and documentation support delivered at community level.
2. Training for Local Leaders: Custom-designed sessions for LCs, clan leaders, and elders on women's land rights and legal compliance.
3. Community Radio Programs: Interactive broadcasts where widows and experts share lived experiences and legal insights.
4. Land Rights Toolkits: Translated and simplified materials that teach widows about succession laws, land registration, and where to get help.
5. Ambassador Program: Trained widow leaders and paralegals offer peer-to-peer mentoring, report cases, and refer vulnerable women for urgent support.
6. Eviction Watch: Community-based monitoring systems to prevent and report illegal widow evictions in real time.

Where We Work

Mugarama Subcounty (Pilot site) — Trained 100 women as community ambassadors, provided legal education to 600+ community members, and resolved over 40 land conflict cases.

Expansion Planned: Karama and Nyamarunda Subcounties (Kibaale District), and future scale-up to Kagadi and Kakumiro through multi-stakeholder partnerships.

💬 What Widows Say

"After my husband passed, I was forced off the land we had farmed together for 25 years. I thought I had lost everything — until Rural Smiles Foundation helped me file a case. Today, I farm on my land again."
— Beatrice A., Widow Beneficiary, Mugarama

"Through the Land Justice training, I learned that my voice matters. I now help other widows in my village stand up and speak out."
— Justine, Land Rights Ambassador

"This project is creating powerful women leaders at the grassroots level. It’s changing the future of our daughters."
— LC1 Official, Karama Parish

Partnerships and Support

The Widows’ Land Rights Project is implemented by Rural Smiles Foundation in close collaboration with:

• Kibaale District Local Government
• Het Actiefonds (Core Funding Partner)
• Local Cultural Leaders, Religious Institutions, and Paralegal Associations

Impact So Far (2024–2025)

• ✔️ 100+ Widow Ambassadors Trained
• ✔️ 40+ Land Conflicts Mediated or Resolved
• ✔️ 600+ Women Reached with Legal Awareness
• ✔️ 5 Local Councils Trained in Land Rights Law
• ✔️ 2 Community Dialogues Held with Cultural Institutions