Author: Nakato Rehema Sessimba

Hailing from Kampala, Uganda, Nakato Rehema Sessimba leads change by advancing health equity initiatives in her role as Program Officer at Open Space Centre. She successfully guides and manages three key areas: Leadership Development, Policy Influence, and Knowledge Sharing. Her impact extends to project planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting while also assisting with fundraising through proposal writing and grant management. Nakato creates dynamic training modules for the Nile Explorer Bus, which focus on health rights and civic engagement. As a dedicated youth advocate, she empowers young people on issues related to advocacy, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV), malaria prevention, and civic health programs. Additionally, she provides strategic direction for the health component of programs and serves as a key advisor to PEPFAR/USAID and the U.S. Embassy on achieving health objectives. Since assuming her role, Nakato has empowered over 2,000 youth by training adolescent girls and boys across 21 districts in vital sexual and reproductive health topics. Notably, she developed the acclaimed School Gender-Based Violence Toolkit, funded by USAID, and organized the successful 2023 National Youth Festival, mobilizing 21 health organizations to serve over 1,000 young individuals. Through the GHC Africa Leadership Accelerator, Nakato aims to deepen her expertise and collaborate with like-minded professionals dedicated to eliminating health inequalities. She is eager to amplify the health needs of young and underrepresented populations in her community and beyond.