About us
Enabling Rural Opportunity Network (ERONet) is a grassroot women-centered organization with than 10 years of strong presence in rural and post conflict settings working with widows, abductees, Adolescent girls and young mothers, refugees and orphans or people with disabilities.
Our History
ERONet, initially established as the informal Agoro Community Development Association (ACDA), originated from internally displaced women and their allies in Kitgum and Lamwo Refugee Camps in Northern Uganda. These individuals, including our co-founder and Director Stephen Otim, experienced the dire consequences of the civil war between the LRA and the Ugandan Government, disrupting families and opportunities for education and economic growth. Inspired by their personal experiences, Stephen Otim joined ACDA and later founded ERONet to specifically address the needs of former abductees, child-mothers, and marginalized women, aiming to reintegrate them into post-conflict communities.
ERONet Mission
Our mission is to alleviate suffering and create opportunities for sustainable development in rural and post-conflict settings, through multi-dimensional programs and services to reduce disadvantage amongst vulnerable and at-risk women and girls, and people living with disability
ERONet Vision
ERONet envisions an equitable and inclusive world in which vulnerable and at-risk women and girls, and people living with disability achieve their full potential, living a life of dignity and self-reliance in harmony with the environment.
Our Community
The organization maintains a steadfast focus on supporting women and girls while advocating for gender equity. Over time, ERONet has expanded the scope of its work beyond ACDA's initial efforts, recognizing the enduring impact of trans-border, ethnically driven conflicts in South Sudan and Northern Uganda. This expansion has led to the establishment of a sizable community of displaced persons, many with ethnic and familial ties to local residents. ERONet's comprehensive network of support contributes to the education of women across Northern Uganda, fostering long-term economic development for the region.
How we work
Together with our development partners, we build on the unique assets and strengths of rural people and families who are overcoming pass wars and displacement. We focus on learning what works for them through research, action, sharing, and enriching their knowledge. We then implement field programs that empower rural communities and families overcoming pass wars and displacement .
Where we work
ERONet mainly works in the Northern Ugandan Districts of Lamwo and Kitgum in the border with South Sudan. We operate on the front line in contexts of war, violence, extreme poverty, natural or man-made disasters.
Key Areas of Intervention
Education:
Enhance access and participation in free education, improve school infrastructure, and provide life skills training
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG):
Address gender-based violence through financial services, community dialogue, and media campaigns
Health and Hygiene:
Tackle poor health with initiatives like menstrual hygiene management, sexual reproductive health services, and W.A.S.H.
Livelihood and Entrepreneurship:
Support vocational training, microcredit schemes, and agricultural development for economic self-sufficiency.
Être inspiré
Meet the Team
ERONet is led by Stephen Otim, an experienced Co-Founder and Executive Director, specializing in empowering rural communities and supporting women and girls in crises.
Amos Okot, an advocate for people with disabilities, brings a background in Medical Laboratory Science.
Josephine Latigo, is founder of Generation in Action, focusing on ending violence against women in post-conflict Northern Uganda with an emphasis on women's leadership.
Co-founder and the Executive Director ERONet
Stephen Otim
Stephen is an innovative and passionate programme manager who has a strong sense of social responsibility, and who particularly cares about Development and poverty topics. He brings to the role decades of experience in public service, with a focus on empowering underserved rural communities and developing high-impact policies and programmes to support women and girls, including in humanitarian crises. He has extensive experience building and managing diverse workforces, as well as mobilizing resources and political support for a broad range of initiatives
Treasurer
Amos Okot
Amos Okot is Former Member of Parliament Aspirant for People with Disabilities and current Secretary Publicity with AFAO (Alliance for Africa's Orphanages) Africa: Upon Election, Amos wanted to advocate for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in the political sphere, emphasizing equal opportunities and representation. A graduate of Mbarara University of Science and Technology with a degree in Medical Laboratory Science, Amos journey has been marked by a steadfast commitment to service, advocacy, leadership, education, and community engagement, despite his disabilities. He believes in the power of collaboration and the potential for positive change.
Chair
Josephine Latigo
Josephine is Former Miss Acholi as well as Miss Northern Uganda 2007 winner. She is the founder and executive Director GIA (Generation in Action), an organization that works to end violence against women and girls. Josephine has made it her mission to alleviate the voice of women in post conflict Northern Uganda, raise their profiles and develop their life skill. Josephine’s guiding principle is to ensure that strategies affecting women in the region are not simply responsive to the needs of women on the ground, but are led by women and real representatives of the community.