Rwanda’s Umbrella of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in the fight against HIV&AIDS and for Health Promotion (UPHLS) commends the great support of Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) of the Global Fund.

At the end of a decade of partnership, UPHLS officials say that the support translated into tangible outcomes and changed life of beneficiaries to the better.

“Our organisation was created in 2006 but the partnership with CCM started in 2011and ever since, we constantly registered great achievement,” says Francois Xavier Karangwa, the Executive Director at UPHLS.

“First of all, our intervention was just in the area of HIV, with just one project. But with the support of CCM, we increased from one to eight projects that run successfully.”

With this, he said, even the number of staff increased to 25 who get required trainings to boost their professional performance.

The trainings equip them with adequate knowledge in governance, management, to name quite a few.

Karangwa further said, that wasn’t there the partnership with CCM, his organisation could not afford on office, but today, they have one.

The support of Global Fund did not just go into administrative needs; rather, it basically was directed to those in need, the UPHLS’ beneficiaries.

Karangwa said that the support increased awareness of people with disability in their different categories.

“Ten years is a great journey of transformation with achievements that can be documented when you meet our beneficiaries,” Karangwa said.

UPHLS is a local non-governmental entity operating in Rwanda since 2006 as an Umbrella Organization of Disability Organizations and grassroots’ self-help groups of persons with disabilities.

Its core mission is to strengthen capacity of member organizations, support, and guide and coordinate programs to promote the rights of People with Disabilities for inclusive services in HIV&AIDS, health and employability.

This said, UPHLS meets criteria of support of the Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCM) which is the Global Fund’s contribution to health governance to help end HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

“CCM intervention starts from project designing through execution then monitoring and evaluation. CCM plays a big role in coordination and implementation of projects at every stage,’’ Karagwa said adding that ever since they started partnership with CCM, their life has never been the same.