
AAH Uganda appoints new Country Director
The Board of Directors of Action Africa Help Uganda (AAHU) announces the appointment of Peter Douglas Avenell as the Country Director.
Peter takes over a portfolio of diverse projects being implemented in humanitarian relief and recovery, basic services (health and water, sanitation and hygiene), environmental management and food and income security. AAH Uganda is currently working with communities in Kyangwali refugee settlement, Adjumani, Lamwo, Kiryandongo and Arua with funding support from the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Programme (WFP) and Enabel, the Belgian Development Agency. AAH Uganda is also supporting to build resilience of pastoralists and agropastoral communities through economic and rights empowerment of vulnerable women and girls in Karamoja region with support from UN Women.
Peter comes with over 25 years’ experience in leading diverse teams in humanitarian and developmental programming in Eastern and Central Africa. Peter holds a degree in Sociology and brings on board a wealth of experience, having worked in Chad, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. In the 1990s, Peter worked for AAH-I in South Sudan when it was still Action Africa In Need. He has also worked with the Norwegian People’s Aid, CARE, Save the Children and CORD in programmes in food security, primary health care, nutrition, WASH, child protection, child rights governance and education.
“My professional experiences from field positions to higher level management has given me the insights to understand programmes and the need for timely support from all to ensure we effectively implement projects. This background will allow me to support teams so that we achieve maximum impact with the resources we have” said Peter.
The Executive Director of AAHI and Board of Directors of AAH Uganda (AAHU) are confident that Peter Douglas Avenell brings experience energy, drive and enthusiasm to AAHU Country Programme. The appointment takes effect June 2018.
AAH Uganda began operations in 1993 through humanitarian assistance to more than 80,000 South Sudan refugees in the West Nile. Since then AAH Uganda has delivered services in five refugee settlements (Moyo, Adjumani, Rwamwanja, Kyangwali and Kiryandongo), and gradually evolved into a comprehensive multi-sectoral programme, with an approach of empowering the host communities and people displaced by conflict. Through this empowerment approach, AAH Uganda programme has had tangible impact through its work with livelihood-challenged communities. In 2017 alone, at least 145,000 people benefitted from our projects in the country.