“From the rural villages in northern Uganda to the bustling city of Kampala, the poverty-fighting programs I visited last week have something notable in common: they demonstrate how integrated programming can help achieve sustainable changes in the lives [of] women, men and their families,” Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE USA, writes in the Huffington Post Blog. “Issues such as health care, education and economic empowerment cannot be addressed in a vacuum. Thus, effective programs need to tackle the multiple root causes of poverty,” she writes, adding, “There is no doubt that a woman’s economic empowerment is very much interconnected to her health and the well-being of her children.”

Gayle highlights CARE partner Reach Out Mbuya, “a community faith-based organization in Kampala with donor support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),” writing, “Over the last few years, Reach Out has evolved to include diverse services such as maternal health care, counseling and financial services through CARE’s Village Savings and Loan Association program.” She continues, “[I]ntegrated programs are complex and difficult to implement for one organization alone,” and concludes, “Non-governmental organizations, community groups, governments and the private sector need to continue to work together as partners to create strong programs. Together, we can create integrated programs that will enable more women to stand on their own and contribute to the well-being of their families” (4/10).