Caroline Mukebezi, who graduated with an MSc Health Promotion from the University's School of Sports and Health Sciences, received the grant to support her project aimed at improving access to HIV response for vulnerable people – especially adolescents and young girls – in her native Uganda.

With support from the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), the organisation founded by Caroline, Pathway Foundation for Health and Economic Empowerment (PFHEE), will run a two-year project working with community health institutions and local leaders to improve access to HIV testing, reduce stigma associated with the disease and build the capacity of health workers through training and workshops.

Caroline said: "I am excited for the many young girls and boys in Uganda who will benefit from our work thanks to this grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation. With these funds, we will improve access to HIV/AIDS and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights services. We will also focus on providing mental health support for people living with HIV/AIDS while building the capacity of other local organisations to offer such services".

Ms Mukebezi lost her father at the age of six, and her mother years later to HIV/AIDS. In Uganda, limited access to health information and care contribute to high number of HIV-related deaths annually.

She said: "Losing my parents at an early age, due to our inability to afford treatment and the strained quality of care they received, formed my resolve to significantly contribute to improving the experience of other people living with the disease. University of Brighton gave me the knowledge and skills to translate this passion to support people into a real-life organization, taking into consideration the local context and the policies and laws in my country."

While studying at Brighton, Caroline was a beneficiary of the University of Brighton Forward Bound Scholarship which has supported Health Promotion MSc applicants from low or lower-middle income countries since 2015. The award provides educational funding for health and other professionals who are employed or volunteer in roles where they will be able to influence and shape health promotion practice and policy on their return.

Just a few years after receiving the scholarship, Caroline has gone on to set up her organization which is providing support for young people in Uganda.

She said: "I wouldn't have been able to do all these if not for the Forward Bound scholarship which made it possible for me to come to Brighton to get all this knowledge. The chance to learn, to study and then use that knowledge and put it into practise has greatly impacted me and brought a lot of other opportunities. It has been truly life changing and I don't take it for granted."

"Located in one of the UK's major cities of sanctuary, University of Brighton exposed me to various cultures and experiences which shaped my thinking as well as my personal and professional life. I gained incredible skills in communication, planning, and organizing which have helped my work and my journey to landing this grant," Caroline added.

About the Forward Bound Scholarship

The Forward Bound scholarship is available to Health Promotion MSc applicants from low or lower-middle income countries where similar postgraduate education opportunities are not available. It is intended to support health and other professionals who are employed or who volunteer in roles where they will be able to influence health promotion practice and policy on their return.

The core objective of the scholarship is to empower recipients to use the knowledge and experience they gain from their Masters to return to their country of origin and make a tangible difference to communities through health promotion in a professional and/or voluntary capacity.

The scholarship will fund course fees, travel costs, accommodation, visa, subsistence and health insurance for 12 months – equivalent to a cost of £28,000.