We are pleased to share the 2025 Annual Report of Rural Smiles Foundation , a reflection of a year defined by resilience, learning, and institutional growth in a challenging civic and operational environment.

The report documents how, throughout 2025, Rural Smiles Foundation consolidated its role as a community-led, rights-based organisation working at the intersection of civic space, digital safety, peacebuilding, and community resilience in rural Uganda.

A Year of Consolidation and Systems-Building

2025 was not only about implementing activities; it was about “building systems that endure”.

As civic space continued to shrink and risks facing civil society actors increased, the Foundation focused on strengthening protection-first approaches, improving documentation and accountability, and investing in organisational systems that enable sustainable impact. This included deepening engagement with civil society networks, community leaders, and regulatory institutions, while ensuring that rural and marginalised voices remained visible and protected.

Strengthening Civic Space and Digital Protection

A central milestone of the year was the development and operationalisation of SPACEUG, a digital platform designed to support secure, confidential, and anonymous reporting of threats, intimidation, and civic space violations.

SPACEUG was developed with support from the CIVICUS Crisis Response Fund under the Flexible Support Mechanism, a six-year programme led by civil society organisations and hosted by Oxfam Novib, together with implementing partners Protection International, CIVICUS, and Urgent Action Fund Latin America and the Caribbean.

Through this work, Rural Smiles Foundation strengthened its ability to respond to threats affecting civil society actors, improve referral pathways, and contribute anonymised evidence to advocacy and protection efforts.

Institutional Legitimacy and Compliance

2025 also marked a major institutional milestone. Rural Smiles Foundation received its Certificate of Registration and a five-year Permit to Operate from the Uganda NGO Bureau, confirming its legal status as a registered NGO operating in accordance with the NGO Act, Cap. 109 and the NGO Regulations, 2017.

This achievement strengthened the organisation’s credibility with communities, partners, donors, and state institutions, and provided a stable legal foundation for long-term programming and advocacy.

Regional Engagement and Recognition

The Foundation’s work gained regional visibility in December 2025 through participation in the Continental Stocktaking Conference on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) held in Nairobi, Kenya. Convened by the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region (OSESG-GLR) in collaboration with UN agencies, the African Union, and Regional Economic Communities, the conference marked ten years of UN Security Council Resolution 2250.

Rural Smiles Foundation participated as a youth-led civil society organisation from Uganda and was recognised as one of five finalists in the Peace in Action Youth Award 2025, selected from 169 regional submissions. This recognition affirmed the relevance of the organisation’s grassroots work in civic participation, peacebuilding, and community resilience, while amplifying rural Ugandan youth voices in a regional policy space.

Responsible Financial Management

The 2025 Annual Report also highlights the Foundation’s commitment to financial transparency and accountability.

In 2025, Rural Smiles Foundation recorded:

• Total income: UGX 514,405,756
• Total expenditure: UGX 413,393,275
• Surplus: UGX 101,012,481 (earmarked for approved ongoing and future programme activities)

Approximately 80% of total expenditure was directed toward direct project costs, reflecting a strong focus on programme delivery and community impact while maintaining proportionate administrative costs.

Looking Ahead

As we look to the future, the lessons of 2025 guide our next steps. The Annual Report outlines a clear strategic direction focused on:

• Strengthening civic space and protection mechanisms
• Scaling digital safety and documentation systems
• Implementing planned community-centred projects, including renewable energy solutions for rural health facilities
• Deepening partnerships at local, national, and regional levels

These priorities reflect our commitment to building systems that protect people, amplify rural voices, and sustain impact beyond individual projects.

Read the Full Report

We invite partners, community members, donors, policymakers, and the wider public to read the 2025 Annual Report to learn more about our work, achievements, challenges, and future priorities.

Thank you for standing with us as we continue working toward an inclusive, just, and resilient society where civic, digital, health, and economic rights are respected and protected.