Meet Our Founder

Deborah Akello

WAGRAU Founder and Director

A victim of abuse in childhood, and filled with bitterness and anger at a lack of justice, Deborah’s passion for revenge eventually grew into a desire to help other women and children. Deborah studied law so that she could take an active role in advocating for the disadvantaged. She witnessed first-hand the social inequities of ordinary citizens, and is making it her life’s work to fight for their rights and, in particular, abused women and girls.

Since 2017 Deborah has worked with organizations whose visions align with her own, including the Uganda Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International. She is highly experienced in human rights litigation processes, community advocacy and training, including community mobilization, project implementation and research. She founded Women and Girls Rights Advocacy Uganda (WAGRAU) in 2020 which is committed to reducing gender-based violence and inequality in her rural community of Serere via advocacy, awareness, legal representation and empowerment. Deborah received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Uganda Christian University in Kampala.

Make A Difference

You have the ability to GIVE a woman the POWER to stand up for herself. We will be your boots on the ground providing free legal representation to marginalized women and girls, and giving them the tools they need to claim HUMAN RIGHTS for themselves.

Join Us!