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.
Deborah has for the last five years worked with organizations whose visions align with her own, including the Uganda Human Rights Commission. 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) which is committed to reducing gender-based violence and inequality in her rural community of Serere via advocacy, awareness, and legal representation. Deborah received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Uganda Christian University in Kampala.