Viva Wer Waa 2: Brand Development & Empowerment Phase

Aim:

To empower youth with disabilities in Northern Uganda to achieve economic independence, social inclusion, and public visibility through the transformative power of music and the arts.

Summary

This next phase builds on the last three. It hopes to establish existing trainees further in their musical career by intensive training on the songs they have already written, their musical persona their public performance and their social media presence.

Support will come from Viva la Visa studio staff, well established national and local musicians acting as mentors.

Support will come from Viva la Visa studio staff, well established national and local musicians acting as mentors.
3 x new trainees will be studying music production in the studio aiming to boost existing staff depth and reach
3 x new trainees will take on marketing/ social media and brand promotion of Viva Wer Waa. Social media is where music happens these days, any aspiring musician needs to get on top of this aspect thoroughly.

Longer view of Viva Wer Waa 2

Context

People with disabilities in Northern Uganda continue to face deep-rooted barriers to social participation, economic empowerment, and public visibility. Negative community attitudes, limited access to education, and lack of livelihood opportunities compound the marginalization experienced by youth with disabilities in particular.

The Viva Wer Waa Studio translated loosely as ‘Viva the Voice’ was established in 2023 as a music-for-social-change initiative by Gulu Disabled Persons Union (GDPU). It became Uganda’s first dedicated music studio for persons with disabilities, providing an innovative platform for youth with disabilities to develop music production skills, advocate for their rights, and build sustainable livelihoods through the power of music.

Programme Description

The Viva Wer Waa Brand Development & Empowerment Phase 2026 is a 12-month project that builds directly on the achievements of the three preceding training cohorts. It combines post-training support for graduates, enrolment of new trainees, community outreach, institutional strengthening, and studio sustainability development into one integrated programme.

Types of music recorded so far include:

Gospel, traditional Acholi (lakubukubu), and contemporary genres. The content is educative in nature, addressing disability stigma, social inclusion, good morals, and community wellbeing reaching audiences across Uganda and the wider Luo-speaking diaspora.

Challenges

Despite the significant achievements of Cohorts 1 and 2, graduates of the Viva Wer Waa programme face critical post-training barriers that threaten to reverse their progress. Without continued structured support, the risk of regression in skills, confidence, and economic participation is high.

Project Components.

#	Component	Description
A	Post-Training Support & Career Development	Structured 12-month mentorship, career coaching, and economic support for all 20 graduates from Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 (2023–2025). Includes individual development plans, performance opportunity linkages, and advocacy movement building.
B	Artist Promotion & Brand Development	Marketing support for Viva Wer Waa artists including social media campaigns, YouTube/online streaming, and connection to performance venues. Development of artist profiles and a dedicated programme website.
C	New Trainee Cohort (Cohort 4)	Enrolment of 4 new trainees with disabilities (2 in music production, 2 in marketing and brand development for a 12-month training programme including 6 months of intensive skills training and 6 months of post-training support.
D	Community Outreach Music Shows	Comprehensive outreach programme delivering music shows in rural communities, market days, and public events across Northern Uganda. Focus on disability awareness, stigma reduction, and community attitude change.
E	Video Production & Media Dissemination	Production of additional music videos for selected songs by Viva Wer Waa artists for placement on Ugandan and international TV channels and digital streaming platforms.
F	Institutional Strengthening Uganda Association for Artists with Disabilities	Capacity building for the Association’s leadership covering governance, financial management, marketing, and event organisation. Development of savings structures and organisational systems.
G	Studio Sustainability & Community Access	Development of the studio as a fee-for-service community resource. Promotion to community members at reduced rates, development of a functional website, and basic literacy support to enable artists to write and document their own songs.