Laker Jolly Grace Andruvile Okot
Laker Jolly Grace Andruvile Okot | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Occupation | Activist |
| Awards | Uganda Telecommunications Limited community award, 2006, Nobel Peace prize nominee, 2005 |
Laker Jolly Grace Andruvile Okot also known as Jolly Grace Okot is a Ugandan activist and a board member of the Gender Tech Initiative (GTI) a non profit organisation promoting gender equality in technology education in Uganda.[1][2]
Early life
Jolly Grace grew up in northern Uganda region and in 1986 she was abducted by rebels.[2]
Professional and activist journey
After her release from rebel captivity, Jolly Grace worked with several international development organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, InterAid International, Oxfam, and UNHCR. She started the Legacy Scholarship, which placed 6,000 girls and almost 4,000 boys in school.[2]
In 2003, she founded HEAL (Health, Education, Art, Literacy, and Sports), an organization that provides dance therapy and other forms of support to children affected by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) conflict.[3][4]
Jolly Grace is also the chief executive officer of Women Empowerment Network and Design (WEND Africa), an organisation based in Gulu (Northern Uganda) which aims to empower women who have been affected by conflict.[5][6][7][8]
Political career
During the 2021 general elections, Jolly Grace was a Democratic Party candidate for the Gulu Woman MP seat. However, she lost the seat to Betty Aol Ochan who obtained a total of 14,706 votes and Jolly Grace obtained 10,458 out 33,602 votes in total.[9]
In 2026, she once again stood for the Gulu Woman MP seat, under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party this time round but lost to Phoebe Ayoo Obol during the NRM primaries.
Voluntary role
- Board member, archdiocese of Northern Uganda education governing council[2]
- Advisory board, Takataka Uganda[2]
- Former board member, Toro ss and Crested Crane high school[3]
- Public relations, Northern zone district 9213[10]
- Vice President Rotary Club of Gulu[11]
- Fund raising director, Rotary Club of Gulu[3]
- Secretary, the Rotary Foundation Focal Person, Northern zone one[12]
- President elect, rotary year 2023/24[3]
- Patron, the power of one thousand investment club[3]
Recognition and awards
- Nobel Peace prize nominee, 2005[2][4]
- Uganda Telecommunications Limited community award, 2006[3]
- New Vision Women Achiever, 2013[3]
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Finn Church and Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum Peace Award, special category Women Peace and Security award, 2021[13]
- Gussosa Humanitarian Service award, 2021[3]
- Lacoba Appreciation award, 2022[3]
- Women in Rotary award, 2022[3]
See also
References
- ↑ "Board Members - Gender Tech Initiative Uganda". 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jolly Okot; an irreplaceable heroine to northern Uganda". New Vision. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Mrs. Laker Jolly Grace Andruvile Okot - Gender Tech Initiative Uganda". 2025-01-27. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- 1 2 "Jolly Okot // an irreplaceable heroine". Invisible Children. 2013-04-08. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- ↑ "CSOs Raise Alarm Over Slow Progress in Women's Empowerment In Acholi". Uganda Radionetwork. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- ↑ "Encinitas Rotary's friendship with Ugandan humanitarian blossoms in..." andrehobbs.com. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- ↑ "Our Story". wendafrica. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- ↑ "CSOs Raise Alarm Over Slow Progress in Women's Empowerment In Acholi". Kamwokya Times. 2025-03-17. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- ↑ Reporter, Independent (2021-04-19). "Intimidation, violent campaign forced Gulu voters to shun January polls". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 2025-11-13.
- ↑ https://rotaryd9213.org/Search/Laker%20Jolly%20Grace%20Andruvile%20Okot
- ↑ https://rotaryd9213.org/clubinfo/gulu
- ↑ https://rotaryd9213.org/districtorganizationchart
- ↑ "Peace champions recognised at Inaugural Peace Gala". Monitor. 2021-10-08. Retrieved 2025-11-13.