The challenge: health in Uganda today
Across Uganda, non-communicable diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease are rising rapidly, now responsible for over a third of all deaths.
At the same time, daily diets are shifting.
Highly processed foods, fried street meals, and meat-heavy diets are becoming the norm — especially in urban areas like Kampala.
But there’s a gap.
Most people want to be healthier and are deeply concerned about their family’s wellbeing, yet they often lack the knowledge, practical tools, and support needed to make meaningful and lasting changes to their diet and lifestyle.
Healthcare systems largely focus on treatment — not prevention.
Food should be medicine. But for many, that connection is missing.
Listening first: our focus group
Before launching the campaign, we sat down with Ugandans to better understand their eating habits, cultural attitudes toward food, and the barriers they face when trying to live healthier lives.
What we found was powerful. Meat is widely seen as a symbol of status, celebration, and taste, while “healthy eating” often feels unclear or unrealistic. Many people struggle to imagine a satisfying meal without meat, and almost every participant had a family member affected by diabetes or high blood pressure. Despite these challenges, there was a strong desire to change—people want to live long, healthy lives, they just don’t yet know how.
Our solution: The H7 Challenge
We created a simple but powerful idea:
“Can you love your heart for 7 days?”
A 7-day plant-based challenge designed to:
- Make healthy eating accessible and practical
- Show that plant-based food is affordable, local, and delicious
- Help people feel the difference quickly
What we delivered:
- A 21-recipe Ugandan-inspired cookbook
- Cooking videos and tutorials
- Live cooking demos and tastings
- WhatsApp support groups
- Health education from doctors and nutrition experts
- Practical tools like lunchboxes to support behaviour change
The launch event: a turning point
Our flagship launch event in Kampala brought together members of the public, health professionals, plant-based partners, and the Viva! Uganda team in a dynamic and engaging space. Participants learned about the link between diet and disease, heard directly from doctors about the risks associated with high meat consumption, and experienced a fully plant-based buffet for the very first time, opening their eyes to new, healthy, and delicious possibilities.
And the reaction?
“Now that I’ve eaten this food, I don’t even want to look at meat.”
This moment changed perceptions: plant-based food isn’t restrictive — it’s exciting, satisfying, and powerful.
Community in action: gym & bible partnership
To take the campaign into everyday life, we partnered with Gym & Bible, combining fitness, community, and nutrition education in a practical and engaging way. Together, we have delivered seven live cooking demos and talks, reaching over 600 participants and led by our in-house doctors and dieticians.
Through this collaboration, we are seeing real shifts in attitudes, with people beginning to rethink their meat consumption and many discovering that plant-based food is not only healthy but genuinely enjoyable — as one participant put it, “plant-based food is really tasty!” These sessions are further strengthened by trusted medical experts, helping reinforce credible, evidence-based health messaging.
The impact so far
The results speak for themselves:
- 95% of participants who tried the recipes felt more energised and satisfied
- 84% want to continue eating more plant-based
- 71% used their lunchboxes to build healthier habits
- Thousands reached through events and social media
We’re not just raising awareness, we’re changing behaviour.
What we’ve learned
This campaign has shown us that:
- Practical tools drive change – Recipes, lunchboxes, and demos make healthy eating real.
- Taste is everything – Once people try plant-based food, attitudes shift quickly.
- Health is the strongest motivator – People care deeply about preventing disease.
- Community matters – People are more likely to change when they do it together.
What’s Next: Oli Fit?
We’re now building on this momentum with our next campaign:
Oli Fit? – Power Up Your Diet
Oli Fit? is a new partnership with gyms across Kampala designed to help people better align their nutrition with their fitness goals, with a strong focus on the power of plant-based eating.
The campaign promotes a simple but important message: you can get all the protein your body needs from plants, while also improving your overall health and performance.
By combining fitness with practical nutrition guidance, Oli Fit? supports a more holistic approach to wellbeing, where what you eat works hand in hand with how you train.
Through this initiative, we aim to empower gym-goers to build strength, improve their energy levels, and transform their diets in a sustainable way. Participants are supported to explore plant-based meals that are not only nutritious but also satisfying and accessible, helping to challenge the idea that meat is essential for strength or performance.
Moving beyond a focus on heart health alone, Oli Fit? supports individuals on a journey towards full body performance, showing that a plant-based diet can fuel strength, recovery, and long-term wellbeing.
Join the Movement
This is more than a campaign.
It’s a shift in how we think about food, health, and our future.
Food is medicine. Health starts on your plate.
H7 One Week Meal Plan
Eating plant-based in Uganda has never been easier – that’s why we created our H7 meal plan: to show just how simple, delicious, and affordable it can be with local ingredients.