Uganda: Grant Development around Entrepreneurship and Job Creation
Support a future generation of self-sustaining youth through building capacity around grant development.
Project description
Seeking students to help buld capacity around grant development towards supporting key programs (below) and also serving as a resource to other NGOs throughout Uganda
Focus Youth Forum is a youth led organization that fosters social and economic development predominantly for people under 35 with a special focus on girls and young women. Our scope spans over 10 districts in Uganda where we have centers in Kampala, Soroti, Lira, Mbarara, Bushenyi and Mitooma among others. Uganda holds one of the worlds youngest populations with 78% of the people falling between the ages of 12 and 35 (28 million) . Approximately 70% of this group is currently unemployed despite the fact that Ugandan youth are educated and most can read and have graduated. Focus Youth Forum (FYM) offers support to its youth through programs that can empower them with hands on skills and training in the areas of entrepreneurial leadership, financial literacy and job creation. The improvement of technology in Uganda has offered a new opportunity for young people to engage in on line based education, business, sharing of innovative ideas and enabling commerce.
Girls and young women in Uganda face many challenges including unplanned pregnancies, school dropout, HIV-AIDS, child labor, mental health related problems and domestic violence. The GirlUp Club and program was designed to address the particular needs of girls and women in line with U.N Sustainable Development Goal 5 of gender empowerment. Our Reusable Sanitary Pad Project provided jobs for women making the product and also provided women with an affordable way to maintain hygiene.
Our vision is to have a self- sustaining youth generation that is economically and socially empowered. Our mission is to implement sustainable programs the well being of youth through investment ventures and life-saving services. We have determined to the focus of our goals to fall under four progressive categories:
- To equip youths with skills and access to create jobs
- To create and improve market linkages for entrepreneurs goods and services
- To support Village Savings and Loans and promote access to affordable credit for start-ups and capital
- To mobilize youth to engage in activity that supports sustainability and consciousness raising in the areas of public health and sexual reproductive health
FYF current programs :
- Uganda Girlup Club, a program which carries out mentorship trainings both virtual and physically to girls in Uganda
- Uganda BoyUp Club a program activity that builds capacity for young boys/youth in areas of career guidance and business and entrepreneurship
- Community youth empowerment activities where we support the special interest youth group in programs of job creation and education programs which include; financial literacy and digital trainings Run social volunteering advocacy activities like sensitizing youth against HIV/AIDS which currently being run by Uganda Girlup Club.
- Radio and Television programs which we conduct weekly to sensitize communities and youth the challenges they are going through. COVID-19 recovery program activities, where we are giving entrepreneurial support and social support to youth to recover from COVID-19 and its effects
Project details
| Length of commitment | Variable |
| Start time | Fall, Spring, Summer |
| Level of collaboration | Variable |
| Benefits | Academic Credit, Volunteer, Work Study |
| Who is eligible |
Core partners
- Bernard Keikara Mugume
- Patience Nuwagaba
Project mentor
Mara Huber
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Research and Experiential Learning; Director, Experiential Learning Network
Start the project
To apply for one of the limited spaces, send an interest email to ubeln@buffalo.edu with the following information and one of our staff will respond with more information via email :
- Share relevant background information about yourself and why you are interested in a global project.
- Review the list of current global partnerships, list the three you are most interested in working with and explain why for each.
- Explain what you hope to contribute to and gain from a global project.
Note that global partners rely on the contributions associated with ELN student projects and commit their limited time and resources to working with students. Accordingly, different projects will require varying amounts of time and strong commitment and follow through.
Preparation activities
The specific preparation activities for this project will be customized through discussions between you and your project mentor. Please be sure to ask them for the instructions to complete the required preparation activities.
Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
- Examine the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the history of the framework. Then select one SDG to focus on as you work through your project.
- Download and complete this PowerPoint template.