Youthmakers Hub at the YouthImpactExpo in Uganda
Youthmakers Hub, represented by the YMH Associates Hakim Owiny and Fred Kakembo, participated in the YouthImpactExpo, organized by Restless Development on November 6th—a youth-led exhibition bringing together young leaders championing youth-led solutions in sexual reproductive health rights (SRH-R), gender equality, youth employment, education, climate change, and active citizenship. The Expo showcased young and youth-led initiatives that demonstrated young people’s crucial role in building better societies, highlighting their power, potential, and determination to overcome obstacles and challenges. Young individuals and youth-led civil society organizations at the Expo illustrated the significant impact of locally-centered initiatives in improving the lives of young people in Uganda.
The theme “Unleashing Youth-led Solutions!” perfectly aligned with the projects showcased at the Expo. Several local organizations led by young people highlighted impactful work in social enterprise, alternative medicinal herbs, and various other products and services. By leveraging locally accessible resources, these youth-led initiatives provided affordable solutions to meet the immediate needs of local communities.
Why was the Expo timely?
According to preliminary results from the 2024 Uganda National Population and Housing Census, an astounding 72.3% of the country’s population is aged 30 and below, representing over 33 million people out of a total population of 45 million. This demographic underscored the importance of exploring youth innovation and creativity, particularly in entrepreneurship and youth-led projects in Uganda. The Expo facilitated interactive sessions for exhibitors, guests, and organizers, allowing young participants to learn best practices through presentations. Presenters shared compelling stories of their journeys and the goals they had achieved, offering motivation and educational value that both exhibitors and visitors found highly rewarding.
During discussions, participants highlighted a significant barrier to youth-led initiatives: limited access to funding due to bureaucratic red tape. Many young people develop promising ideas for community projects after completing their studies, yet most struggle to register their organizations due to the cost of meeting registration requirements. The registration process, starting at the village local council level, demands prohibitive initial fees for many. This lack of funds has hampered the growth of countless valuable ideas. Attendees called on the government to provide special considerations for youth in the organization registration process and advocated for replacing “older adolescents” with youth representatives in offices responsible for youth support.
It was also noted that only 5% of donors actively support youth-led initiatives, leaving many excluded due to strict requirements. Participants heard of one Kenyan youth-led organization that received funding despite lacking an account, organizational structure, and other statutory necessities; the donor granted a one-month grace period for them to meet these requirements post-approval. Such flexible donors are rare; too often, promising youth-led projects falter due to a lack of support. However, donors present at the Expo acknowledged the challenges raised and committed to sharing this feedback with their teams.
The Expo concluded with the management of Restless Development Uganda signing the newly launched seven-year strategic plan (2023–2030). Special thanks go to Restless Development for consistently keeping young people in decision-making positions, enabling more effective operations and youth-centered leadership.
Written by Fred Kakembo, YMH Uganda Associate & Programme Director of Uganda Children’s Centre