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This is Youth Rising International

Powering Community Transformation!

Youth Rising is a youth-led and youth development focused organization on a mission of transforming communities through children and youth empowerment.

At Youth Rising, all our program activities aim at promoting Retention of at-risk children and youth in school, and Remediation of out-of-school youth through alternative education pathways. 

These are students of Youth Rising International at their graduation ceremony in 2021. They earned certificates in Fashion and Design

Our Vision

United Youth Leadership for Community Transformation. 

Our Mission

To offer a platform where young people can create solutions that power community transformation through holistic workforce development and creative youth leadership.

Our Belief System

We believe that all children and young people have a basic right to education and that our nation can only develop if we put youth and children’s education at the center stage. 

Youth Rising Approach

Our center is a learning space for children and youth to (i) enhance practical and soft skills development, (ii) develop youth talents and assets, (iii) promote health and wellness, (iv) improve access to information and learning (literacy), (v) and create youth economic livelihoods. 

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This is Martin Muganzi, the founder of Youth Rising International. Martin is an avid educator and philanthropist and has worked for decades in Youth Development.

Youth Rising is Breaking Barriers to Education.

When my wife and I founded Youth Rising International almost 10 years ago, we had an idea of what we wanted to see in our community but never imagined the kind of impact we would create. Together with partners, we have seen our investments in young people yielding impactful community transformation. 

There are so many examples I could give on how Youth Rising is breaking barriers to education but a great example is our previous Project Manager, Richard Wafula, who started out with us as a student of Digital Literacy, back in 2015, after failing to join college, due to financial challenges.

He went on to become a student tutor and an important member of our team. And in 2023, he graduated with his associate diploma in business computing. Richard has since moved on to other career opportunities 

Another example is Karim Mutebi, who started with us in Fashion and Design back in 2016. After graduating from the program, he went on to start his own fashion store and now makes an assortment of bags, shoes and other fashionable accessories. Karim now employs over 10 other youth and has paid it forward by training them with the skills he acquired at Youth Rising. 

Our Literacy programs with partner schools try to answer one essential question. How do we ensure that kids love school and enjoy what they learn? Exposing kids to reading materials through our Books on Bikes program and assisting teachers in printing testing materials in the Elevate Program are simple yet impactful activities that are easing the pressure on children and teachers alike while they pursue learning objectives. 

 

“Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.” – Nelson Mandela

Martin Muganzi,

Co-founder, Team Leader, Youth Rising International

1.2k

Youth trained

8

partner schools

1.25k

children reached

Our Programs

Youth Rising programs aim at activities that promote the Retention of at-risk children and youth in school, and Remediation of out-of-school youth through alternative education pathways. 

Literacy Programs

One of the bikes we use at Youth Rising International for the Books on Bikes program. In the image the biker is getting ready to carry books to a school.

Books on Bikes

Youth Rising’s Books on Bikes is a library-on-wheels community outreach and literacy project that intends to improve literacy levels in communities by offering educational resources to children right at their door

Little Starz Academy is a program of Youth Rising International focused on children below 5. In this image a group of kids were participating in a reading session.

N. J. Kanyerezi Library

Neville Jones Kanyerezi Memorial Library is Youth Rising’s community Library that serves the learning needs of Mpumu-Salaama community. The Library, also known as Youth Rising International Library acts as a base for all our literacy activities. 

This image is from the Youth Rising Library

School Micro-Libraries

Micro-libraries are innovative self-serving book storage kiosks installed at rural schools that do not have a library. The kiosks hold between 200 – 500 books, and are managed by a volunteer teacher trained library utilization and management.

This is one of the students in Youth Rising's Math Club

Elevate

Youth Rising’s Elevate Program offers schools in rural communities access to printing resources. Schools and teachers registered in the program have access to unrestricted typesetting, printing and photocopying of teacher resources, classroom worksheets and testing materials. 

Children in Youth Rising's Little Starz Academy playing games on a tablet

Little Stars Academy

Early Childhood Education in Uganda is currently a struggle for most since it is not offered in public schools. Our volunteers every year enroll 20 – 30 children between 3 – 5 and teach them reading, writing, numeracy and cognitive skills through active play. 

Magic Reader is a little book that tracks all the books that the kids have read in Youth Rising's Books on Bikes Program. They receive prizes for every level that they accomplish.

Magic Reader

The Magic Reader booklet is for children to track books they receive from Youth Rising’s Books on Bikes Program. For every book they read, note it down in this book and complete the assignment with it to get points. For every milestone reached, they collect stars, upgrade to a new level and win a prize.

>5k

Library Books

32

participating teachers

65

children in sports programs

Business and Life Skills programs are usually 6-month-long youth development programs for teenagers aged 13-17 and young adults aged 18- 35 not in school or seeking alternative means of education and employability. 

Fashion & Design

This program introduces learners to tailoring concepts and the art of fashion. Participants have an opportunity to learn operating manual and electric sewing machines, tailor with different fabrics and make apparel including shirts, dresses, handbags, etc.

Digital Literacy

The Digital Literacy program is a series of courses catering to children, youth and adults. The aim of the program is to introduce participants to digital skills and connect them to the digital economy. Some of the programs offered include Basic Computer Applications, Certificate in

Youth Essay Competition

Youth Rising Writing Institute is a program of Youth Rising International that seeks to empower young people in Uganda to express their views through writing. The program focuses on putting views, ideals and opinions of young people at the forefront through writing challenges.

Youth Sports

Youth Rising Sports programs offer young people an opportunity to play and develop talents. Currently, Youth Rising runs a Soccer Academy for boys and girls, a netball program and volleyball. The soccer academy participates in soccer tournaments and leagues within our community and across Uganda.

Health & Wellness

Since inception, we have had several programs that focus on health and wellness of the people we serve. Currently, we hold Monthly community Care clinics in partnership with Kojja Health Center IV. We also have a monthly mental health counselling program run by volunteers.

Digital Teachers Academy

The academy focuses on training teachers (primary and high school) in applying digital skills in their daily teaching practice. The training starts off with basic computer applications like Microsoft Office and advances in online teaching resources like learning management systems and video conferencing.

Youth skills development, poverty, and unemployment are prominent global concerns in Africa as a continent where the population of young people between the ages of 15–24

Martin Muganzi, MBA, MLS (ASCP), a medical laboratory technologist at Kingman Regional Medical Center, is among 40 high-achieving pathologists, pathology residents, and …

Partner with Us

Make a one time donation to any of our programs or become a lifetime partner and invest in community transformation, powered by Youth, Rising in our community. 

Youth Rising's Expert Team

These wonderful people make it all possible

This is Martin Muganzi, the founder of Youth Rising International. Martin is an avid educator and philanthropist and has worked for decades in Youth Development.

Co-Founder and Team Leader 

Phylicia Martel, Non-Executive Director at Youth Rising International

Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director

Philis Negesa is the team leader at Youth Rising Uganda

Team Leader – Youth Rising Uganda

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Stay in touch with us to get latest news and updates.

Address

Kanyerezi House, Mpumu-Salaama.

Call Us

+256-764-857-618 | +256-700-971-091

Email Us

info@youth-rising.org

Our Partners