40 youth get Shs144m support from UNFPA to startup businesses

At least 40 young people from Adjumani, Arua, Yumbe, Moyo, Kitgum, Agago, Amuru and Lamwo districts are to receive Shs144 million as a start-up fund to help them kick-start their social businesses.
The youth who are in teams of eight will receive Shs18 million for each group, business training, mentorship and go-to market technical guidance to roll out their innovation solutions as part of the UP Accelerate WAY edition, a health based social incubator developed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with Outbox, a local business and innovation incubator supported by the Government of Denmark.
The beneficiaries were tasked to come up with innovative solutions addressing challenges faced by women, adolescents and youth in the areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights and Gender Based Violence.

According to Alain Sibenaler, the representative of UNFPA Uganda, “This edition of Up Accelerate is tailor made to target young people to develop local based solutions to address challenges of their local communities. It has provided a shift into how incubators are conducted from the classic way of sourcing, incubating and accelerating from the town centers to rural areas. It is an opportunity to harness the untapped potential of young people in more rural areas and refugee communities and support them live their dream.”
The teams supported have developed solutions such as using affordable and locally made materials to develop infant warmers to help mothers living in refugee settlements who have given birth to premature or at-risk babies.

Another team came up with a card book that will promote inclusiveness by helping deaf women and youths acquire primary Health care knowledge on HIV/AIDs through graphics, illustrations and images that can be understood by the deaf and a mobile application that will help young people affected by conflict and those in refugee host communities access information and consultation services on sexual and reproductive health and rights in both Lugbara and English language using toll free SMS and toll free phone calls to help reduce cases of unintended and early pregnancies.

“This initiative has demonstrated the need for more inclusive initiatives focused on supporting social entrepreneurs. The high level of interest and participation from Northern Uganda and West Nile is evidence to the talent that exists nationally, and the desire of young people to be part of the solutions.” says Richard Zulu, the Team Lead at Outbox.
The Up Accelerate programme was launched in November 2016 and 25 young people in seven teams were supported with at least Shs 259 million to launch their social businesses which currently serve up-to 70,000 beneficiaries.

This year, the initiative focused on West Nile and Northern Uganda, challenging young people between the ages of 18 to 30 years to come up with innovative business solutions.