Social Innovation Academy (SINA)

Job creation and opportunity are prerequisites for lasting peace, but Uganda has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world of 83% and civil unrest is rising. In combination with one of the fastest growing populations and a recent intake of over 1 million refugees, this is a ticking time bomb for a potential civil war. The Social Innovation Academy (SINA) elicits marginalized and refugee communities' untapped potentials to create own solutions and pursue purpose in the world through social entrepreneurship. A self-organized and “freesponsible” approach lets scholars learn the skills needed for their own enterprises by taking up responsibilities within a SINA community. Scholars start to understand their past as a strength, rather than a subject of shame and unleash their potentials to create social enterprises with sustainable positive impact. Social enterprises which emerged range from mosquito repellent soap to a flooring solution from plastic bags and egg shells, or “Ask Without Shame”, providing emergency sex education via mobile app to 150,000 youth. Its founder transformed her own past as an HIV orphan and because of this was awarded by the Queen of England. The model of SINA has been replicated by refugee beneficiaries into the Nakivale and Bidi Bidi Refugee Camps. With running costs of 500 USD per month in each location, young refugees are creating their own jobs and a dignified future through their own solutions as sustainable social enterprises.