On Thursday, 30th July, YIDA Youth Initiative graduated 104 refugee youth from its 1st and 2nd cohorts in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement under the Mushroom Growing and Mindset Change Program, an Institutional Strengthening Project implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
For 13 years, YIDA Youth Initiative (YIDA) has been transforming livelihoods and communities through youth skilling and entrepreneurship, creating jobs, growing youth-led startups, and changing lives in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement. Since 2018, YIDA has trained youth in the settlement to become self-employed through its entrepreneurship and financial inclusion program. Over the years, most trainees have gone on to understand not just the basics of business, but how to actually grow one. To date, YIDA has reached and supported over 557 youth in skilling across its programs and this latest graduation marks another major milestone in that journey.
“We are happy that the Mastercard Foundation trusts us, and every funding goes directly to refugees and builds the capacity of organizations like YIDA Youth Initiative to implement it. We thank the Mastercard Foundation for always believing in young people and in refugees.” — James Gihoma, Executive Director, YIDA Youth Initiative
A Message From the Guest of Honour
The guest of honour, Mr. Alfred Okech, Program Lead for Refugees and Displaced Persons (Africa) at the Mastercard Foundation, commended YIDA for the important role it is playing in ensuring that more refugee youth are empowered through skilling, business startups, and mindset change. He noted that this kind of skilling inspires not only the youth themselves, but also their families and the wider community.
“This graduation is the beginning of something big. Believe in yourself as much as you can, work hard, and be honest because the trade you’re doing needs honesty. Challenges will come, but overcome them with an open heart. Never stop dreaming, you can become a global supplier of mushrooms. Your journey starts today.” – Alfred Okech, Program Lead, Refugees and Displaced (Africa), Mastercard Foundation
Voices From the Graduates
Joseph Byadunia, a Congolese refugee and beneficiary of the program’s Cohort 1, said the program has changed his life and the life of his family, and that he is now able to provide for them.
“Our target is to go to Nakivale and train other refugee youth with the same skill I have been empowered with, so that I can earn from this skill and impact the lives of other refugee youth.” – Joseph Byadunia, Cohort 1 Graduate
Elvis Ndakyaisaba, the Entrepreneurship Lead at YIDA Youth Initiative, told graduates that they have been taken through mindset change, business management, and practical mushroom-growing skills a complete package that every entrepreneur needs to get started.
“You’ve gained the skill, you’ve got the start-up capital — go and practice what you’ve learned. The skill can completely change your life if only you put it into practice. And don’t let that skill stop at you only. Make it a goal to teach at least one other person how mushrooms are grown, because by doing that, you’re growing the market and empowering someone else out there.” – Elvis Ndakyaisaba, Entrepreneurship Lead, YIDA Youth Initiative
With partnerships like the one the Mastercard Foundation offers, YIDA will continue to reach more refugee youth with skills training that builds real, lasting livelihoods. Having already supported over 500 youth through its programs, YIDA is steadily expanding its reach — one cohort, one skill, and one graduate at a time.
What Does YIDA Do?
YIDA Youth Initiative is a refugee-led and youth-led organization empowering children and young people through quality education, skills development, and entrepreneurship. YIDA works alongside refugee and host communities to create opportunities for sustainable and dignified livelihoods.
Beyond supporting refugee children with accessible, quality education, YIDA also runs a financial institution, YIDA Financial Services (YFS Finance Ltd), which aims to create social impact in underserved communities by promoting financial inclusion. YFS also carries out money remittance services in rural refugee communities in Uganda and supports the education of young children in the settlement as part of its corporate social responsibility. YIDA Financial Services has expanded from its main branch in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement to Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, and Mubende town.
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