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When did she win?
On 23rd March 2026, Ariso Marsella, a rising multimedia storyteller and communications specialist, has clinched first place in the prestigious DW Akademie SparkChange ActionLab Pitch. Her groundbreaking project, “The Pink Box”, stood out among dozens of entries from Uganda and Tanzania for its creative, practical approach to closing the massive gaps in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services for young people.
With 78% of Uganda’s population under 30 and teenage pregnancy rates hovering at 24–25% (one in every four girls aged 15–19 has already begun childbearing), “The Pink Box” arrives at a critical time. It directly tackles the twin crises of rising HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women and the persistent challenge of unintended teenage pregnancies.
Who Is Ariso Marsella and What Sparked “The Pink Box”?
Marsella is no stranger to impact. A proud alumna of Reach A Hand Uganda’s (RAHU) digital content developers platform and a 2021 Media Challenge Initiative (MCI) Fellow, she has built a career blending storytelling with social change. Her background includes corporate PR at BLUERAFRICA, radio hosting, and earlier wins such as the 2019 StartHubAfrica Pitch.
“The Pink Box” was born from her deep understanding of the daily SRHR struggles faced by youth in rural and peri-urban communities — where accurate information and friendly services are often out of reach. While full technical details are still being refined ahead of the pilot, the project’s vision is crystal clear: a creative, accessible solution (part physical tool, part digital bridge) that delivers reliable HIV prevention info, contraception access, and support services in a youth-friendly way.
What Is DW Akademie’s SparkChange Programme and Why Does It Matter?
DW Akademie’s SparkChange Programme is designed exactly for changemakers like Marsella. Running across rural and peri-urban Uganda and Tanzania, it supports young innovators who want to amplify youth and women’s voices through creative formats — from podcasts and visual storytelling to community tools like “The Pink Box”.
The 2025–2026 cycle followed a structured journey:
- August 2025 – Idea Lab in Kampala (refining concepts with experts)
- December 2025 – Action Lab (prototype building, proposal writing, and pitch training)
- March 2026 – The Pitch (final high-stakes presentation before international judges)
Only the strongest ideas receive continued mentorship, seed funding, and support to scale. SparkChange isn’t just a competition — it’s a full leadership and innovation pipeline that turns grassroots passion into lasting impact.
How Did Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU) and UNESCO’s O3 Programme Shape Her Win?
Marsella’s victory is deeply rooted in years of training within Uganda’s vibrant youth SRHR ecosystem. As a RAHU alumna, she honed her digital storytelling skills through the organisation’s work under UNESCO’s Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme — one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest comprehensive sexuality education initiatives.
RAHU, a youth-led non-profit, uses edutainment, role models, and digital platforms like Sauti Media Hub to make SRHR conversations engaging and accessible. The O3 Programme (active in Uganda since 2018) has already reached over 1.5 million young people with safer-campus campaigns, HIV testing, and life-skills education. This foundation gave Marsella both the subject-matter expertise and the communication confidence that impressed the DW Akademie judges.
What Powerful Lessons Did Ariso Marsella Take from Her Mentors and the LéO Africa Institute?
Reflecting on her win, Marsella posted on LinkedIn just hours after the announcement: “Excellence is not an act, but a habit.” She credits a personal commitment made last year at the LéO Africa Institute’s Annual Leaders Gathering — a premier convening that brings together Africa’s transformational leaders for deep dialogue on leadership and impact.
She shared:
“I’ve learned that clarity is everything — how you communicate your vision can open doors. I’ve learned resilience, especially when things don’t go as planned, and the importance of staying grounded in the problem you’re solving.”
Marsella gave special thanks to her coaches Benjamin Rukwengye (@bibi_rukwengye) and Winnie Kisakye (@kisakyewinnie), trainers Benson Mutahi (@bensonmutahi) and Lotte van Vliet (@lotsofstories), and facilitators Poline Achan (@Poline) and Warda Mansour (@wardamansor). She also acknowledged the wider network that shaped her — from Media Challenge Initiative and StartHubAfrica to LéO Africa Institute and many individual mentors.
What Happens Next for “The Pink Box” and Uganda’s Youth?
Winning the SparkChange pitch is “just the beginning,” Marsella says. With DW Akademie’s backing, she is now entering the pilot phase — rolling out “The Pink Box” in carefully selected communities to test its real-world effectiveness before a potential wider regional launch.
Her success proves what happens when Ugandan youth are equipped with the right platforms, skills, and global partnerships. In a country where young people drive both the challenges and the solutions in SRHR, projects like “The Pink Box” are lighting the way toward healthier, more informed futures.
Congratulations, Ariso Marsella! Uganda is watching — and the future just got a little brighter (and pinker).
Follow her journey on Instagram and LinkedIn and stay tuned for pilot updates from DW Akademie.
