HerStory Podcast Series
HerStory Podcast Series
Episode 34: Meet YCI’s HerStart partner, Social Innovation Academy (SINA)
In this episode, Sarah Harvey, HerStart Communications Fellow, speaks with Stella Lukwago from Social Innovation Academy (SINA), one of YCI’s HerStart partners in Mpigi, Uganda.
Stella discusses SINA’s mission to empower marginalized young people to become self-reliant social entrepreneurs. She highlights the transformative impact of HerStart's collaboration with SINA, particularly in creating opportunities for rural women to drive social change and achieve economic independence. Through stories and insights, Stella shares the importance of social entrepreneurship in addressing community challenges and fostering sustainable development in Uganda.
Welcome to Youth Challenge International's Hair Start Hair Story podcast series, youth Challenge International, OYCI launched the Hair Start Innovate the Future Program in 2020. As part of our initiative to advance women's equality globally, our goal is to provide 10,000 women in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda with the resources and supports they need to successfully launch and grow their social businesses. We are sharing real stories of young women who are leading change in their communities. Y C's , hair Start Innovate. The Future Program is funded in , passed by the government of Canada to progress Canada's feminist International Assistance policy. Learn more@y.org or hair start.org .
Speaker 2:Hello, my name is Sarah Harvey and I'm the current communications fellow with Youth Challenge International's, her start program in PG Uganda. Today I'm speaking with Stella Lugo about Social Innovation Academy, commonly referred to as cena . And more specifically about Janu International, a self-reliant community that applies the Cena model to support young people in PG Uganda to become self-reliant social entrepreneurs. Good afternoon, Stella. Do you wanna start by introducing yourself and explaining your role with her start ?
Speaker 3:Yes. I'm Stella Nago . I'm the host start coordinator for Social Innovation Academy, a partner for YCI.
Speaker 2:Amazing. Congratulations on your recent promotion. Oh,
Speaker 3:Thank you so much. <laugh> .
Speaker 2:Could you start off by just describing what the Social Innovation Academy framework is and how Janu International fits into this movement?
Speaker 3:Okay. So Social Innovation Academy supports young, marginalized and vulnerable young people aged between 18 to 28 to support them, to empower them to create innovations that benefit themselves as individual, as individuals, their communities and the environment , uh, by creating innovations that support and impact other young people by creating jobs for, for others. So in the beginning it was only such innovation academy, but then later on we thought that why don't we create a global movement of different young people of Africa that can also be able to change or to create, to see challenges as opportunities where they can actually change their communities and impact different people. And to do that , uh, we created a model, a replication model where our scholars, especially the first ones, were able to take and replicate cna , uh, which is the Social Innovation Academy back into their communities. And those communities that we are replicated out of the senior model, for example, like Jungle International, where we reside currently are some of the many, many communities right now being created in Africa and in refugee camps all over East Africa. Uh , and as far as Zimbabwe , uh, Cape vad , Ana in Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, na , and Germany , other refugee camps, and the movement is still growing.
Speaker 2:Okay, amazing. How exactly does the, hears a program fit into all of that? How does the Hears Start program contribute to the work that is done at Janu International under the Social Innovation Academy?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so , uh, when you look at Social Innovation Academy , uh, we, we partner or we work or we support, or we empower young at young Ugandans or youth on the margin to actually be able to change , uh, or create or impact their communities in different ways. But , um, when you look at the kind of scholar or the kind of youth who were bringing into the program , uh, it was a , she or he was a specific type, and of course she was vulnerable, she was marginalized, and she was coming from all over Uganda. And while we were bringing in young people who had not attained university level or university education level , uh, there was still a gap when it came to young women accessing opportunities. And of course, coming to CNA to have a scholarship in social innovation that is already also an opportunity that many rural women and girls could not be part of. So her start , uh, actually compliments , um, our intention , the senior intention so well, that we are on the same path to creating opportunities for rural women, young people , uh, to also be able to create the change they want to see in their communities. So imagine , uh, with the support that has start , give , gives , uh, to Social Innovation Academy, we are able to create more impact in our communities. With the support we get from HeartStart , we are able to actually create numerous , uh, impact and also support young women, especially rural young women , uh, in rural pge to also be part of this change. We are saying we want to create all over Uganda, and what better way than actually working and complimenting each other has start YCI, <laugh> and CINA through the HAS Start program to actually create more impact, create more jobs , uh, for other people, but also support women to be economically independent , uh, so that they're able to make financial decisions, economical decisions that affect their lives, and then lives of those around them. And of course, an African woman has 10 hands, you know, is expected of 10 hands , uh, but the African man only needs to have two. So what better word than actually for YCI and Cena to come together through the <inaudible> project to support women , uh, to give them a voice, to give them, to create more opportunities for them to elevate their status, you know, so that rural communities can also thrive and Cena providing the space. Uh , I think it's a great combination.
Speaker 2:And you kind of touched on this a little bit, but why do you think that social entrepreneurship is an effective way of addressing various challenges that are faced by different communities in Uganda, specifically marginalized communities? Why is social entrepreneurship the the way to address these problems?
Speaker 3:Yeah, of course. Previously we've seen , uh, traditional business men and women and you know, they've also been able to create , uh, profits for themselves and support their families. In my opinion, I feel that social entrepreneurship, because it is intentional, the person knows why they're creating a social enterprise, where why they're starting this and this what problems are identified in the , in their communities that they can actually tackle and create , uh, sustainable solutions that will not only benefit themselves and their families, but will also benefit the community. And because with social innovation, the person or the young woman has an intention, you know, and that intention supports her to actually create sustainable solutions that fit into community or societal society problems. And with a , a solution problem fit , uh, somehow , uh, not only does it bring impact to, to the community, but also it supports the young woman in our case to actually also elevate herself outta poverty. But imagine if she's, if she just doesn't do traditional business, but this time she actually creates a business that is socially sustainable, socially beneficial, it benefits her, it benefits the community, it benefits the environment. So it's a win, win, win . Uh , it's a three win , triple win. A triple win. So , uh, yes. Ha ha , we continue <laugh>.
Speaker 2:Wonderful. So we're gonna switch it up and I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions that are more about you specifically. So I know that you've been at Cena for quite a long time. How is it that you ended up working here?
Speaker 3:Okay, so I've been with Cena since 2013 , uh, because , um, actually I've been with Cena since before it even started because Cena officially opened in 2014. Uh , but in 2013 we're doing background work to ensure that we start off. And , um, so I had an opportunity in 2013 to actually go and do my internship in the UK in London as an events and program fellow intern . And when I was there, there are many things that blew my mind in Europe. Like everything was different, of course, for an African like me who had never even used the , um, underground train , uh, everything was so mind blowing . But I kept reflecting on how best I can also impact my community when I go back to Uganda , uh, with the skills I'd learned , uh, you know, from my internship with the people I'd made , the connections I'd made, I felt that we could also , I could also contribute to my, to my country as a young woman at that time. And so when at Atian , um, approaches me , uh, that someone in Canada had given him my contact , uh, for us to start something together, you know , um, I was like, wow, I don't know how that looks like, but I think it's a good thing. And so that's how the journey starts. And , uh, so when I come back , uh, we start on the journey for creating sooner , uh, with a team of other people. And yes, 10 years later we are here , uh, impacting many young people all over the country and also outside of Uganda. And now we are even touching rural communities , uh, working with rural women , um, in their own way.
Speaker 2:Okay, wonderful. Um, and just to clarify, Etienne is the German founder Yes . Of Cena the
Speaker 3:Founder . Yes. Attend is the founder of Social Innovation Academy. Uh , but of course everyone contributed Mm-Hmm . <affirmative> , uh, to this very big movement
Speaker 2:In regards to the Her Start program. For you, what is the most rewarding part of working specifically with her start since you joined her start ?
Speaker 3:Yes . So I've also been with her start since the beginning Mm-Hmm . <affirmative> , uh, even before it started <laugh>. So , uh, I think for me , um, the , I had very many questions in the beginning , uh, but what stands out for me, because in the past I never used to, to really train and or facilitate rural young women. And I was used to people who could speak English, you know, who also other people were able to facilit it . And then I just come in and everything is easy, but with her start , it gives an opportunity to every young woman , uh, to realize their fullest potential. So I've met young women who I wouldn't even imagine that they could start a social innovation or a social business. And thanks to her start , uh, that is now possible. And also with my background with Social Innovation Academy and the kind of scholars we were bringing to the , the program, theStart Woman, her start Young Woman is a different woman, is a unique woman, and she needs special attention. And , uh, she needs actually special way to be handled and supported. You know , uh, most of them, most of these young women , um, married, they have children and they're young, you know, they're less than 28, some are 30, some are 19, you know, and they have issues that need attention. And for me to see them thrive through the program, they commit themselves to come and learn and study and relearn, you know, and unlearn. Uh , I think for me, that is what really stands out for me for the hashtag project. And I think that if it wasn't here in Uganda, and if it hadn't partnered with cna , who would actually have missed out a lot Mm-Hmm , <affirmative> , and many women in the PGY district wouldn't have gotten the opportunity they have right now of, you know, changing , uh, their communities, impacting their communities, but also benefiting themselves and realizing their fullest potential as responsible citizens of this world.
Speaker 2:That was a beautiful response. So yeah, just speaking of the impact that her start has had within Uganda, are there any areas , uh, of opportunity that you see for her start to expand or grow within Uganda?
Speaker 3:Of course, it, it depends on the current problems or the challenges in communities currently. There are, there is I think , um, a gender inequality issue. And of course that is predominant in , in , in the, I think in the whole world, but at different levels. Yeah. And I think fun African , uh, rural Ugandan woman , it's even quite different. And the challenges in inequality in gender-based violence in lack of resources, lack of opportunities , uh, somehow those, this way they affect a woman , uh, to not, to realize her potential. And , um, of course why YCI , uh, through her start and also through the Partner Innovation fund has been able to have to create, support us to create some , uh, programs, some projects in other fields like Agroforestry, climate Action, mm-hmm , <affirmative> , and also , uh, gender inequalities. Uh , but I feel that maybe if we could also explore , um, other ways , uh, it could be gender based , uh, it could be climate action specifically. Mm-hmm, <affirmative> , uh, to create programs , uh, not only for capacity building. I don't like those programs for capacity building, but you know, like how we created a forest here in Senna , everyone can see it. It's visible. It's going to impact, it's going to benefit everyone. Uh , like I think her start has that capacity to influence and innovate and write , write innovative innovatively , uh, programs that actually impact people.
Speaker 2:I just wanna say thank you for your entire, all of your work that you've put into Cena and her start. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. Oh ,
Speaker 3:Thank you , Sarah . I think this has been nice.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us today and learning about how you challenge International has partnered with young women to advance gender equality globally and creates a social entrepreneurship ecosystem with a positive impact for all. If you enjoy this hairstyle, innovate the Future podcast episode, please subscribe and share our episodes on social media. A special thanks to the fellows that volunteer their time in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda, who help create these episodes, Y Cs , hair Start Innovate the future and Fellowship programs are funded through the government of Canada's volunteer corporation program, providing skilled Canadians opportunities to volunteer with global partners and advanced Canada's feminist international assistance policy. Join us and thousands of young people around the globe creating a better future together. Learn more@y.org or org .
