Phoebe Natukunda

I MADE MY FIRST SINGLE-MOTHER VISIT TODAY! ❤️ About a week ago, @AloikinOpoloje, @KobusingyeNora, and @ClaireNamara12 told me about a single mother of ten they had met at Wandegeya Police Station. They wanted me to meet her; but I knew I couldn’t show up empty-handed. Today, we went back and met Nakirija: a warm, grateful mother who loves her children deeply. Her eldest, a bright young boy in Senior Six studying sciences on scholarship, has such a promising future. Her second born, Michelle, is in Senior Five studying HLD/ICT. She dreams of becoming a lawyer. She got pregnant at 16 during COVID and now has a beautiful baby girl, Ella. Michelle is still struggling with school fees; we actually found her at home today because she couldn’t attend school. Her term’s fees at Kampala Secondary School are UGX 480,000. The youngest siblings are not at school because they lack school fees. Nakirija got them a school in Mukono where they pay 90,000 a term. (I have forgotten the name🥹) My heart is so full tonight ; full because I got to see these girls smile. Abby, one of Nakirija’s daughters, fell fast asleep in my arms. I’d like to believe she felt safe enough with me to rest. But it’s also heavy, because more than anything, I want Michelle to finish her education and her siblings to stay in school; yet I can’t do it alone. To everyone who helped us buy them groceries and clear Michelle and her little siblings school fees for this term, I am so, so grateful. May your pockets never run dry. ❤️🙏🏽 (Photos posted with their consent) 🙏🏽

Last week, we had the opportunity to participate in the Kampala Geopolitics Conference 2026, contributing to conversations on youth participation in public policy. Our contribution highlighted the value of engaging young people at the grassroots,capturing their perspectives and translating them into structured policy briefs that can inform decision-making. These insights continue to be shared with institutions such as the @NYCofUganda , the @Parliament_Ug and the East African Legislative Assembly. Moments like these strengthen pathways for ensuring youth voices are not only heard, but consistently reflected in policy processes at national and regional levels. #KGC2026 #YouthParticipation

Next up this afternoon at the @kampalageopol is a timely panel on “How can Youth Shape Public Policies in Africa?” Moderator: Fiona Kemigisha Panelists: ✅Timothy Chemonges (CEPA) ✅Phoebe Natukunda (Faraja Africa Foundation Uganda) ✅Jessica Annor (AUDA-NEPAD) ✅Cheptum Toroitich (Oriental Lab, Kenya) Looking forward to a rich conversation on youth agency and policy influence across the continent. #KGC2026