Youth Leader: Refugee Education Entrepreneur

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Joseph Munyambanza of DRC/Uganda was well on his path after having graduated from African Leadership Academy and Westminster College in the US (funded by MasterCard Foundation). He wanted to return to Uganda to help develop COBURWAS - the education and youth entrepreneurship program that he started with other refugees in Kyangwali refugee camp.

Without Umsizi’s stipend support, he estimates his salary might have been only $300 a month, not enough to live on. Umsizi’s stipend support enabled Joseph to return home and spend three years developing COBURWAS.

“The Umsizi Fund Fellowship covered my living expenses and provided me with ongoing coaching that enabled me to sustain the growth of the organization. In 2 years, our secondary school doubled the number of children who were going to school. We enabled more refugees to attend University and trained over 50 youth leaders who have continued to run livelihood projects in Uganda. I was able to do all this because I had the support from Umsizi Fund.”