Social Innovation Academy

SINA tackles failing education and resulting unemployment in Africa through creating self-organized and freesponsible learning spaces, where disadvantaged youth unleash their potential for positive change as social entrepreneurs.

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From Marginalized Youth to Social Entrepreneurs

About us

A cost-effective and self-governed community approach provides a pathway, tools and the mindset for marginalized youth and refugees to shape a vision for their future and create new solutions in form of social enterprises with benefit to society and the environment.

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Number of SINA Communities

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Social Enterprises created at SINA

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Jobs created through SINA Social Enterprises

News

See what happens at Sina

SINA Framework at Catalyst2030 Session on Educational Models for Youth Social Innovation

Published on December 9, 2024

SINA was invited to present its innovative framework at the Africa Academic Hub session organized through Catalyst2030 on the topic of “Shaping the Future: Educational Models for Youth Social Innovation”. Etienne Salborn presented SINA online. The recording of the session is available on YouTube:

7 hour Livestream across 6 SINA Communities and 7 inspiring SINA Social Enterprises

Published on December 4, 2024

We had a fantastic event for seven hours straight across Uganda and Africa. We saw live how our newest SINA Communities are unleashing the potentials of marginalized young people to become the change they wish to see as social entrepreneurs and how some inspiring SINA Social Enterprises are having remarkable social and environmental impact on […]

SINA Changemaker-maker Virtual Live Event 2024 on GivingTuesday – Dec 3 (join anytime!)

Published on November 30, 2024

Experience how we’re transforming challenges into opportunities across Eastern Africa in this live event on Zoom, LinkedIn and YouTube. Are you ready to witness transformation while it is happening across Africa? This Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, we are inviting you on a unique 7-hour virtual and live journey across different SINA communities and SINA Social […]

Leaders50: Etienne Salborn

Published on November 25, 2024

We are excited to see SINA Founder Etienne Salborn listed in the Leaders50 listing of 50 inspiring organizational leaders by Thinkers50. Every two years, the Leaders50 is a uniquely curated selection of global leaders who demonstrate exceptional leadership by inspiring purposeful action and achieving remarkable outcomes. Leaders are assessed based on their organizational impact, economic […]

Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) in Uganda for SINA Replication in Nigeria

Published on November 25, 2024

The SINA Replication for Katsina State in Nigeria is ongoing and scheduled to start in February 2025. A delegation of local Government officials from the Abuja Enterprise Agency and Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) traveled to East Africa to experience the SINA Framework first-hand and learn from the Ugandan Startup Ecosystem, while also heading […]

2007

Kankobe Children's Home

Etienne Salborn volunteers in the Kankobe Children’s Home in Uganda and creates an educational sponsorship program for orphans after leaving the orphanage.

2009

Formation of Jangu

The sponsorship program reaches 30 students and "Jangu e.V." is founded to manage them professionally.

2013

Collective Idea for SINA

The 1st generation of sponsored youth completes High School but drowns in youth unemployment. In an Open Space the idea for a space where youth create their own jobs is born.

2014

Jangu International

The 1st SINA is created by collectively building the model, culture and the space in Mpigi with 15 Ugandan facilitators, international experts and Jangu e.V. graduates.

2015

Proof of Concept

The 1st SINA Community grows to 50 members and proves that marginalized youth can unleash their potentials and become social entrepreneurs through self-organized and freesponsible education.

2016

Proving Scalability

Three refugees find SINA, join and 9 months later make "SINA" their social enterprise by replicating the model into the Nakivale Refugee Settlement.

2018

UNHCR Innovation Award

SINA is replicated by and for refugees in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement and wins the UNHCR Innovation Award. A partnership starts to replicate SINA in Zimbabwe with UNHCR.

2019

SINA Global

SINA Global is established to serve a growing network of SINA Communities, hundreds of social enterprises born at SINAs and support further replications across Africa.

2023

Exponential Impact

With 12 SINAs in 5 African countries and strategic partnerships, a freesponsible and regenerative movement for exponential scale and impact is emerging.

Partners & Supporters

"I'm living my dreams and not dreaming my life!"

Joseph Bwinika

Founder of Tucheke Movies Production, Nakivale Refugee Sttlement

"Before I joined SINA I didn’t know what to do with my life, I was scared that I was going to be a failure because I had no hopes of continuing with studies but after joining SINA and through a lot of empowerment and coaching, I realized my passions and regained hope for success and created a change in my life."

Joan Nalubega

Founder of Uganics

"I am now strong emotionally and no longer put blame on anyone for the challenges that I met in life and I uphold challenges to give me solutions. I was able to find my passion and create a social benefit to the society out of it."

Angella Marjorie

Founder of the Gejja Women Foundation

"Before SINA, I was not able to express myself and give my view about challenges that affect me and my community, after SINA am able to pursue my passion and dreams of fashion and supporting persons with disabilities with the help of life coaches and mentors. SINA has changed my life through discovering myself, identifying and developing my passions and it has kept me thinking and creative all the time. I am an empowered leader now and have been able to create an enterprise. "

Juliet Namujju

Founder of Kimuli Collections

"SINA has impacted me in many ways. It is the place and environment where I discovered myself deeply. I learned how to find solutions towards problems and pains I had."

Turatsinze Victor

Co-Founder of Unleashed in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement

"SINA is a life transforming environment which is giving hope and meaning to life of youth. I was hopeless and I didn’t know what I was going to do but since I joined SINA I am now developing my professional skills and my personal growth. It is helping me to become an entrepreneur."

Sylvain Himbana

Co-Founder of SINA Loketa in Bidibidi Refugee Camp