Social Innovation Academy

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From Marginalized Youth to Social Entrepreneurs

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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Formal Social Enterprises born at SINA and still existing

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Jobs created (cumulative formal and informal)

News

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SINA Social Enterprise Bootcamp, Uganda (February 24 to March 3, 2026)

The SINA Enterprise Bootcamp is a one-week, hands-on immersion into early-stage social entrepreneurship. International participants join SINA social enterprise teams as active team members, working directly with real customers on problem-solution fit, prototyping, pricing, and first revenues. The bootcamp brings together 7 to 8 early-stage social enterprises from SINA communities in Uganda and other African […]

Highlights from our Changemaker-maker Event across 5 new SINAs and 4 Social Enterprises

On December 2, 2025 (Giving Tuesday), we embarked on a journey across Nepal, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda to visit on ground our newest five SINA Communities and four impactful SINA social enterprises. The event was designed as a space to listen, reflect, and learn from one another. Community founders shared how new SINA spaces […]

The SINA 6-Hour Livestream Event Showcases Deep Impact from Nepal to Uganda, Highlighting Youth-Led Solutions to Global Challenges

What a powerful journey we had yesterday across Nepal, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda visiting our newest SINA Communities and inspiring SINA social enterprises. The recording of the entire 6h livestream of the SINA Changemaker-maker Event with timestamps is now available here: Thank you to all the speakers, moderators, viewers and supporters! Chapters: 00:00 Official […]

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

Fürsorge- und Bildungsstiftung
Impact Hub
Tui Care Foundation
greiner
Global Business Coalition for Education
Mpigi District Local Government
Project Redwood
Merck Family Foundation
Office of the Prime Minister
Deichmann Foundation
Leopold Bachmann Foundation
Siemens Foundation
Social Impact Award
Don Bosco Mondo
SessionLab
ecoversity alliance
Rhein Donau Stiftung
Issroff Family Foundation
ChanceMaker Foundation
Corporate Rebel Foundation
Youth Challenge International
RedSalt Foundation
SINA RenDanHaYi certified RDHY
IKEA Foundation

"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