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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Formal Social Enterprises born at SINA and still existing

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Jobs created (cumulative formal and informal)

News

See what happens at SINA

Sign up to our New SINA Newsletter

Published on April 27, 2026

SINA has grown far beyond what I could have imagined when we started in Uganda in 2014. Today, the Social Innovation Academy is a growing ecosystem of SINA Communities, young changemakers, refugee-led and youth-led social enterprises, and local solutions emerging from lived experience. Many people have asked how they can stay updated in a world […]

Impact Report 2025

Published on April 23, 2026

Across 23 SINA Communities in 9 countries, young people who were often written off are building their own futures and creating jobs for themselves and for others. Our new Impact Report shows what that looked like in 2025, through social enterprises launched, new communities started, partnerships built, and around 2,000 jobs created to date. Behind […]

At SINA, young people facing the challenges create the solutions

Published on April 17, 2026

There is something strange about the way many systems deal with young people in crisis. Often, the people furthest from the challenges design the answers. The curriculum usually arrives from somewhere else. Funding follows its own logic, often written for people who have never set foot in a refugee settlement or sat with someone who […]

A Strong Month of March Across the SINA Ecosystem

Published on March 31, 2026

After a difficult start to 2026 in Uganda, with the presidential election held on January 15 and an internet shutdown during the election period, March brought a different rhythm. As the country moved beyond the election season, activity picked up again. Across Mpigi, Jinja, and beyond Uganda, the month brought the kind of movement we […]

New SINA Community Starts in Lusaka, Zambia

Published on March 31, 2026

It started with a partnership of SINA and Circus Zambia, a social enterprise offering unique entertainment while equipping young people from marginalized backgrounds with circus and life skills. Three youth were identified and supported by a German entrepreneur couple to spend 6 months in Uganda from June to December 2025 to go through the SINA Framework and […]

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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