By Derrick Mpagi

I am the executive director of MIGHT Foundation Uganda and the founder of the Kampala youth networks, which only had at least 136 members before YALI.

i encountered YALI through a friend who advised me to apply to the programme for further leadership training. She strongly believed that the programme would enhance my leadership skills as a founder and executive director.

My YALI experience was nothing short of amazing. YALI exposed me to an environment of friendly and determined young East African leaders who are committed to addressing Africa's major challenges. YALI, further, introduced me to rapid prototyping, a skill I continuously use in our projects.

The YALI experience has helped me become a better public speaker, organizer of community outreach programs, and built my confidence, which has helped me share detailed project pitches before donors and partners.

Yes. Through  rapid prototyping, we registered at least 12,100 members into our networks, including at least 10 schools. Of the 10 schools, we identified five (5) poor rural schools in Kampala district, that cannot afford internet and international partnerships, which we connected with Otley All Saints C of E primary school in Leeds, London, through the British council's connecting classrooms programme. Through this partnership, our partner schools will gain experience and in the long run address violence against children within their schools with future support from the connecting classrooms grant programme. The partnership projects are determined by our organization in partnership with the local schools and international school.

At scale, we will establish these partnerships throughout Uganda, so that all children and teachers in poor schools may have international friends, experience and join the fight against violence towards children.

Our project will: connect all schools in Uganda with global school partners; establish platforms where parent, teachers and students hold their leaders responsible for education to account throught social audits; and establish platforms where parents, teachers and students participate in peace-building, for better education in Uganda.

Finally, please, inform us of any international schools or Ugandan rural schools within Kampala that are seeking for global partners, so that we find them partners within Uganda, if foreign, or outside the country.