We create new pathways that Inspire global citizenship and foster sustainable change through cross-cultural education and investment in social enterprise.
At the Mwebaza Foundation, we believe building long-term financial independence, not dependency, is part of the solution. That's why we partner with Ugandan communities to invest in income-generating projects known as social enterprises. These cooperatively-run businesses split profits between the participants and the schools, allowing both to thrive.
As they continue diversifying income streams, schools build the agency to operate sustainably without relying on outside support while reducing tuition fees. This would allow them to offer some of the first free education in Uganda and address the ever-changing needs of their schools.
Beyond the classroom, these projects offer adult participants the chance to build financial freedom, allowing them to invest in their families and communities well beyond our reach. Social enterprises foster camaraderie and entrepreneurship by engaging the community in each business, allowing everyone to contribute, learn, and grow together
With our Ugandan partners, we’re creating new pathways to financial independence and accessible education for all—one social enterprise at a time.
Education matters AND culturally relevant, globally-focused education matters too. When paired, they can change the world. Since 2008, we’ve connected thousands of students in Colorado and Uganda to share in cross-cultural activities. Through these lessons, students learn to appreciate themselves and others while exploring cultures and communities. Students also learn about global issues, becoming global citizens with a strong sense of self and deepened world views.
With this foundational knowledge, students can apply what they have learned in the world, get involved in their communities, and realize they have the knowledge and power to impact change.
What does our educational programming look like in the classrooms?
We facilitate cross-cultural lessons for students from Pre-K through Middle School that build upon each other as students move through grade levels. Each lesson includes a read-aloud book related to its theme. Students then participate in self-reflection, engage in group discussions, and create mixed-media art projects that are then shared between our partner schools in Colorado and Uganda.
By exchanging these cross-cultural art projects, students can explore each other's values and interests, share cultures, and learn about each other's ways of life, while building friendships across the globe.
Each year, we host Mwebaza Days at our partner schools in both countries. These school-wide cultural celebrations bring students together through live video exchanges of music, dance, and discussion. Students in both places toast to their friendship to close out the live video celebration.
After the assembly, each grade level at our Colorado partner schools reflects upon their experience of Mwebaza Day through discussions and group activities, where they share what was impactful and interesting.
Our Colorado school clubs invite students to delve deeper into cultivating global citizenship mindsets. During club activities, students learn about Ugandan culture, partner school social enterprises, Mwebaza’s alternative nonprofit model, and global issues - making real-world connections. Students gain leadership skills by giving school-wide presentations, planning fundraising events, and hosting Mwebaza Day
Each year, we host the “Change-Makers Challenge” that invites our middle school students in Uganda and Colorado to explore global issues and implement creative solutions to the problems they are facing in their communities. Through these dynamic, global studies projects, students learn how to advocate for change.
We are building a future where students have access to lessons informed by a variety of perspectives, that invite them to think critically, through a cultural lens, about issues affecting themselves and their communities.
“I realized I was not just teaching a subject; I was inspiring a new generation of innovators and problem-solvers. My journey with Mwebaza has not only enriched my life, but brought about positive change for countless others.”
-Mbogo Umar, partnered since 2019
“I want to see a changed nation, through me. I want to see future teachers, doctors, lawyers, and professionals. Mwebaza Annex is my home and my pride.”
-Marione Nawaggi, partnered since 2017
We create new pathways that inspire global citizenship and foster sustainable change through cross-cultural education and investment in social enterprise.
We desire a world in which all people are equipped with the education and skills to build sustainable and just futures.
We are an educational organization that embraces decolonizing practices to build alternative structures in the nonprofit space centered on understanding, solidarity, and liberation.
We never set out to create or perpetuate dependency. However, as a nonprofit, we were trying to do work in a system that reinforces unequal power dynamics and the legacy of colonialism. Now, we understand that we don’t have to participate in these systems any longer. Through understanding, acknowledgment, education, and action, we can change.
We recognize that traditional aid structures perpetuate a colonialism legacy that upholds unequal power structures. In this understanding, we choose to operate in solidarity with our partner schools and communities to reclaim power in places where it is inequitable. By learning together, we grow increasingly equipped to build power from a place of equity. In that, we work together towards our shared mission.
Organization name
Mwebaza Foundation
2008
Tax id (EIN)
26-2254563
Category
Education
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
1103 Collyer StMailing
P.O. Box 353Boulder County, CO, US
Kampala, Central Region, UG
Larimer County, CO, US
Gulu, Northern Region, UG