As Junior Achievement Uganda (JA Uganda) launched Year 3 of its Social Equity Program (SEP) at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in Nakawa, all eyes were on the impact youth-led innovation continues to have in solving real-world problems.
Among the standout voices was Bill Bruce Ahumuza, a second-year student at MUBS and lead innovator behind Safisha Purifiers a social enterprise dedicated to delivering affordable, solar-powered water purification systems to underserved communities.
“I have been in technology all my life,” said Ahumuza, reflecting on his journey. Introduced to the SEP through a boot camp, he conceptualised Safisha Purifiers as a direct response to the lack of access to safe drinking water in many parts of Uganda. “Our goal is to give underserved communities access to safe drinking water in a sustainable and equitable way. We are inspired by SDG 6, and our mission is to make modern purification systems affordable, bringing them down from an industry level,” he explained.
Leveraging solar panels to power their systems, Safisha Purifiers aims to reach as many communities as possible. With Shs 30 Million Seed funding received from Z Zurich Foundation through JA Africa ,Junior Achievement Uganda, the team is now focused on commercialising their product to scale impact.
“We want to make a difference. We want to reach more people. And this funding allows us to take that next step,” said Ahumuza.
As a top winner of the program, he emphasised how university-based innovation hubs now serve as fertile ground for future entrepreneurs.
“Every university has an innovation hub that supports you with mentorship and resources. There is so much information available to us as students of 2025,” he noted.
Speaking to the role of technology, Brain Namanya, CEO of Tubayo Market, encouraged participants to embrace digital tools in their innovation. “When we use AI, it enables us to showcase a lot more work.
In all your projects, there should be AI and this adds execution to your work,” he said while addressing the winners of Junior Achievement Uganda.
The SEP, implemented in partnership with JA Africa and the Z Zurich Foundation, has become one of Uganda’s leading youth empowerment platforms.
Since its inception, the program has impacted tens of thousands of youth reaching 10,000 in 2023, 20,000 in 2024, and targeting 25,000 in 2025.
Uganda has continued to shine on the continental stage, with teams like BedBot and Safisha taking top honors in Africa-wide competitions.
“Today, we launch Year 3 of the Social Equity Program. If we don’t invest in the youth, when will we? From high school businesses like Newrich Media to 18,000+ empowered youth in 2024, the next big idea is stuck in a young person’s head waiting for support. Uganda has won the Afrinnovate Youth Challenge twice. Imagine what we could do with 180,000 or even 1.8 million youth reached. To youth aged 16–25: You’re not leaders of tomorrow, you’re the leaders of NOW,” said Rachael Mwagale, Executive Director of JA Uganda.
“With the invaluable support of Z Zurich Foundation, JA Africa, our dedicated JA Uganda team, our local partners, and the broader volunteer and alumni community, we have transformed challenges into opportunities; creating a platform where innovation meets social responsibility and the youth are empowered to create bright, boundless futures of job creators and responsible citizens,” added Matthew Ainomugisha, Project Lead for the JA Social Equity Program.
Mwagale closed the launch with a powerful message of inclusivity and hope: “Let us commit to not leaving anyone behind but to building a better Uganda.”