On 15 August 2026, BaNgaAfayo Initiative Uganda brought young people, teachers, parents, community members, and partners together in Kayunga to celebrate International Youth Day under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations: Advancing Youth Aspirations Through Alcohol Prevention.”
The celebration was more than a day of activities. It created a space for young people to speak, share ideas, demonstrate their talents, and reflect on the opportunities and challenges that shape their future.
Giving Young People a Voice
The day began with young people taking the lead in conversations around alcohol prevention. Through a students’ panel, young people shared their experiences and perspectives on alcohol use, the pressures they face, and the importance of making healthy and informed choices.
The discussion demonstrated that young people should not only be spoken about they should be listened to. Their voices are essential in understanding the challenges they face and developing solutions that respond to their realities.
Teachers and community members also participated in a panel discussion focused on the role adults can play in supporting young people. The conversation highlighted the importance of guidance, positive role models, safe spaces, and supportive communities in helping young people make choices that protect their wellbeing and future.
The audience interaction and question-and-answer session further opened the conversation, allowing participants to share their thoughts and engage directly with the issues affecting young people.
Prevention Through Opportunity
One of the strongest messages from the celebration was that alcohol prevention is not only about telling young people what to avoid. It is also about creating positive alternatives and opportunities that help them discover what they can become.
At BaNgaAfayo, this approach is reflected across our programs. Through Sports for Development, education, health awareness, leadership, digital literacy, robotics and STEAM, Fashion & Design, and the Production Hub, young people have spaces where they can learn, build skills, express themselves, and develop confidence.
The International Youth Day celebration brought this approach to life.
Young People Turning Ideas into Solutions
The Robotics and STEAM showcase was one of the highlights of the day. Young people demonstrated a smoke detector they had developed to alert people to potential fire danger.
The presentation was more than a technology demonstration. It showed what can happen when young people have access to learning spaces, mentorship, tools, and opportunities to experiment with their ideas.
For young people in rural communities such as Kayunga, access to technology and practical learning opportunities can open doors that may otherwise remain out of reach.
The showcase reminded everyone that young people are capable of creating solutions not only for their own futures but also for the challenges within their communities.
Celebrating Talent and Creativity
The Fashion & Design showcase provided another opportunity for young people to demonstrate their creativity and skills. Their work reflected the importance of vocational and practical skills in helping young people explore pathways toward independence and livelihoods.
The celebration also featured Maganda dance, bringing culture, creativity, and entertainment into the day’s activities. It gave young people another platform to express themselves, celebrate their talents, and connect with one another.
These activities reinforced an important lesson: every young person has potential, but potential needs opportunities to grow.
Football as a Space for Positive Choices
The celebration ended with a football match, bringing the day’s conversations into an atmosphere of teamwork, energy, and healthy competition.
At BaNgaAfayo, football is more than a game. Through Sports for Development, sport provides young people with opportunities to build confidence, teamwork, leadership, discipline, relationships, and life skills.
The football match demonstrated how positive recreational spaces can bring young people together and provide healthy alternatives to risky behaviours.
What the Celebration Taught Us
International Youth Day in Kayunga reinforced that young people share common aspirations even when their backgrounds and circumstances are different. They want opportunities to learn, develop skills, stay healthy, earn a living, lead, express themselves, and build better futures.
But achieving these aspirations requires more than the efforts of young people themselves.
Parents, teachers, communities, leaders, organisations, and partners all have a role to play. Young people need adults who listen to them, communities that create safe spaces, and opportunities that allow them to develop their abilities.
The celebration also showed that prevention works best when young people have something positive to belong to and something meaningful to work toward. A football field, a robotics classroom, a Fashion & Design space, a learning centre, or a community dialogue can become more than a place for an activity they can become spaces where young people build confidence and imagine a different future.
Looking Beyond International Youth Day
For BaNgaAfayo, International Youth Day was not simply a celebration. It was a reminder of why we continue to invest in young people across Kayunga.
Through our Cradle to Career approach, we work to create opportunities that support children and young people as they learn, develop skills, build resilience, make informed choices, and move toward productive futures.
The conversations and activities of the day reminded us that different contexts do not have to limit common aspirations.When young people are given a voice, supported by their communities, and provided with meaningful opportunities, they can move from simply having dreams to developing the skills and confidence to pursue them.
The celebration may have ended with the final whistle on the football pitch, but the message continues.
