Youth Engagement in Uganda and the US - USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Summer Civics Institute - Guest Speakers Shallon Nyankubito and Amon Byarugaba

As a part of the 2026 programming for the USF YMCA Civic Fellows Program Summer Civics Institute, we organized a session 

Youth Community Engagement and Civic Leadership in Comparative Perspective - UGANDA

The presenters were students from Makerere University: 

Amon BYARUGABA - founder and team leader of the TREASURE CHILDREN'S CHARITY

and

Shallon NYANKUBITO of the Africa Youth Federation

whom I had the pleasure of meeting while a Fulbrighter at the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States at Makerere University (Fall 2025). 

Amon spoke about his inspiring work founding the Treasure Children's Charity -- how he identified the community needs to be addressed - and how he and his supporters were able to make a substantial difference in the lives of the children in his village. https://treasurechild.org/

Shallon talked about her work with the Africa Youth Federation and offered our Fellows practical suggestions for organizing and raising awareness on social media platforms to bring about meaningful change in the community.

One of the overarching themes of the discussion was that none of us has to wait for some other person/organization/government/agency to act. When we see something that needs improvement, we can jump in and start working on the issues.

Most of the Civic Fellows reported that this was their first time interacting with students overseas - and many indicated that they plan to reach out and connect with the presenters from Uganda.

One of our Civic Fellows reflected on our joint seminar:

The US-Uganda conversation was an inspiring experience that reinforced the importance of youth engagement as a pathway to civic leadership and community impact. I learned that young people, regardless of where they live, want meaningful opportunities. What struck me most was how much we have in common - shared concerns about education, employment, leadership development, and creating positive change. The discussion gave me new ideas about empowering youth through leadership opportunities, partnerships, and both traditional and digital forms of engagement. I was inspired by the confidence, optimism, and commitment of the speakers from Makerere University, who demonstrated a strong belief in their ability to make a difference despite facing significant challenges.

For more about the presenters from Makerere University, see my previous blog posts: 

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2026/06/youth-community-engagement-and-civic.html

For more about the 2026 Summer Civics Institute, see this article by 2026 Civic Fellow Sydney EMERY  article about the 2026 USF YMCA Civic Fellows Program

Once again, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the Fulbright Program (US Department of State) for connecting me with the Great Lakes Center for the Study of the United States at Makerere University - and for the US Embassy in Kampala for facilitating this fruitful exchange between students in the US and Uganda.

Group photo - with the students at University of South Florida in St. Petersburg and the students at the US Embassy American Spaces in Kampala

Student participants at the US Embassy American Spaces in Kampala, Uganda

Amon BYARUGABA presenting about the work of Treasure Children's Charity

Shallon NYANKUBITO presenting about her advocacy with the Africa Youth Federation