Up With Africa - UWA

What Up With Africa - UWA does

Up With Africa (UWA) is a refugee-led nonprofit organization registered in Uganda (Up With Africa Ltd) and headquartered in Kampala, serving refugees and low-income communities across four Ugandan locations: Kampala and the Nakivale, Kyaka II, and Kyangwali refugee settlements. Founded in 2020 by graduates of a Jesuit Refugee Service computer-training scholarship at Makerere University, UWA is built and run by the people it serves through a six-person operational team. The organization operates three programmatic pillars — inclusive education, tech employment, and sport-for-development — serving 500+ refugees directly and 1,200+ youth through career and skills pathways, with an 85% placement rate reported across its programs.

UWA's core digital offering is the UWA Talent Hub, a live PHP/web-based platform connecting verified refugee professionals with global remote employers through public profiles, application tracking, and direct employer job posting. This is supported by a suite of community-built digital resources: the Refugee Digital Work Barrier Map (a crowdsourced database tracking 41 platforms rated by refugees for accessibility), the Refugee Freelancer Legal Guide (available in five languages), the Platform Access Toolkit (six step-by-step guides for banking, Payoneer, Upwork, MTN MoMo, Fiverr, and URA tax registration), a curate Remote Jobs Board, and the annual Digital Livelihoods Report (surveying 342 refugees, testing 12 platforms, and following an 18-person cohort over six months). The organization asserts 100% of donations go directly to programs with zero administration fees.

UWA's revenue model is entirely donation- and grant-based with no fees charged to beneficiaries. It accepts donations via PayPal, MTN Mobile Money, and bank transfer; offers suggested donation tiers from $10 to $100 mapped to specific program outcomes; and sustains operations through institutional grants, corporate giving, and partnerships with NGOs, universities, and community organizations. GTM is community-led (word-of-mouth within refugee settlements, NGO/CBO partner networks, alumni referrals) supplemented by event-driven outreach via international conferences. The organization has no parent company, no institutional investors, and was bootstrapped through weekly founder contributions of UGX 10,000 in 2020.

Name

Up With Africa - UWA

Legal name

Up With Africa Ltd

Website

https://africaup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Up With Africa (UWA) is a refugee-led nonprofit in Kampala, Uganda, founded in 2020, that empowers refugees and low-income communities through inclusive education, tech employment training, sport-for-development, and the UWA Talent Hub platform connecting verified refugee professionals with global remote employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Services and Digital Workforce Development

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee & Migrant Integration Enterprises (Livelihoods, Services) (BPAGALAN)

Keywords

• Refugee education programs
• Digital skills training
• Remote employment matching
• Nonprofit refugee services
• Sport for development

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and grants: UWA is primarily funded through donations from individuals, institutional donors, and corporate giving programmes. The website states that 100% of contributions go to programs. Donation methods include PayPal (international), MTN Mobile Money (Uganda), and bank transfer (UGX/USD/EUR). In-kind donations of computers, books, and sports equipment are also accepted.
2. Partnership and collaboration fees: UWA partners with NGOs, corporations, universities, and community organisations on co-designed programs. While not explicitly fee-based, these partnerships leverage resources, co-fund program delivery, and may include employer engagement fees through the Talent Hub.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Up With Africa is a refugee-led nonprofit organization that delivers education, tech employment, and sport-for-development programs to refugees and low-income communities in Uganda. Its core offering is the UWA Talent Hub, a live platform connecting verified refugee professionals with global remote employers, supported by a suite of free digital resources (Barrier Map, Legal Guide, Platform Toolkit, Remote Jobs Board, Digital Livelihoods Report) and in-person training delivered across Kampala and three refugee settlements.

Product overview

Up With Africa (UWA) is a refugee-led nonprofit organization offering a suite of interconnected programs and digital platforms focused on refugee empowerment through education, tech employment, sport-for-development, and advocacy. The core offering is the UWA Talent Hub, a live platform that connects verified refugee professionals with global employers. Supporting this are the Digital Hub (centralized resource hub), the Refugee Digital Work Barrier Map (platform accessibility ratings), Refugee Freelancer Legal Guide (multilingual legal resources), Platform Access Toolkit (step-by-step guides), Remote Jobs Board (curated job listings), and the annual Digital Livelihoods Report (research publication). Additional programs include Education, Tech Employment, and Sport for Development pillars, plus scholarship and fellowship opportunities, career pathways with mentorship, and an ongoing research initiative across four Ugandan settlements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UWA Talent Hub A live platform connecting verified refugee professionals with global employers actively hiring for remote work. Refugees create public profiles, browse remote jobs, and track applications in a single dashboard. Employers post jobs directly to reach a verified, on-the-ground community.
• Digital Hub Centralized resource hub consolidating all UWA digital tools and resources for refugees in Uganda, including the Barrier Map, Legal Guide, Remote Jobs Board, Platform Toolkit, and annual Digital Livelihoods Report.
• Refugee Digital Work Barrier Map Crowdsourced, real-time data platform showing which payment platforms, freelance sites, and financial services work or do not work for refugees in Uganda. Community-rated by refugees and updated monthly.
• Refugee Freelancer Legal Guide Plain-language legal guide to Ugandan law on refugee digital work and freelancing covering rights, contracts, tax, non-payment, and data protection. Available in English, French, Swahili, Arabic, and Somali.
• Uganda to Europe Remote Jobs Board Curated remote and freelance opportunities from European and global companies explicitly open to hiring refugees in Uganda. Roles span tech, creative, support, and language services.
• Platform Access Toolkit Practical step-by-step guides for platform barriers refugees face in Uganda, covering banking, Payoneer, Upwork, MTN MoMo, Fiverr, and URA tax registration. Community-verified and updated as situations change.
• Digital Livelihoods Report Annual publication surveying 340+ refugees, testing 12 digital platforms, and following an 18-person cohort over six months to document real barriers to digital income for refugees in Uganda. Published CC-BY 4.0.
• Scholarship Opportunities Curated list of scholarships open to refugees and young Africans, including UNHCR DAFI, Mastercard Foundation Scholars, Chevening, Commonwealth, DAAD, WUSC, and more. Verified, free to apply, with application support available.
• Opportunity News Curated listing of fellowships, training programmes, grants, and open calls for refugees and young Africans. Features programs like YALI RLC, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Re:Coded, and Anzisha Prize.
• Career Pathways Structured career pathways and mentorship programs supporting refugees in four directions: Tech & Digital, Creative & Communication, Entrepreneurship, and Sport & Coaching. Includes mentor matching and career essentials toolkit.
• Research Initiative Four-phase comparative study on refugee access to education and technology across Kampala, Nakivale, Kyaka II, and Kyangwali settlements in Uganda. Conducted by refugees for refugees and host communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• UWA programme graduates were 3.2× more likely to secure paid remote work vs. a matched control group over six months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration41 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core and minor.

• Jesuit Refugee Service Uganda (JRS Uganda)foundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020JRS Uganda provided the computer-networking scholarship at Makerere University that gave the founding team their skills and inspired UWA's creation. They brought the founding members in to help with data entry during COVID-19 lockdowns, which is when the idea for UWA was conceived.
• Makerere University / NetlabsfoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerA handful of JRS scholarship graduates continued advanced computer training at Netlabs / Makerere University. This training provided the founding team with advanced digital skills that became the foundation of UWA's tech employment programs.
• Centenary Bank UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentenary Bank is one of the most refugee-friendly banks in Uganda, operating an active partnership with UNHCR and OPM. Accepts Refugee Certificate + UNHCR attestation letter to open basic savings accounts. Has dedicated refugee onboarding desks at its Kikuubo branch (Kampala). UWA's Platform Toolkit documents Centenary Bank as the recommended starting point for refugees opening their first bank account.
• Equity Bank UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquity Bank Uganda has an active refugee inclusion programme and accepts OPM refugee documentation. Has branches near major settlements and in Kampala (Kampala Road branch recommended). UWA's Platform Toolkit lists Equity Bank as a recommended refugee-friendly bank alongside Centenary Bank.
• ISA (International School of Augsburg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUWA collaborated with ISA and MasterPeace Uganda to deliver a Youth Employability Training programme in Kampala, culminating in a graduation cohort in 2025.
• MasterPeace UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUWA collaborated with MasterPeace Uganda and ISA to deliver a Youth Employability Training programme in Kampala, with graduates celebrated in 2025.
• Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTBB is a global talent mobility organisation building employer-led pathways from displaced communities to skilled jobs. UWA partners with TBB on its refugee employment pipeline, co-listing roles on the Remote Jobs Board (e.g., Time Etc virtual assistant listings with TBB partnership track for refugee applicants).
• Jobtech AlliancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerA coalition researching and building digital job platforms that work for refugees and low-income youth. UWA is a pipeline partner, with Jobtech Alliance co-listing roles on the Remote Jobs Board and sharing research on digital livelihoods.
• AYAN (African Youth Action Network)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional youth network connecting talent with employer programmes across Africa. UWA partners with AYAN as a pipeline partner on the Remote Jobs Board, helping connect refugee youth in Uganda with employment opportunities.
• MTN UgandacoreTechnology or IntegrationMTN Mobile Money is the primary and most reliable payment rail for refugees in Uganda receiving international freelance income. Upwork, Sama, Appen, and Deel support direct payout to MTN MoMo in Uganda. 71% of refugees who received freelance income used MTN MoMo as their primary receipt method in 2024. UWA's Platform Toolkit has a dedicated guide for receiving international payments via MTN Mobile Money.
• UNHCR UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNHCR Uganda provides attestation letters for refugees, intervenes in bank account refusal cases (contact: [email protected]), and is referenced throughout UWA's legal guide as a key regulatory and support partner for refugees. UWA's research is conducted in UNHCR's operational context.
• Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)coreOthersURA issues Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to refugees with valid Refugee Certificates. UWA's Platform Toolkit includes a step-by-step guide for refugees obtaining a TIN from URA (online or in-person at Nakawa Industrial Area, Kampala). URA accepts OPM Refugee Certificates for TIN registration.
• Bank of UgandacoreOthersBank of Uganda issues consumer protection guidelines requiring licensed banks to serve customers with valid identity documents, including Refugee Certificates. UWA's Legal Guide references the Consumer Protection Directorate ([email protected]) as the body to report banking discrimination against refugees.
• Migration SummitminorOthersUWA presented at the 2024 international Migration Summit on the topic of employment and entrepreneurship challenges in refugee daily stories, contributing to policy discourse and international visibility.
• Sport for Development Conference (East Africa)minorOthersUWA participated in the 2025 Sport for Development Conference in East Africa to discuss the use of sports for social impact, sharing its sport-for-development model with regional stakeholders.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Andela: African tech-talent marketplace connecting engineers with global employers; while broader in scope, it overlaps with UWA's Talent Hub on Uganda-based tech talent matching and shares the friction of refugee documentation in onboarding.

Direct peers

• Talent Beyond Boundaries: Global talent-mobility organization that connects skilled refugees with employer-led pathways to skilled jobs; a pipeline partner on UWA's Remote Jobs Board, making it the closest direct peer in refugee-to-remote-employment matchmaking.
• Re:Coded: Trains displaced and underserved youth in coding and connects them with tech employment; mirrors UWA's combination of refugee-focused tech training plus employer placement and is featured in UWA's Opportunity News listings.
• TalentLift: Nonprofit building employer partnerships to hire and integrate refugees into skilled jobs in the U.S. and abroad; directly comparable model of matching refugee talent with vetted employer opportunities at global scale.
• MasterPeace Uganda: Co-delivered UWA's 2025 Youth Employability Training cohort and shares UWA's community-led, education-and-leadership focus with refugees and host communities in Uganda.

Broad incumbents

• Alight: Humanitarian organization (formerly American Refugee Committee) working with displaced communities across multiple countries; comparable in delivering integrated programs but at significantly larger scale and scope than UWA.
• RefugePoint: Refugee-focused nonprofit providing protection, resettlement, and self-reliance programs; comparable in serving refugees across multiple African settings with a stronger institutional footprint but broader mandate than UWA.
• Jesuit Refugee Service: International Catholic organization serving refugees; provided the foundational computer-netraining scholarship at Makerere University that created UWA's founding team and remains a strategic partner. Operates globally across a much wider service portfolio than UWA.

Others

• AYAN (African Youth Action Network): Regional African youth talent network connecting young people with employer programs; pipeline partner on UWA's Remote Jobs Board and thus a thematically aligned ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Jobtech Alliance: Coalition researching and building digital job platforms for refugees and low-income youth; pipeline partner on UWA's Remote Jobs Board and collaborator on digital livelihoods research, positioning it as an enabling ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UpWithAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/upafricaup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/up-with-africa-uwa
• Instagraminstagram.com/up_with_africa_ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Up With Africa - UWA