African Youth Action Network - AYAN

What African Youth Action Network - AYAN does

African Youth Action Network (AYAN) is a non-profit, youth-led refugee organization founded in June 2015 in Uganda, originally established as the Youth Empowerment Network for Peace and Reconciliation in response to the South Sudan conflict. The organization is legally registered as a National NGO in South Sudan and under Uganda's Non-Governmental Organisations Act, 2016, operating from a headquarters in Kampala (Nsambya) and a regional office in Juba, with field operations in Kiryandongo, Kyaka II, and Rhino Camp refugee settlements. AYAN serves South Sudanese refugee youth, refugee farmers, urban refugee youth, refugee children and caregivers, and South Sudanese youth in conflict-affected areas of South Sudan through programs in peacebuilding, livelihoods, entrepreneurship, digital skills, childcare, and climate action. Major program offerings include the Refugee Pathpreneur Project (Hilton Foundation-funded, targeting 900 children, 450 businesses, 900 farmers), the Kampala Skills Hub (Global Whole Being Fund), Jobtech for Refugees (Mercy Corps/BFA Global), SOLCO clean cooking partnership (IKEA Foundation/Robert Bosch Foundation targeting 24,000 households), Peace Ambassadors training, and the REACH entrepreneurship challenge (MasterCard Foundation).

The organization operates physical Innovation Centers in three refugee settlements equipped with childcare corners, hydroponic farming systems, solar drying equipment, computer labs, Wi-Fi, and co-working spaces that serve as the delivery infrastructure for training and programs. AYAN holds NGOsource ED certification, enabling U.S. tax-deductible giving, and partners with UNHCR, Mercy Corps, SafeBoda, YSAT, and government bodies (KCCA, OPM) for program delivery. The revenue model is entirely grant-based: institutional funders (UNHCR, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, The MasterCard Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Robert Bosch Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Global Whole Being Fund, Mercy Corps, IIED, Whitaker Foundation, Last Mile Climate) provide multi-year project grants, supplemented by individual donations processed through the PesaPal platform. AYAN has reached over 23,000 young people across ten years and serves up to 50 refugee youth daily at its Innovation Centers.

Name

African Youth Action Network - AYAN

Legal name

African Youth Action Network (AYAN)

Website

https://ayanafrica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AYAN is a youth-led, refugee-founded non-profit established in 2015 that delivers peacebuilding, livelihoods, digital skills, childcare, and clean cooking programs to South Sudanese refugees in Uganda and South Sudan, operating three Innovation Centers across major refugee settlements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Refugee Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee & Migrant Integration Enterprises (Livelihoods, Services) (BPAGALAN), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Resettlement, Relocation & Repatriation Support (BPADAHAD)

Keywords

• Refugee youth empowerment
• Humanitarian peacebuilding
• Livelihoods training
• Community development programs
• Childcare psychosocial support

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Grants and Donations: AYAN operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through institutional grants and donations. Major funders include UNHCR (Youth Initiative Fund), The MasterCard Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, IKEA Foundation, Robert Bosch Foundation, Global Whole Being Fund, and Last Mile Climate. Individual donations are accepted via PesaPal platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AYAN is a youth-led refugee non-profit that delivers integrated peacebuilding, entrepreneurship, childcare, digital skills, and climate adaptation programs to displaced South Sudanese youth. It operates three physical Innovation Centers in Uganda's Kiryandongo, Kyaka II, and Rhino Camp refugee settlements as service hubs, and runs additional programming in Kampala and South Sudan. All programs are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and are funded primarily through institutional grants from foundations and humanitarian organizations.

Product overview

African Youth Action Network (AYAN) is a youth-led refugee organization offering community programs and physical facilities rather than a technology product platform. The organization's offerings include the Refugee Pathpreneur Project (market-led intervention for refugee livelihoods), Kampala Skills Hub (digital skills training), Jobtech for Refugees (digital job platform connection), and SOLCO clean cooking initiative. Physical infrastructure includes three Innovation Centers in refugee settlements equipped with childcare corners, computer labs, coworking spaces, hydroponic systems, and internet access. Additional facilities include bookable training centers in Kiryandongo, Kyaka II, and Rhino Camp settlements, and a Youth Training Centre in Bweyale Town for craft skills training. AYAN also runs Peace Ambassadors training and the Refugee Accelerate Entrepreneurship Challenge (REACH). The organization does not operate a software product or SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refugee Pathpreneur Project A market-led livelihood intervention that equips refugee children and youth with pathways to dignifying work and sustainable income through entrepreneurship training, agricultural value addition, and mental health support across three Ugandan refugee settlements.
• Kampala Skills Hub A skills development program for urban refugee youth in Kampala that delivers hands-on training in art, creative industries, and advanced digital programs alongside advocacy skills, with a revolving fund for refugee business loans.
• Jobtech for Refugees A digital employment program that identifies, vets, capacitates, and mentors refugee youth to access work opportunities through Jobtech platforms such as SafeBoda, providing dignified gig-economy income in partnership with Mercy Corps.
• SOLCO Clean Cooking Partnership A climate adaptation initiative promoting adoption of solar electric cooking technologies among refugee and host community households to reduce health risks and environmental degradation from traditional cooking fuels.
• Peace Ambassadors Program A peacebuilding and leadership program that trains refugee and host community youth in emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and conflict resolution, and uses sport-for-peace tournaments such as the Mut Turoah Memorial Tournament reaching 1,500 youth annually in Mayom County, South Sudan.
• Refugee Accelerate Entrepreneurship Challenge (REACH) An entrepreneurship acceleration program that selects refugee youth entrepreneurs, especially young women, already running small businesses and provides tailored support and seed funding ranging from 1 million to 5 million Uganda Shillings.
• AYAN Innovation Centers Three multi-purpose community facilities in Kyaka II, Kiryandongo, and Rhino Camp refugee settlements that provide childcare, internet access, computer labs, co-working space, energy corners, and hydroponic and solar drying systems for training and community programming.
• AYAN Training and Workshop Facilities Bookable training and workshop spaces in Kiryandongo, Kyaka II, and Rhino Camp settlements featuring display screens, Wi-Fi, childcare space, computer lab, stable electricity, and clean comfortable rooms for hosting events.
• Youth Training Centre - Bweyale Town A craft-skills and social-enterprise training workshop located 4km from Kiryandongo refugee settlement in Bweyale town, training vulnerable youth aged 17-30 in sandal-making, craft skills, and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), with expected monthly production of 150 sandal pairs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 23,000 young people reached in 10 years of operation
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS Uganda and South Sudan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022KAS Uganda and South Sudan partnered with AYAN in 2022 and 2023 to train 287 refugee leaders including Youth, Religious, Women, RWC, Block and Zonal leaders in Palabek and Kiryandongo settlements on advocacy and participation. Continued support through 2025–2028 for refugee leadership strengthening.
• Mercy Corps (Jobtech Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021AYAN partnered with Mercy Corps Uganda to implement Jobtech for Refugees, connecting refugees to digital work opportunities. AYAN identifies, vets, capacitates, and mentors refugees to access jobtech platforms. The Jobtech Alliance is implemented by Mercy Corps and BFA Global.
• Youth Social Advocacy Team (YSAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYSAT co-organizes the Refugee Accelerate Entrepreneurship Challenge (REACH) with AYAN, providing a comprehensive suite of tailored support to selected refugee youth entrepreneurs including seed funding of 1–5 million UGX.
• SafeBodacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAYAN partnered with SafeBoda to onboard and vet refugee riders onto the SafeBoda digital platform. In August 2025, AYAN successfully onboarded 20 refugee riders who began earning immediately. SafeBoda Academy provided training and gear to refugees alongside Ugandan nationals.
• ACTogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAYAN partners with ACTogether under the Kampala City Forums project, funded by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), to ensure refugee voices in urban communities are included in Kampala city and division forums across 6 parishes in Makindye and Central Divisions.
• Last Mile ClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLast Mile Climate supports the SOLCO (Solar Electric Cooking) Partnership under the Humanitarian Climate Action Partnership Programme. AYAN works with Last Mile Climate and local government to encourage 24,000 refugee and host community households in Kyaka II and Kiryandongo to adopt clean e-cooking technologies.
• Independent DiplomatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent Diplomat supports AYAN's project (2025–2028) to organize and strengthen refugee leadership at local, national, regional, and global forums, in partnership with the Global Whole Being Fund.
• NGOsourceminorOthersAYAN is certified as equivalent to a U.S. public charity through NGOsource's Equivalency Determination process, enabling U.S.-based donors to give with confidence in regulatory standing.
• Komuka Skills Hub (Kampala)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKomuka Skills Hub in Kampala, in partnership with AYAN Uganda, trained 3 refugee youth for 4 months in 2018 to manage the sandal-making workshop at the Youth Training Centre in Bweyale town.
• KCCA Central DivisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAYAN convened a City Forum Dialogue with KCCA Central Division in February 2026, bringing together 11 community leaders and 14 KCCA officials to advance refugee inclusion in urban governance and city services.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• BFA Global (Jobtech Alliance): Co-implementer of the Jobtech Alliance with Mercy Corps, partnering with AYAN to connect refugees to digital work opportunities. Comparable focus on digital labor market access for displaced populations but operates at the platform/alliance level rather than direct settlement programming.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps Uganda: Large international humanitarian organization that partners with AYAN on the Jobtech for Refugees program. Operates across multiple sectors (livelihoods, food security, governance) in the same Ugandan settlements, but at substantially greater scale and with a broader programmatic portfolio.
• Right To Play: International sport-for-development organization recognized AYAN's co-founder and operates in the same Ugandan refugee settlements using sport-based peacebuilding and youth engagement. Comparable on peacebuilding and youth methodology but with a global footprint and broader programmatic range.
• Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Uganda: Established international refugee-rights and protection organization with significant operations in Ugandan refugee settlements, including protection, livelihoods, and advocacy. Comparable on displacement focus but operates at greater scale and geographic breadth.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC) Uganda: Major international humanitarian organization delivering refugee protection, livelihoods, health, and education services in Uganda. Operates in the same settlements as AYAN but with a much larger staff, broader sectoral reach, and longer institutional track record.
• AVSI Foundation Uganda: International NGO operating in Uganda on education, livelihoods, and child protection in refugee settlements. Comparable target population and beneficiary base with AYAN but with substantially larger budget, longer presence, and multi-country programmatic platform.

Direct peers

• Tutapona: Uganda-based organization delivering trauma-focused mental health and psychosocial support to refugees in the same settlements where AYAN operates. Comparable small-team, refugee-centric model with overlapping beneficiary base and complementary programmatic offering.
• Youth Social Advocacy Team (YSAT): YSAT co-organizes the Refugee Accelerate Entrepreneurship Challenge (REACH) with AYAN and shares a refugee youth-led model in Uganda focused on entrepreneurship and self-reliance for displaced youth. Operates with a similar small-team, community-anchored approach targeting the same Ugandan refugee population.
• Windle International Uganda: Long-established refugee education and livelihoods organization operating across Ugandan refugee settlements including Kiryandongo, Kyaka II, and Rhino Camp. Direct comparable on target geography and beneficiary population with overlapping livelihoods and education programming.

Others

• Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Uganda: German political foundation that funds AYAN's refugee leadership and participation programs in Uganda and South Sudan. Comparable on refugee civic engagement and leadership development but operates as a policy foundation rather than a direct service-delivery NGO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AYANAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/AYANAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/african-youth-action-network-ayan
• Instagraminstagram.com/AYANAfrica

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about African Youth Action Network - AYAN