Faraja Africa Foundation

What Faraja Africa Foundation does

Faraja Africa Foundation (FAF) is a youth-led, youth-serving non-profit founded in 2013 in Kampala, Uganda, with regional offices in Nairobi (Kenya) and Arusha (Tanzania). The foundation's mission is to socially and economically empower young people aged 18-35 across East Africa through civic engagement, leadership development, and entrepreneurship programming. Core programmatic offerings include the National Youth Parliament, the East African Youth Parliament (Vijana Assembly), the EU Youth Sounding Board, the Social Entrepreneurs and Leaders Fellowship (SELF), the Africa Youth Heritage Program, and Youth Engagement and Policy Advocacy (YEPA), organized under four thematic pillars: Governance and Participation, Youth Livelihood and Skilling, Heritage and Culture, and Climate and Justice.

The foundation operates three wholly-owned social enterprises—Faraja Digital (strategic communications), Faraja Television (youth broadcasting), and Faraja Safari (heritage/cultural tourism)—that generate surplus revenue to subsidize programmatic work. Its underlying technology consists of these digital platforms plus country-specific web properties (ug, ke, tz sub-domains) used for program information, applications, and content distribution, with active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Revenue mechanics blend institutional grant funding (EU, GIZ, UNESCO, and Western embassies including Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, and Ireland) with self-generated income from the three social enterprises. Programs are delivered at no cost to youth participants via direct field engagement, structured parliamentary platforms, fellowship cohorts, and heritage camps. Governance outcomes include 24 bills tabled and 13 passed across national and regional parliaments, with the foundation claiming reach to 987,340+ youth cumulatively since inception.

Name

Faraja Africa Foundation

Legal name

Faraja Africa Foundation

Website

https://farajaafricafdn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Faraja Africa Foundation is a Ugandan nonprofit founded in 2013 that empowers East African youth (ages 18-35) through civic engagement, youth parliaments, entrepreneurship fellowships, and heritage programs across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, supported by social enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Child and Youth Services (62411), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

Keywords

• Youth empowerment programs
• Civic engagement platforms
• Leadership development
• Social enterprise operations
• Heritage tourism services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social Enterprise Operations: Faraja Africa Foundation operates social enterprises (Faraja Digital, Faraja Television, Faraja Safari) that generate surplus funds to support the foundation's programmatic work. This self-financing model reduces dependence on donor funding, ensuring sustainability.
2. Partnership and Grant Funding: The foundation receives support from international development partners including European Union, GIZ, various embassies (Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Ireland), and implements projects funded by these partners. The Enhancing Youth Inclusion in Governance project (April 2025 - December 2027) is co-implemented with Advance Africa and Open Space Uganda.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Faraja Africa Foundation runs youth empowerment programs across East Africa through civic engagement platforms (Youth Parliaments, EU Youth Sounding Board, Parliament-CONNECT), entrepreneurship training (SELF Fellowship), heritage programs, and advocacy campaigns targeting youth aged 18-35 in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. The foundation also operates three social enterprise subsidiaries (Faraja Digital, Faraja Television, Faraja Safari) that generate revenue to support programmatic work.

Product overview

Faraja Africa Foundation is a youth-led nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of social enterprises and flagship programs across East Africa. The organization operates through two main arms: (1) Social Enterprises including Faraja Digital (strategic communications), Faraja Television (youth broadcasting), and Faraja Safari (heritage tourism), which generate revenue to fund the foundation's activities; and (2) Core Programs including the Social Entrepreneurs and Leaders Fellowship (SELF), National Youth Parliament, East African Youth Parliament (Vijana Assembly), EU Youth Sounding Board, Youth Engagement and Policy Advocacy (YEPA), Parliament-CONNECT, Africa Youth Heritage Program (AYEP), World Heritage Volunteers Youth Camp, African Youth Heritage Fellowship (AYHEF), and various climate and livelihood projects. The foundation's thematic pillars span Governance and Participation, Youth Livelihood and Skilling, Heritage and Culture, and Climate and Justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Faraja Digital: Strategic communication entity that helps amplify voices and brands in creating impactful stories to enhance development work in communities.
• Faraja Television
• Faraja Safari

Products and services

• Faraja Digital A strategic communication entity that helps amplify voices and brands in creating more impactful stories to enhance development work in communities.
• Faraja Television A youth television platform committed to giving platforms for youth work and advancing the young people's agenda in Africa's sustainable holistic development process.
• Faraja Safari A heritage and cultural tourism venture that increases promotion of heritage and culture, supporting the concept of pro-poor, community, heritage and cultural tourism with respect for diversity.
• Social Entrepreneurs and Leaders Fellowship (SELF) A flagship fellowship program building capacities of young people to bridge the knowledge and skills gap through an educative, empowering, and engaging curriculum that develops skills on how to start and maintain businesses while providing skills to meaningfully participate in political and economic discourse.
• National Youth Parliament A platform for youth to debate sub-national and national issues, propose policy reforms, and advocate for their interests in a structured and impactful way, contributing to youth-focused, inclusive regional and national budgeting processes.
• East African Youth Parliament (Vijana Assembly) A flagship cross-border advocacy platform initiated in partnership with the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), enabling young people to actively participate in regional integration processes through governance and advocate for youth issues.
• EU Youth Sounding Board An initiative by the European Union Delegation to Uganda designed to enhance youth participation, engagement, and inclusion in shaping EU-Uganda relations, providing a structured platform for young people to contribute to the design, implementation and monitoring of EU policies and programs.
• Youth Engagement and Policy Advocacy (YEPA) A community voice project building capacities of young people to spearhead dialogue and meaningfully engage relevant duty bearers to develop relevant actions, documents, policy briefs and programs for a sustainable future for young people.
• Parliament-CONNECT An initiative to complement Parliament's efforts of ensuring community members are involved in policymaking and evaluation processes through MP-Connect and Youth Parliaments.
• Africa Youth Heritage Program (AYEP) A platform for young people across East Africa to interact, network, and build strategic partnerships through actions for multi-national building via the World Heritage Volunteers' Initiative and the International Youth Camp.
• World Heritage Volunteers Youth Camp Heritage camps organized in collaboration with UNESCO at World Heritage sites in Cape Town (South Africa), Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.
• African Youth Heritage Fellowship (AYHEF) A fellowship program building Pan-Africanism through conscious raising, intergenerational learning, and place-based education focused on heritage and culture.
• Enhancing Youth Inclusion in Governance and Decision-Making A project focused on improving youth meaningful participation in key democratic and governance processes through strengthening youth-led advocacy, leveraging digital tools for civic engagement, and capacity building for sustainable youth engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 987,340+ youth reached across East Africa through programs and community outreach
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2025EALA is the regional legislative body of the East African Community. Partnership for the East African Youth Parliament (Vijana Assembly), a flagship cross-border advocacy platform initiated in 2018 that enables young people to participate in regional integration processes and advocate for youth issues at the EAC level.
• GIZ UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2025German development agency GIZ Uganda partners with FAF on the East African Youth Parliament 2025 and other youth empowerment programs. Provides technical and financial support for youth development initiatives.
• Irise Institute East AfricasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Partner in digitalizing access to menstrual hygiene management for young girls in Uganda through the Period Equality Network (TPEN).
• European Union Delegation to UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Delegation partners with FAF for the EU Youth Sounding Board, a platform for 20 Ugandan youth to contribute to the design, implementation and monitoring of EU policies and programs in Uganda. The EU also supports various youth empowerment initiatives.
• Advance AfricacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-implementing partner for the Enhancing Youth Inclusion in Governance and Decision-Making project, working alongside Open Space Uganda.
• Open Space UgandacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-implementing partner for the Enhancing Youth Inclusion in Governance and Decision-Making project.
• Akina Mama wa AfrikasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society partner supporting the East African Youth Parliament initiatives and youth advocacy programs.
• EACSOF (East African Civil Society Organisations Forum)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional civil society forum partnering on East African Youth Parliament 2025.
• Parliament of UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost and key partner for National Youth Parliament, providing institutional support and legitimacy for youth parliamentary sessions.
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through World Heritage Volunteers Initiative and heritage camps at world heritage sites in South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Promotes youth engagement in heritage protection and cultural conservation.
• Action AidsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner supporting East African Youth Parliament and related youth empowerment initiatives.
• Westminster Foundation for DemocracysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports democracy and governance programs including youth parliament initiatives.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Akina Mama wa Afrika: Pan-African feminist NGO operating in East Africa on women's rights and governance, and an active partner of Faraja Africa Foundation on the East African Youth Parliament. Comparable as a regional NGO in the same program space.
• Irise Institute East Africa: East African social enterprise focused on menstrual health and girls' education, partnered with Faraja on the Period Equality Network in Uganda. Comparable as a youth-centered social enterprise / NGO hybrid in East Africa.
• Restless Development: International youth-led development agency focused on youth leadership and civic participation across Africa and Asia. Directly comparable as a youth-led nonprofit delivering parliamentary, civic engagement, and livelihoods programs targeting 18-35 year olds.
• Open Space Uganda: Ugandan civil society organization and co-implementing partner of Faraja on the 'Enhancing Youth Inclusion in Governance' project. Comparable as a domestic NGO working on civic participation and youth governance in Uganda.

Broad incumbents

• Westminster Foundation for Democracy: UK-led democracy support organization that partners with Faraja on democracy and governance programs. Comparable as a parliamentary-strengthening and youth civic engagement funder/implementer in East Africa.
• Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): International development organization focused on youth, governance, and livelihoods across Africa. Comparable as a larger incumbent delivering youth civic engagement and economic empowerment programs in East Africa.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): German development agency and active partner of Faraja on the East African Youth Parliament. Comparable as a major bilateral funder and implementer of youth governance and inclusion programs across East Africa.
• ActionAid International: Global anti-poverty federation with strong youth civic engagement programming across Africa and an established partner of Faraja on East African Youth Parliament. Comparable as a multinational NGO operating in governance, youth empowerment, and rights-based advocacy.
• CIVICUS: Global civil society alliance advancing civic space and youth participation, with Africa-focused programs. Comparable as a larger movement-level organization concerned with the same enabling environment for youth civic engagement.

Regional players

• East African Civil Society Organisations Forum (EACSOF): Regional civil society forum for the East African Community that partners with Faraja on the East African Youth Parliament. Comparable as a regional platform convening civil society and youth voices across the same three countries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/farajaafricafdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAA0-EnfgBnbO8C3Nqd0Jbg
• Facebookfacebook.com/FarajaAfricaFdn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/farajaafricafdn
• Instagraminstagram.com/farajaafricafdn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Faraja Africa Foundation