Faces Up Uganda: Empowering Youth Through Art and Entrepreneurship

Tasha: Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your nonprofit origin story?

Ssekitto: Thank you, Tasha, for having me. Uh, my name is Emmanuel Sekito Kande and I have the pleasure to found the organization called Faces Up.

Tasha: Tell us a little bit more about your nonprofit. Like nonprofits mission and the services that you’re providing to your community.

Ssekitto: The organization that I founded is called faces up Uganda, uh, behind the name faces up is the desire to invite young people to face up in the direction of their aspirations.

The name of the organization borrows from the statement that every person has to face in the direction of what really matters to them as individuals. From that, it also informs. Uh, the mission and the vision of our organization. Our vision is to inspire young people to do what inspires them.

If you think about what we do, uh, the organization that I founded Faces Up is working at the intersection of arts education, psychosocial support, and opening new career pathways for young people. Our work is structured in three formats. One, we offer an arts education program. That seeks to address mental health and psychosocial distress among us young people using different forms of the arts to enable young people express feelings and emotions that they perhaps cannot speak about, but also during that process to find healing, but also learn the other component is called artpreneurship

we are trying to welcome young people to tap into the space of the arts. As a pathway for them to get career into new careers. So with that, we work with young people that have the desire to take art as a career or have the desire to grow their art skills. We mentor them, we expose them to opportunities, but also enable them to commercialize what they are doing.

In so doing, we do, we commercialize their artworks. We turn them into products like the t shirts, notebooks, dirty bags, and a couple of items which we sell online and out of the We generate a revenue which we share with 70 percent while we invest in the education of children from the margins and 30 percent is invested in offering more art classes to children who otherwise would not have.

The third component of our work, it’s called Designing for Change. Over time, people have talked about young people being the future, young people being the change makers. So we are living this, uh, we are living this world by, uh. Investing in ideas started by Children. So what happens because of the so many challenges within which we operate and the Children were where the Children come from.

Many of these Children counter issues on the daily challenges on the daily. So we are getting these Children forming them into groups where they address some of the pressing issues in their communities. With these Children start projects that response to challenges in their community. And then we make an investment between 50 to 100 U.

S. Dollars. In this, we are investing in the ideas that are started by children, but also with a desire that children and young people can participate in changing the world, not in conversation, but in true practice. So we truly, truly invest in their ideas and they take these ideas forward. We believe these are some of the solutions that are going to address some of the key pressing issues that the world is facing.

So that’s a nutshell of what we do.

Tasha: I love that. And you, do you have one of your children’s? designs on your shirt right now?

Ssekitto: Yeah, I have. You see it like,

Tasha: I love that. I love that.

Ssekitto: Yeah, we, again, the lens within which we operate as an organization is there are so many challenges that these young people go through.

But regardless of their challenges, they’re extremely potential, they’re extremely talented, but in luck so much. So what we are thinking as an organization, how do we tap into what they already have? And how can we use that to attract what they need? So that’s why you see me always wearing t shirts notebooks because we want to spotlight their potential but we want the world to get involved in supporting them by at least acquiring something from them.

Tasha: I love that. That’s a fantastic value exchange for the people who support your organization. What’s your favorite part of working in the non profit sector?

Ssekitto: Trust me, regard like as a nonprofit leader, as a founder of an organization, sometimes there’s so much that is on our plate. Sometimes we forget the incredible work that we are doing. But the most interesting part of my work is just on a rare day, walking and seeing children smile when they see me.

Children, Embracing you with that innocence, that rawness of love because of the work that you’re doing because of the support that you’re giving to them. It truly means a lot to me as an individual. So seeing these smiles of the faces of the young people that we’re supporting really, really, really matters to me as a person.

And that’s one of the most interesting and most fulfilling moments of my life is single smiles.

Tasha: Well, as a, as a founder myself, One of my favorite moments has been when you, uh, sent me the photo of you and Zoe. That photo, when the two of you got together, my heart was just, so I understand what you’re saying is so wonderful.

When you have that moment where, what your dream was or what you hope to see in the world. It’s so special. It’s so special.

Ssekitto: Because you know what, Akshay, we come up to address issues. We don’t just come up to put smiles on people’s faces. But because of what we are doing, it naturally creates that feeling of fulfillment within them.

And that exchange of that energy, that invitation of smile, that energy. It truly means a lot. It really does.

Tasha: It does. What are some of the challenges that you have found since you founded Faces Up?

Ssekitto: Let me take you back to the founding. I founded Faces Up from a background and experience as an artist. I pursued a bachelor’s degree in industrial and fine art and It is totally different from the civil society work.

I had the passion to serve children, I had a passion in the arts and had the passion to use the arts for social good. Entering into this space, I never had the background and experience in how organizations are run, how resources are mobilized. So coming with this passion, I realized that passion is not enough to make this work work.

Understanding the reality is that we need to raise resources to support our great work. In the space of the arts, where art is not given the attention, it becomes extremely hard to fund an arts education program.

Tasha: Yeah.

Ssekitto: And so attracting both financial and non financial support towards our work is one of the challenges.

And also this is because most supporters, maybe partners and donors, see art as a nice to have, but not a must to have. So when we share with them this incredible work that they’re doing, we are doing there, they get to compare with a lot of what about building a world? What about doing this? What about?

But art is very important and making the supporters and the founders accept and invest in such an area is one of the challenging parts.

Tasha: Yeah, I can see, I can see that because so often fundraising funders are, are looking to cover, like, you know, what’s considered a need, right. Or like something that you have to have.

, but I mean, art is a beautiful way to express yourself and, and like you noted, it can also be a way to be sustainable. And there are lots of. of products, of things that you can sell, of services that are like having an artistic background is powerful.

Ssekitto: That’s for sure.

Tasha: Now in your work as a founder, how do you get the, uh, peer support that you need and learn all of these extra skills?

Ssekitto: The truth is that it’s being, being, being true to what you are doing, like that doing whatever that you’re, you love doing something. that you love naturally gravitates a certain kind of people towards what you’re doing. And because of the nature and the discipline and the values of the work and the organization, also gets you in spaces of the people that believe in what you’re doing.

I am what I am today because Of the other people that have learned from other people that have gotten inspired from other people that have been pushed some people that have challenged me to keep doing what I’m doing and because of all those values, because of all those responsibilities and also that support that I get from peers, it truly, truly means a lot to organization, not in the terms of resources, but in the terms of understanding what we are doing.

Tasha: I

Ssekitto: remember, uh, when I started this organization, many of my friends could ask me, Emanuele, I love what you’re doing, but I don’t understand it. That question kept me pushing that. How do I make this work understandable to, to, to a child? How do I make, how do we refine our model to the level that someone can just look at what you’re doing and they can understand why you’re doing what you’re doing?

So it is that, uh, uh, that unpaid full feedback from them, that motivation, that kind of support. That always motivates me as a leader, as a founder of the organizations. How do we truly, truly live by what we are saying? And how do we implement our work? Just another one, uh, for example, with, uh, with the peers.

I know you know, uh, Zoe is, is a very great peer. Yeah. And being in the space where you connect with people that you don’t know from, like different backgrounds you’ve never met, but because of the nature of work that you’re doing, Creating that community of support, that community of people that understand what you’re doing, that community of people that are encouraging you.

For me, it’s the kind of support that I’ve gotten from peers and also the same that I’m giving to other people.

Tasha: Absolutely. Absolutely. I love that. And I was going to say, one of my questions was, what have you gotten out of being a Hive member? Why does it matter to build a community for people in nonprofit across the world?

Ssekitto: I love the word, but you call it a community. You know, this incredible work that you’re doing is so lonely to be done. And you can accomplish a lot when you’re doing it alone. And it’s, it’s always so hard to be in this space, to do something when you don’t have a community of people that believe in the kind of direction that you’re doing.

When I joined the Hive, uh, that is last year. And within six months, I met one of the Hive members.

It’s truly impactful and very important for nonprofit leaders to be a part of this community. And this is the reason why we know so many times that we send emails to the founders of organizations who we want to have conversation with and never respond. But through Hive, It’s a matter of a few clicks here and there, and then you get an appointment of 30 minutes.

I remember meeting with Zoe. It was just as simple as, uh, dada, fix an appointment, get a meeting with someone, and meet up for 30 minutes. But a meeting of 30 minutes turned into a lifetime of friendship. Even today, as we are talking, I was speaking with her. Uh, I met her in, in, in Texas, Dallas. She enabled me to travel to Texas because I was in Maryland.

And because of that support, we, I flew to Texas.

Tasha: I spent time

Ssekitto: with her. She introduced me to the network of other people that are supporting. Because this is a network of highly curated individuals. I don’t know how you do it, but the people that are in the network are the right people to be a part of the network.

And that kind of exchanges, those kind of posts that are published, those kind of articles, those kind of convenings, it gives you a different perspective of how the nonprofit world is working within other different backgrounds. So you, we work from an informed point of view and we work within the community of, of support, a community of people that are taking the same direction, which for me, I believe is very, very important.

And so for me, being part of this community is something I’d never take for granted. I believe it happened at the right time, under the right trajectory of organization for me as a leader, but also for the direction of Faces Up and where we are going. So for me, this community is everything.

Tasha: You’re so lovely.

Thank you. And I think, you know, when you joined last year, it was still very early and I had no idea, you know, similar founder kind of going, I think this is great. And I think the world needs this, but do other people believe? That’s and you just don’t know, right? You start out. It feels like a big question mark.

So I appreciate so much your belief in in this and your investment and your time and you’re right, . It seems like something special can’t happen in 30 minutes. But with the right people in the room together, 30 minutes is just the start of something more.

Ssekitto: That’s for sure.

Because, you know, time is very important. And every person is, is, is cognizant of how much of their time they are using in different ways. But within this community, uh, for example, the people that you’re on board, the people that are part of it, share a certain kind of understanding and direction. So within this space, someone knows that I’m going to meet someone who is doing something.

Tasha: Yeah. So

Ssekitto: you’re starting from somewhere, even when you meet, you’re really starting from somewhere. You have a shared goal to make a difference. So those conversations start something as simple as 30 minutes, but over time it goes into a direction of continual support. Let me give you an example. Uh, uh, this month we had a challenge to raise 5, 000 US dollars by one of our partners.

And they wanted to, the partner was giving us an addition 5, 000 when we raised 5, 000. And this is, uh, it had a specific given period of time. So we reached out to a few friends, I, I, I reached out to Zoe, I’m like, ah, what do you think? This is what is happening. I sent a message of what the appeal I wanted to send.

She gives me a revision of the same appeal, like, oh yeah, we need to send out to people. We need to do this and this. So we send out the, the, the, the outreach in about, uh, 10 days. You had raised 6, 000 U. S. dollars and additional 55, 000 U. S. dollars. So it’s as simple as it seems, but it carries a lot of power.

So for me, I never take anything for granted, even being on this call.

Tasha: Well, I appreciate you so much. And how can people follow along with the work that you’re doing at Faces Up Uganda? I’ll make sure to put all the links. afterwards in the YouTube video and the posts.

Ssekitto: Yes. Again, I welcome to the people, uh, to follow our work.

We are on different social media platforms. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, uh, X, and the name of the organization is Faces Up Uganda. We have a website and we also have an ecommerce website where the world can invest in the education of children by purchasing some of their merchandise.

Tasha: , know that you’ve been a huge support to me and I just, your stories, I mean, I follow along on Instagram myself all the time. Inspirational. And I really, really, truly think that That you’re a shining example of the fact that, uh, this kind of work is sustaining to people, right?

Art does matter and it really can change somebody’s life in a, in a meaningful way.

Ssekitto: Absolutely. Yeah. And this is, this is something that as an organization we are taking on the forefront. Right. Uh, is very important, like very, very important, something that you want to demonstrate to make sure that at least every child every day has access when it adds related activity.

Thank you for having me. I wish you the best.