Youth Leader Kazibwe Nelson Reigns Supreme In Local Rap Competition

AGYA Youth Leader Kazibwe Nelson who goes by the emcee name "Jajanelly Vimcage" recently beat out several competitors to win a rap competition that was sponsored by Vision Voices, a series of youth-centered events sponsored by New Vision, a popular Ugandan radio station that publishes newspapers and magazines including Bukedde, City Beat, and New Vision. The competition was part of a festival BAZZER organized to welcome new students at major universities and colleges in Uganda. After winning in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, Nelson reached the final stage of the competition.

Uganda's 2nd Lady, Dr. Margaret Bukenya, Visits AGYA

AGYA is honored to announce that Dr. Margaret Bukenya, a medical doctor and wife of Uganda's Vice President Dr. Gilbert Bukenya, recently visited AGYA. After spending the afternoon observing AGYA's programs and talking to youth at AGYA's Community Center, Dr. Margaret Bukenya had dinner with AGYA Board Member Dr. Charisma Acey and AGYA Co-Founder, Matovu Abraham. For youth like Naiga Shamira, who dreams of becoming a doctor and finding a cure for HIV/AIDS, meeting a dignitary like Dr. Bukenya was an amazing experience. AGYA thanks Dr. Bukenya for her visit! Check out the photos here:

Above: Dr. Bukenya adds her signature to AGYA's "Guestbook"

U.S.-Based Board Members Prepare To Take AGYA To New Heights in 2011

Within the past 6 months, AGYA has received a grant from Save Africa's Children and 10 laptops from One Laptop Per Child. AGYA accepted a grant from DoSomething.org, an organization that recognized AGYA Co-Founder, Divinity Matovu as one of the top social entrepreneurs under the age of 25 in May 2010. Additionally, AGYA's proposal to utilize extra space at our Center to establish an energy efficient music recording studio was recognized as an Outstanding Committment by the Clinton Global Initiative University at a conference at the University of Miami. This is just a snapshot of some of the exciting news coming from the AGYA camp!

While AGYA has had a strong core group of Board Members based in Uganda; we recently decided to re-vamp our U.S.-based Board of Directors (listed below) to include a diverse array of leaders from the fields of education, non-profit management, film, art, and business. AGYA is an organization poised for success, and with the support, enthusiasm, resources, networks and skills of our new Board of Directors, we are looking forward to moving ahead.

Dr. Charisma Acey

Acey is an assistant professor at Ohio State University’s Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture. Dr. Acey’s background includes extensive work, research and travel to countries in Africa and Central America.