Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF)

• Year Founded: 2017
• Location: Pagirinya Refugee Settlement, Adjumani District, Uganda
• Energy Solutions and Services: Clean energy solutions, solar-powered irrigation, solar storage, charging services
• Thematic Areas of Focus: Climate-smart agriculture, clean energy access, digital and technical skills development for youth and women
• Number of Employees: 8
• Website: https://yef-uganda.org/
• Contact: vugawilly@gmail.com

Youth Empowerment Foundation's Impact Story

Refugees and host communities in Adjumani District, Uganda face prolonged droughts, making rain-fed farming increasingly unreliable. This results in low crop yields, food insecurity and heavy reliance on food aid. At the same time, limited access to affordable, sustainable energy restricts food storage, irrigation and the growth of small-scale businesses.

Youth Empowerment Forum (YEF) began as a solar-powered irrigation initiative, helping over 100 households practice climate-smart agriculture and grow food year-round despite prolonged droughts. With support from partners, YEF has also piloted solar-powered storage and charging services, boosting income opportunities for local residents while reducing dependence on costly and polluting energy sources.

Success Factors

YEF’s success lies in its community-driven approach, strong youth leadership, and innovative use of solar technologies. The trust built within refugee and host communities has ensured the wide adoption of the solutions. A strategic focus on solar irrigation to address food insecurity, combined with skills training for youth and women in digital, media and technical fields, has created long-term impact. Support from partners such as Ashden and the Transforming Humanitarian Energy Access programme as well as recognition through the Refugee-Led Innovation Fund (2023) have also accelerated YEF’s growth and sustainability.

Future Plans and Support Needs

YEF plans to expand its solar-powered irrigation enterprise to reach more households in refugee and host communities and introduce larger-scale solar storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses. The organization also aims to scale training programs, equipping more refugee youth with skills in clean energy, digital technology and agribusiness. To achieve these goals, YEF seeks funding for infrastructure, technical expertise to expand irrigation systems, partnerships with clean energy providers, and policy support from local and international actors to enable broader adoption of climate-smart solutions.

About the Founder

Vuga William, a South Sudanese refugee living in Pagirinya Refugee Settlement, Uganda, is the founder of the Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF). Born in Alere Refugee Settlement, William’s life has been shaped by repeated displacement. Though conflict forced him to drop out of school, he became largely self-taught, developing skills through online learning, practice and mentorship.