It Takes a Village, It Takes a World: Why Nyaka’s CGI Commitment Matters
Twenty-four years ago, Nyaka began with one building, two classrooms, and a dream rooted in a small village that did not appear on any map. We believed that if we prioritised children, and worked alongside communities rather than imposing solutions on them, we could build something that would last. That small seed has now grown into a tree with deep roots, strong branches and fruits that nourish many.
This year, Nyaka made a Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action. Many have asked me what this milestone truly means for us. To me, it means possibility. It means disciplined, community-rooted possibility at scale. It is not about Nyaka standing alone on a stage. It is about Uganda, about Africa, and about women and families everywhere whose voices and leadership have too often been overlooked.
The ability of women to exercise their full power in society is directly connected to the quality of their health. Yet today, women experience inequities across all aspects of their health. These inequities affect their daily lives, their economic prospects, their ability to engage in their communities, and their opportunities to achieve their goals. When a grandmother cannot afford medical care after surviving violence, or when a girl misses school because she has no sanitary products, the impact ripples outward. Families remain trapped in cycles of poverty. Communities lose potential. Nations forfeit growth. Investing in women is not charity. It is a strategy. It is one of the most effective and evidence-based investments we can make for development and prosperity.
Our CGI commitment builds on this truth. We are taking the Grandmothers Model that has worked in southwestern Uganda for more than two decades and scaling it. Not by growing Nyaka as an organisation but by building partnerships and impact with communities and other organisations. By 2029, our goal is to reach 1.4 million grandmothers across Uganda. This is not a theory. It is something we have already begun to test and prove. Together with Child’s i Foundation, we introduced the model in Mpigi District, showing that what worked in Kanungu could also take root in a completely different cultural setting. We are finalising a new partnership in Rukungiri District with a grassroots organisation that already has the trust of women there. We are also preparing to expand into the Teso Region in the east, again by working with partners who know their communities best.
Scaling through partnership ensures that the model remains authentic, adaptable and sustainable. It means grandmothers in every district will have access to financial literacy, savings groups and enterprise support. It means survivors of sexual and gender-based violence will find healing, not silence. It means children will be supported to stay in school with meals, uniforms, and dignity. It means local organisations, whether large or small, will co-own the process, strengthening a movement rather than building silos.
This is also about changing the way the world thinks about development. For too long, philanthropy has been imagined as something that only flows from billionaires or large institutions far away. Nyaka has shown that local leadership, grounded in lived experience, can not only solve problems but also inspire the world. Grandmothers who once thought they had no voice are now leading groups, speaking in public meetings, contesting for local council seats, and teaching their communities about rights, health, and dignity. Children raised in this model, more than 487 graduates, are now lawyers, nurses, teachers, and entrepreneurs, returning as the next generation of leaders.
The CGI stage amplifies what we already know: when you place women at the centre, when you back communities with trust and patient investment, transformation is inevitable. Uganda’s story is proof of this. With the youngest population in the world, Uganda is a powerhouse of energy and innovation waiting to be unlocked. With the right partnerships, with investment in women’s health, education, and economic strength, Uganda can become a global example of how inclusive growth takes root.
So what does this commitment mean? It means we are ready to scale, through others, with others, and for others. It means that a model born under banana trees in Kanungu can inspire action in Rukungiri, in Teso, and far beyond Uganda’s borders. It means that we invite you, not just to admire, but to join.
Now is the moment to invest. In women. In grandmothers. In communities that have always known the answers, if only given the tools. This commitment is not Nyaka’s alone. It belongs to every partner willing to walk with us, every government ready to localise the model, every funder who believes that sustainable change must come from the ground up.
If a village that once had no pin on the map can do this, imagine what your capital, your voice, and your partnership can unlock. Not for us, but with us.
It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a world of partners to raise a movement.
Twesigye Jackson Kaguri
Founder & CEO , Nyaka
Author: A School for My Village, Victory for My Village (forthcoming: Legacy for My Village)
