Through our partnership on Kakebe Tech Camp 2026, we are supporting opportunities for young people to gain practical skills, develop their ideas and contribute to their communities.
BetterLife International has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kakebe Technologies Limited to support the Kakebe Tech Camp 2026, scheduled for 14–23 December in Kitgum District, Northern Uganda.
The agreement was formalised in Kampala by Denise Ayebare, our Founder and Executive Director, and Sedrick Otolo, Director of Kakebe Technologies. It brings together our experience working with communities on food security, climate resilience and livelihoods with Kakebe’s experience in digital skills training, mentorship and entrepreneurship.
For BetterLife, this partnership begins with a question: how can more young people gain the skills, confidence and opportunities to respond to the challenges they see around them?
Why Digital Access Matters to Us
Young people are increasingly expected to use technology in education, employment and business. Yet opportunities to learn remain uneven. A student may study computer skills without enough time on a computer to practise. Another may have an idea for a useful product but lack the equipment or guidance to begin developing it.
These gaps affect what young people believe is possible for themselves, as well as what they can do when an opportunity comes.
In our work with communities, we meet young people who understand the difficulties their families face. They have seen harvests fail, watched small businesses struggle to find customers, and experienced the pressure of trying to earn a living with limited resources. That knowledge matters. With practical training and support, it can inform ideas worth developing and testing.
“We cannot expect young people to compete in a digital economy without giving them a fair opportunity to acquire digital skills,” said Denise Ayebare. “Young people see the challenges facing their families, farms and businesses every day. We want them to have the tools and support to turn that understanding into solutions they can build and test.”
Our partnership with Kakebe reflects this belief: access to learning should give young people more choices about their futures and more ways to contribute where they live.
Connecting Technology with Community Needs
At BetterLife International, our work focuses on improving food security, strengthening livelihoods and helping communities respond to climate change. Technology is already part of that work.
Through Soilla, we are developing the role of soil analysis and agricultural advice in helping farmers make informed decisions. Agribusiness Connekt focuses on connecting farmers with markets and finance. Alongside these tools, our community farming and sustainable agriculture programmes keep our work grounded in the realities of producing food and earning an income.
This experience shapes how we approach youth innovation. A useful idea begins with understanding the person who will use it: the farmer making a planting decision, the business owner trying to reach customers, or the family looking for a more reliable source of income.
The camp offers a setting in which young people can develop technical skills and explore how those skills might be applied. Participants will have opportunities to work with others, ask questions, build prototypes and learn through practice.
Our ambition is for more young people to see themselves as capable of contributing to the technologies and services their communities need.
Bringing Young People Together Across Regions
The partnership also creates an opportunity to connect young people whose experiences, backgrounds and perspectives differ.
Learning alongside someone from another community can introduce a participant to a problem they had not considered, a skill they have not yet developed, or a different way of approaching an idea. Working together gives those exchanges a practical purpose.
During the partnership meeting, Sedrick Otolo emphasised the importance of collaboration across regions.
“We must bring young people from different regions together to build innovative solutions, collaborate on projects, and create programs that empower communities from within,” he said.
“As someone from Northern Uganda, I firmly believe that each one of us can do something to help someone in our community.”
For BetterLife, this is an opportunity to build relationships around shared work and learning, while recognising the knowledge young people bring from their own communities.
What Participants Will Learn
Kakebe Tech Camp 2026 is a ten-day residential programme designed around practical learning, collaboration and project development.
The programme will cover five areas:
AI and software development
Participants will explore coding fundamentals, responsible use of artificial intelligence and digital problem-solving. The emphasis is on understanding how these tools work and how they can be applied.
Content creation and production
Training will cover storytelling, photography, video, film and podcasting. These skills can help young people communicate ideas, document community experiences and explore opportunities in creative work.
Entrepreneurship and innovation
Participants will learn about business models, financial literacy and pitching. These sessions will help them think through who an idea serves, what it needs to work and how to explain it clearly.
Video gaming and development
This area will introduce game design, interactive storytelling and prototyping, giving participants opportunities to combine creative thinking with technical skills.
Robotics and smart technology
Participants will explore robotics, sensors, automation and Internet of Things concepts, including how connected devices can collect information and respond to practical needs.
Help Make Learning Accessible
An opportunity is only meaningful if the young people who need it can take part. Access to equipment, training and support remains an important consideration as preparations for the camp continue.
Together with Kakebe Technologies, we welcome organisations, institutions and individuals who want to support young people’s participation and learning.
Partners can contribute by supporting participants from underserved communities, providing computers and training equipment, or offering technical expertise. Trainers and professionals can also help young people develop their projects through practical guidance and feedback.
Our interest is in making these opportunities available to young people who have had limited access to them, while helping participants gain skills they can continue using beyond the camp.
Learning Beyond the Camp
The camp forms part of Kakebe’s wider work, which includes the MentorMe360 Online Mentorship Programme and the Digital Bridge Internship Programme. These initiatives provide further avenues for learning and professional development.
For BetterLife, the longer-term value of this partnership will be in what young people are able to do with the knowledge they gain. We want practical learning to help them pursue further training, develop their ideas and recognise opportunities to apply their skills.
The signing marks the beginning of that work. As preparations continue, our focus is on helping make the camp a useful learning experience for the young people who take part.
The Teams Behind the Partnership
The Kampala meeting brought together representatives from both organisations to discuss the collaboration and camp preparations.
Alongside Denise Ayebare and Sedrick Otolo, those attending included Desire Ainembabazi, Regional Director at BetterLife International; Odida Jackson, Head of Programs at Kakebe; Komakech Moses Santos, Head of Communications; Geovia Sharon Ayoo, Public Relations; and Amule Naomi, Assistant Admin.
About BetterLife International
Founded in 2021 by Denise Ayebare, BetterLife International is a youth-led non-governmental organisation that has reached over 110,000 people across Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ghana.
We work with women, young people, refugees, displaced families and host communities to improve food security and livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, community farming, school feeding, technology and community-led climate action.
About Our Partner
Kakebe Technologies is a youth-led innovation hub based in Lira City. The organisation reports reaching more than 4,300 young people across Northern Uganda since 2020 through digital skills training, mentorship and entrepreneurship support, with 12 active startups emerging from its work.
