“We go further and faster when we go together”

A guiding principle of Asante Africa Foundation is partnerships. We base our work on collaborative and philosophically like-minded partnerships, enabling us to accelerate impact, grow geographically, and avoid duplication of our efforts.

We are taking this opportunity to showcase and highlight partnerships that have accelerated the impact for the young people who have been active participants in our programming.

SPOTLIGHT PARTNERSHIP: Teach a Man to Fish  

Asante Africa Foundation is honored to have a long standing partnership with Teach a Man to Fish dating back to 2017, first in Tanzania, followed by Kenya in 2018, and most recently in 2022 in Uganda. Teach a Man to Fish has the global mission to empower young people with the skills they need to succeed in school, work, and life. Asante Africa mission of educating and skilling Africa’s youth to address life challenges, thrive economically and catalyze positive change. Together we are amplifying the reach for youth who have talent and skills yet lack the opportunities. 

During Asante Africa Foundation’s most recent collaboration in Uganda with Teach a Man to Fish we effectively implemented  a two year program leveraging the best of both organizations; the Youth Livelihood Program (YLP) and School Enterprise Challenge (SEC) programs in Kassanda and Kyenjojo districts of Uganda.  The YLP focuses on immersive experiences and mentorship to develop leadership and entrepreneurship skills while the SEC program emphasizes practical business skills being applied to the young people’s local context and constraints. Together, they provide a holistic approach to youth development.

The collaboration directly impacted 900 youth aged 15–25 in rural communities over two years, with notable achievements such as:

Cohort 1 – 600 participants received comprehensive training, launched 14 businesses (8 in schools, 6 in community groups), and generated an average profit of UGX 81,825 (USD 22) per club. Since this was their first time initiating businesses, there was no prior benchmark for profits. However, the financial reports indicated that the profits generated were not sufficient, setting a benchmark for improvement in Cohort 2. 

Cohort 2 – Building on these insights, 300 participants and 552 alumni engaged in training, maintained or launched 14 businesses, and saw average profits increase to UGX 624,027 (USD 160) per club in the second year.

Early this year, our collaborative team crafted a learning document highlighting significant achievements, challenges, and impacts. 

Program retention and graduation rates (88% retention rate / 92% graduation rate) were notable as compared to other short course programs, largely due to the continuous mentorship and support over the two years with gradual advancing of skills fostered leadership, entrepreneurship, communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills, and equipping youth with essential competencies for success in school, work and life. 

Key findings include:

Enhanced Skills and Knowledge – Participants in both programs demonstrate higher levels of knowledge and skills compared to those in only one program specifically:

108% improvement in leadership skills among participants compared the 41% improvement observed in the control group.
106% improvement in teamwork skills, compared to 75% in the control group.
96% proficiency in entrepreneurship for Cohort 1, compared to 60% in the control group.

Business Success – School and Community based Clubs formed by participants generated higher income and profit than those in single-program businesses. 

Cohort 1 – Before the program, 49% of participants were already engaged in income-generating activities such as animal farming and crop cultivation. After the program, this increased to 74% of participants involved in IGAs. The control group reported 40%.
Cohort 2 – Before the program, 39% of participants had initiated income-generating activities. After the program, this increased to 69%  of participants actively engaged in IGAs with family and friends. The control group reported 34%.

Impact of Two-Year Initiative – The extended duration allowed for continuous mentoring, refinement, and deeper learning, resulting in increased skills and business profits over time.

In summary, we know like minded and collaborative organizations can deliver more for the young people while jointly growing stronger as a team and as organizations.