Bonga na Mayouth
A dynamic youth dialogue platform for open conversation, peer connection, and collective voice in Teso North.
Youth-Led
Approach
Peer Networks
Support Structure
Intergenerational
Dialogue Format
Community Action
Outcomes
About Bonga na Mayouth
Bonga na Mayouth — "talk with the youth" — is Jenga AfriHub's youth dialogue platform. It creates regular, structured spaces where young people in Teso North can come together to discuss the issues that matter most to them: mental health, livelihoods, leadership, civic engagement, and the complexities of growing up in their communities.
What makes Bonga na Mayouth different is its insistence on youth as active participants, not just beneficiaries. Young people set the agenda, facilitate the sessions, and drive the action plans that follow. Adults are welcome — but as guests in a youth-led space.
The platform combines open dialogue, creative expression, and practical action planning. Between sessions, peer support networks meet to maintain connection and accountability. Bonga na Mayouth is growing county-wide as part of Jenga AfriHub's 2026 expansion.
Target Group
Youth, Teso North
Format
Youth-led dialogue forums
Topics
Mental health, livelihoods, leadership, civic engagement
Approach
Intergenerational + peer support
Dialogue Themes & Activities
Six recurring themes and activity types that anchor every Bonga na Mayouth gathering — from raw honest conversation to creative expression and collective action.
Mental Health Dialogues
Open, youth-led conversations about mental wellbeing, stress, anxiety, and the emotional challenges of growing up in Teso North. Facilitated in a non-clinical, non-judgemental setting where young people support each other.
Livelihoods & Opportunities
Dialogue sessions focused on pathways to economic independence — vocational training, entrepreneurship, digital work, and navigating a changing job market. Young people share experiences and build each other's knowledge.
Leadership & Civic Engagement
Conversations about what it means to lead — in your community, your family, your workplace. Sessions cover civic rights, community problem-solving, and how young people can shape the decisions that affect their lives.
Creative Expression
Poetry, spoken word, visual art, and storytelling as tools for processing experience and communicating with peers and community members. Creative expression is woven into every Bonga na Mayouth gathering.
Peer Support Networks
Young people leave each dialogue with a network of peers who have shared similar experiences. Structured peer support circles meet between dialogue events to maintain connection and accountability.
Action Planning
Each dialogue culminates in a community action plan — small, practical commitments that participants make individually and collectively. From advocating for mental health services to organising community clean-ups, young people drive the next steps.
"Too many programmes see young people as problems to be solved or recipients to be served. Bonga na Mayouth insists on something different: young people are the conversation, the solution, and the leadership."
— Jenga AfriHub
Youth Voices
"Bonga na Mayouth was the first time adults asked us what we actually think — and then listened. It wasn't a lecture. It was a real conversation, and something changed in how I see myself."
"I came for the livelihoods session but ended up staying for all of them. The mental health conversations were the most valuable thing I've done for myself in years."
All testimonials are anonymised to protect participant privacy.
Dialogue Gallery
Programme photos — replace with real images before launch.
Join the Conversation
Are you a young person in Teso North who wants to be part of Bonga na Mayouth? Or a community partner interested in hosting a session? Reach out — the space is open.
Get in TouchBonga na Mayouth Programme Brief
Download our 2-page overview for partners and funders.
Funded by