Across Uganda, many community solutions begin quietly : a health centre needing beds and power, a women’s group turning baking skills into income, a school needing safe water, or a youth initiative helping girls stay in class. Often, the people closest to these problems know what needs to be done. What they lack is support to make the solution reach more people and last longer.
That is where the MTN Foundation Uganda Changemakers Initiative comes in. Now in its fourth phase, the programme is inviting individuals, community groups, social enterprises and grassroots organisations to apply for funding before the September 30, 2026 deadline.
Through Phase IV, MTN Foundation Uganda has set aside UGX 500 million to support 25 projects in education, health, water and sanitation, environmental sustainability and economic empowerment. The programme is looking for practical solutions responding to real community needs and ready to do more with the right support.
The model is simple. Applicants identify a problem, show the solution, explain who will benefit, and demonstrate how funding will help the project grow, improve service delivery or become more sustainable.
The clearest way to understand Changemakers is to look at communities already touched by it: health workers serving patients more safely, women turning skills into income, schools reducing daily burdens on learners, producers adding value to their work, and girls staying in class because a practical barrier has been removed.
At Kyobugombe Health Centre II in Kabale District, the challenge was basic but critical: too few beds and unreliable power in a rural facility serving nearby communities. This limited safe deliveries, examinations and emergency care, especially when demand increased or power was interrupted.
Through Changemakers, MTN Uganda provided support worth UGX 20 million, including delivery, examination, sick and hospital beds, plus a solar power system. The solution directly addressed service-delivery gaps: better beds for maternity and patient care, and reliable power to help health workers provide services during outages.
For the community, the intervention means more than equipment. Expectant mothers can be attended to on proper delivery beds, health workers can examine patients more effectively, and emergency care is less disrupted by power outages. It shows how funding can strengthen an existing facility to serve more people safely and consistently.
“It is about enabling communities to do development for themselves, at scale, with dignity and ownership,” MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Mulinge said.
Since its launch three years ago, Changemakers has supported 75 projects, reached 274,716 people and invested more than Shs1.5 billion across five regions.
“We are supporting people and institutions that are already making a difference,” said MTN Foundation trustee Allen Kagina. “The idea is to help scale what works locally.”
In Mukono District, Nyenje Voice Saving Association shows how a small enterprise can become a pathway to income for women. The group was already running a bakery and training women to bake, but limited equipment restricted production, quality and reach. With confectionery equipment from Changemakers, the association can grow the bakery, train more than 100 members and help more women turn baking into reliable income.
In Nakasongola, the Migyera Women Centre of Influence is supporting women who want to work but lack income-generating skills and tools. The centre trains women in tailoring, but limited equipment constrained how many could be trained. Sewing machines and fabric from Changemakers will help expand training and turn tailoring into household income.
In Kotido, the Kara Girl Initiative is addressing a practical barrier to girls’ education. Limited access to sanitary pads can affect attendance, confidence and concentration. With industrial sewing machines from Changemakers, the initiative is producing reusable sanitary pads for more than 600 schoolgirls, helping them stay in school with dignity and fewer interruptions.
For schools in Alebtong and Nabilatuk, the issue was basic but urgent. Some learners lacked reliable water, while others studied without adequate furniture. Through rainwater harvesting systems and classroom furniture, the schools are improving the learning environment and helping children study in greater comfort.
In Kanungu and Kikuube, the challenge is value addition. Beekeepers needed modern equipment to improve honey production and quality, while local producers needed support to process products and earn better returns. Changemakers funding is helping communities move beyond raw production, strengthen processing and earn more from work they are already doing.
These examples point to an important message for prospective applicants: Changemakers does not require every project to start big. It supports practical ideas rooted in community needs, with the potential to become stronger and more impactful with targeted support.
Applicants should show how their project works, who it serves, what gap it addresses, and how support will help deliver better results. A strong application is not just about asking for funding; it is about showing a credible path from problem to solution to impact.
For anyone wondering whether their idea is too small, previous beneficiaries offer a clear answer: apply if your project is solving a real problem and can improve lives. A hospital bed and solar power can strengthen a health centre. Confectionery equipment can help women turn baking into income. A water system can keep children in school. What matters is the impact your project can create with the right support.
Community groups, social enterprises, grassroots organisations and individuals with practical, community-led solutions are encouraged to apply for the MTN Changemakers Phase IV programme online through MTN Uganda’s Changemakers page.
