Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement, Uganda

When Refugees Lead,
Communities Thrive

Yinnoh is a refugee-led nonprofit turning displacement into opportunity — empowering youth in Uganda through healing, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

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2,000+ Youth & Women Served
400+ Refugee-Led Businesses
1,000+ Jobs Created
How It Started

From $60 Under a Tree to a National Movement

The night before his university graduation in the DRC, Benjamin Abunuasi's father was murdered by rebels. He fled to Uganda as a refugee — educated, determined, but with no path forward. Years of rejection followed.

Then, with a $60 birthday gift from a friend, he gathered a small group of young dreamers under a tree in Rwamwanja Refugee Settlement. That gathering became Yinnoh.

Today, Yinnoh operates two innovation hubs across four refugee settlements, and has been recognised by the European Union, Save the Children, and the Social Innovation Academy.

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Yinnoh scholars working on a business model canvas in the innovation hub

Refugees are not victims to be saved — they are changemakers to be trusted.

— Benjamin Abunuasi, Founder & Executive Director
Our Model

Four Stages. One Journey. Lasting Change.

A structured pathway from trauma recovery to launching a sustainable business — built by refugees, for refugees.

1

GreenHut

Trauma healing and psychosocial recovery — rebuilding confidence from the inside out.

2

Explorer

Human-centred design — turning community problems into viable business ideas.

3

Concentration

Incubation, prototyping, and seed funding — ideas become real enterprises.

4

DoMore

Legal support, market access, and alumni mentorship — businesses built to last.

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Scholars in group discussion at Yinnoh hub Young person painting at Yinnoh's Kwetu Culture programme Yinnoh community training session Youth engaged in learning at Yinnoh Community members collaborating Yinnoh empowerment programme participants

Supported & Recognised By

European Union Save the Children Uganda Social Innovation Academy (SINA) UNHCR Danish Refugee Council
Sponsor a Scholar

One scholar. Twelve months of training, mentorship, seed capital, and a chance to build a business that employs their neighbours. Yinnoh is seeking 20 sponsors for our next intake of 90 scholars.

Sponsor a Scholar Make a Donation →

Your $100/month funds

  • ✓ Expert trainers and life coaches
  • ✓ Business design and customer discovery support
  • ✓ Seed capital awards for top teams
  • ✓ Electricity, internet, and clean water
  • ✓ Basic health insurance for scholars and staff
What Our Partners Say

Trusted by Those Who've Seen It First-Hand

"Supporting Yinnoh scholars has been one of the most rewarding investments I've made. Seeing young refugees turn their ideas into real businesses is truly inspiring."

Anna M. — Individual Sponsor

"Yinnoh's approach is innovative and impactful. Their transparency and dedication make it easy to trust that our sponsorship is creating lasting change."

Global Foundation Partner

"Partnering with Yinnoh has allowed us to support refugees not just as beneficiaries, but as leaders and entrepreneurs. It's a powerful model for change."

Social Innovation Academy (SINA)