About Us
We mentor youths for employment and meaningful engagement in environmental sustainability action.
overview
STEPUP Standard Limited (STEPUP) holds a fundamental belief that young Ugandan people are a valuable resource for sustainable development if they are mentored towards meaningful employment. Grounded in its understanding of the job market from long-term experience in research and networking in environment, climate action and sustainability fields, STEPUP combines mentoring, apprenticeship and a legacy-platform to expose the value of young people to potential employers and support. Through its projects in climate response, ecosystem management and agroecology, and its connections with government, NGOs, private companies and international organisations, STEPUP works to transform young people from being professionally timid to becoming trustable and bankable individuals in their communities and the job market.
Our story
STEPUP was founded in 2016 by a researcher and an educationist. Its key focus areas are youth mentorship and environmental sustainability aimed at responding to two major trends in Uganda;
- A growing population of unemployed youths
- Rapid environmental degradation.
STEPUP youth mentorship is done through:
a) Apprenticeship-based courses conducted in partnership with diverse partner organisations in the private and public sectors.
Aim: building soft skills in professional-self conduct and connecting youths to practical employment experience.
Result: Alumni have progressed in different ways: securing employment contracts with host institutions or other organisations, establishing their own initiatives, enrolling for undergraduate and postgraduate studies, etc.
b) Annual essay competitions on food and environmental sustainability themes.
Active themes: i) ‘transitioning to renewable energy in Uganda’ partnership with the National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP) under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) and ii) ‘agroecological food systems’ in partnership with the Association of Women Writers (FEMRITE).
Aim: motivating youths to use existing knowledge and exposing them to relevant technologies and actors.
Result: embraced with enthusiasm by secondary school teachers and parents of contestants. Beyond interest in winning prizes, participating schools are implementing environmental projects such as energy saving technologies.
STEPUP environmental sustainability activities include:
a) Research consultancies in agroecology, natural ecosystems, water harvesting and climate change. Youths are engaged and mentored in data collection and analysis. Current projects: human asset stranding in renewable energy transitioning, use of the arts in transforming food-systems attitudes of youths and communities, and monitoring climate-smart agriculture effectiveness.
b) Networking implemented through:
- An annual Partnership Day to share strategies, plans and experience in order to identify opportunities for synergies.
- The Mvua Water Harvesting Initiative Limited (MWHIL), a platform involving private sector and government players in promoting rainwater harvesting in Uganda.
- A STEPUP Together community, where people design joint practical ways of addressing social and environmental sustainability challenges involving youths. Current theme: ‘Raising a Boy’.
- Participating in regular national events in water, energy and environmental sectors.
Meet the team
Our ethos
vision
Young people participate meaningfully and are employed in environmental and food sustainability action and research.
Values
- Transparency
- Respect for nature and people.
- Promoting youth self worth and innovativeness.
- Leaving no young person behind
- Sustainability
Mission
To mentor young people, building skills, knowledge and networks for meaningful participation and employment in environmental and food sustainability action and research.
Our objectives
Training
Training
Up-skill youths for self-development and green employment Experiential mentorship, bridging the missing middle between graduation and employment.
Research
Research
Engage youth-friendly methods in knowledge creation and utilisation for environmental and food sustainability.
Networking
Networking
Facilitating spaces and opportunities for interfacing youths with professional actors in environmental and food sustainability processes/programs.
