THE COMMUNICATIONS BLOG

Today’s world is a digital one, and this World Children’s Day, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), in partnership with UNICEF, is giving Ugandan youth the tools to thrive in it. Leading up to the grand celebration on November 20, UCC and UNICEF launched a national design challenge, an inspiring prelude to the main event. This challenge brings together young minds from across Uganda, helping them explore the power of technology and creativity in a hands-on, unforgettable way.

Building Creativity and Confidence in Young Ugandans

The focus of this year’s World Children’s Day celebration is “Empowering Children through Technology for a Brighter Future”, and today’s regional challenge saw that vision come alive. Across four regions—Northern, Central, Western, and Eastern Uganda—students gathered to share their ideas, design solutions, and craft messages about the issues that matter to them most. Using digital design tools like Canva, they created posters and flyers that speak directly to their hopes, dreams, and the challenges they want to address for a better tomorrow.

While students in some countries might be building apps or coding robots, our goal for today’s event was more foundational: to inspire young minds, instill confidence, and cultivate a love for innovation. These experiences form the basis for the more advanced skills we plan to introduce in the future, including coding, game design, and product development.

Why This Challenge Matters

The design workshops weren’t just about creating eye-catching posters—they were about giving young Ugandans a voice. Through the workshops, students were encouraged to explore what challenges they want to address, from online safety to educational access, and to create visuals that convey powerful messages. The regional workshops enabled students to:

• Express Their Perspectives: Each team chose an issue affecting children today and created a digital message that would resonate with peers, parents, and policymakers alike.
• Learn Digital Design Skills: With user-friendly tools, children learned the basics of graphic design and how to translate their ideas into visuals that can inspire change.
• Collaborate and Build Community: Working in teams, they shared ideas, learned from each other, and experienced the power of collaboration.

These activities fostered critical skills—creativity, teamwork, problem-solving—that will serve as building blocks for their future as Uganda’s innovators, leaders, and change-makers.

A Journey Leading to November 20th

The top designs from today’s workshops will represent each region at the World Children’s Day celebration on November 20 at the National Innovation Hub in Kampala. There, young creators will share their work before a gathering of ministers, policymakers, and leaders who will witness firsthand the voices of Uganda’s youth.

This event is a stepping stone in our broader mission to connect young Ugandans with technology meaningfully. As UCC’s Acting Executive Director, Mrs Christine Mugimba, expressed, “Our goal is to make digital spaces safe, empowering, and accessible for all young people. Today’s challenge is a glimpse into a future where young Ugandans lead in innovation and creativity, becoming champions of a brighter, tech-driven tomorrow.”

Looking Ahead

We’re proud of what these young creators achieved today, and we’re committed to making technology education accessible to every child. Today’s design challenge is only the beginning. With the continued support of partners like UNICEF, we aim to expand these programs to include more advanced skills, from coding and game development to product design, empowering our youth to not only dream but to build.

As we look forward to the main celebration in November, let’s celebrate these young voices. They are not only the leaders of tomorrow but the active change-makers of today, and we can’t wait to see the ideas they’ll bring to life.

Join us in this journey! Let’s empower every young Ugandan to make their mark, harness technology for good, and create a future we can all be proud of.