Faces Up Uganda

In his final semester, Emmanuel began offering free art classes to children in his community — and when a little girl asked if he’d keep teaching after graduation, he made a promise. Faces Up was born from that promise — a space for young people to learn artistic skills, heal, and create new futures. In 2019, a boy named Mark joined our art program. His first drawings were dark — scenes of violence, death, and despair. We later learned he was a refugee from South Sudan, carrying trauma he couldn’t express in words. So we gave him what he needed: space, pencils, and presence. Over time, his drawings transformed — from guns to flowers, from fire to birds in flight. His smile returned, his confidence grew, and his academic performance improved. Mark’s journey showed us that art is more than expression — it’s healing. So far, we’ve worked with over 11,000 young people — many who’ve gone from despair to hope, becoming more confident, more engaged at school, and even starting to earn from their creative talents. With every drawing, each session, and every smile, we move closer to our big change: providing life-transforming opportunities to 750,000 young people by 3035.