Over 6,000,000 children and adolescents in Uganda, experience persistent psychosocial distress, including trauma, low self-esteem, negative self-perception, social withdrawal, and emotional dysregulation. These challenges are driven by poverty, war and displacement, weak social support systems, and exposure to violence and abuse. Left unaddressed, they directly undermine young people’s ability to stay in school, learn effectively, and transition into productive adulthood.
Faces Up Uganda works with young people to overcome these barriers through a holistic, arts-based approach. We use art as therapy to support healing, emotional expression, and confidence building. Through artpreneurship, we help young people turn their creativity into sustainable income that supports education and livelihoods. We also apply design for change to inspire young people to create practical, community-driven solutions for the challenges they face, designed by young people, for young people, and for their communities.
Conventional approaches, such as clinical and counselling services, remain inaccessible to many young people from underserved communities due to stigma, cost, and limited service availability. Art-based psychosocial support provides a non-clinical, developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and adaptable pathway for young people in disadvantaged settings to express emotions, regulate distress, and rebuild a sense of agency.
To ensure support is responsive to each young person’s needs, Faces Up Uganda uses AI-enabled assessments embedded in our Participant Progress Assessment Tool (PPAT). This allows us to track social, emotional, and learning progress over time and tailor support pathways for each participant, improving outcomes and consistency across programs.
By 2035, Faces Up will empower 100,000 vulnerable young people in Uganda to heal from trauma, gain new skills, and earn from their creativity. Helping them thrive in school and in life.
Share Faces Up’s impact with friends, family and networks. One small act can push our impact far further than you think.
You know someone we don’t. An introduction email could open a door we can’t reach alone.
If it’s within your means;
1: Buy merchandise or artworks to fund vulnerable children's education.
2: Make a donation today.
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