Each year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) week provides a unique opportunity for changemakers from around the world to gather, reflect, and reimagine solutions for the future. This year, enjuba’s CEO and Founder, Aaron Kirunda, joined key global conversations on transforming education systems, localization, and sustainability across Africa and beyond.
Reimagining Education for Every Child
One of the most striking moments came during the session “Smarter Investments, Stronger Education Systems: Supporting Effective Digital Transformation in the Age of AI” hosted by Microsoft. Jo Bourne, the Chief Technical Officer at the Global Partnership for Education, shared a statement that deeply resonated with our work: “Equity is never an afterthought. Design for everyone from the start.” These words spoke directly to enjuba’s commitment to last-mile education, ensuring that every child, no matter where they are born, has access to quality learning opportunities. In the same session, Ana Carcani Rold from the Diplomatic Courier reminded us that time is not on our side. “The future will not wait—but if we act courageously and incisively, this will help the future arrive positively for all.” We believe that transforming education requires exactly that—bold ideas, bold partnerships, and bold investments.
From Global Platforms to Local Realities
That spirit of boldness carried into the Spotlight Africa event hosted by the Segal Family Foundation, where we joined partners such as Dandelion Africa, Her Initiative, Imago Dei Fund, and Rays of Hope to discuss what localization truly means in practice. The discussions were vibrant and deeply reflective, emphasizing that sustainable impact can only happen when communities take ownership and when solutions are designed with, not for, the people they serve. The session underscored several important lessons: never make assumptions when designing last-mile interventions, always leave room for redesign and learning, and work with existing community infrastructure to foster faster adoption and long-term ownership. True sustainability begins when communities see themselves not as beneficiaries, but as partners and problem-solvers in their own development.
In a related panel on reimagining support for social entrepreneurship, which featured African Renaissance, Ennovate Ventures, and Shona, participants explored the evolving role of philanthropy in Africa’s development. There was a powerful recognition that “Big Aid is dead.” The future of development, it was argued, lies in embedding sustainability within every organization’s strategy, rather than depending on already overstretched governments. Philanthropy still has a role to play—but its greatest value lies in helping organizations get started, build resilience, and move toward self-sufficiency. It is about seeding innovation that can thrive long after the initial funding has ended.
Flourishing Through Play and Purpose
During another conversation that week, our founder, Aaron, spoke about child flourishing using the 🚦traffic light model, a framework that helps identify what children need to move from survival (red), to stability (yellow), and finally to flourishing (green). He emphasized that children don’t flourish simply because we tell them to; they flourish when the right conditions are created—consistent, safe, and nurturing environments that support their cognitive and socio-emotional development. “Play is the highest form of thinking,” Aaron shared. “Children don’t need resources to play. They need space, encouragement, and trust.” This message is a timely reminder to everyone that meaningful development begins with the youngest learners and the environments that nurture their growth.
UC Denver Talks
Following the UNGA week, Aaron was invited to share his insights with faculty members at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education and Human Development. In his talk, he reflected on enjuba’s journey in reimagining education ecosystems in Uganda and beyond, highlighting how community-led models, play-based learning, and sustainable partnerships can reshape early childhood education in low-resource settings. The session sparked meaningful conversations around how institutions of learning and social enterprises can work together to drive scalable change.
From the global stage at the United Nations to local classrooms and communities, one message continues to echo loudly: the future of education must be bold, inclusive, and localized. enjuba continues to work towards a future where partnerships move beyond charity and evolve into shared ownership built on trust, accountability, and mutual learning. Together with our partners, both local and global, we remain committed to building pathways that enable children, parents, and communities to learn, play, and thrive.