OUR SUCCESS STORIES

LAST MILE BUSINESS, ENTREPRENUERSHIP AND FINANCIAL LITERACY
SKILLS ARE ENABLING YOUTH TO REFINE THEIR FUTURE-A CASE OF
KATAFARI TRF GROUP

Akatafari is a rural village located near the Oruchinga Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District. It is one of the underserved communities where a significant number of adolescent girl mothers reside. These young girls entered motherhood at an early age, often after dropping out of school, without the skills or opportunities needed to secure sustainable livelihoods. In many cases, they become the sole breadwinners for their families after their husbands abandon them and their
children, frequently due to chronic alcoholism. 

Baryakeijuka Deus is a 25-year-old community development advocate from Busheeka, currently
serving as a Field Assistant Intern supporting the Financial Inclusion Program at The Ability
Youth Initiative (Tayinu).

Growing up, Deus faced limited access to higher education opportunities due to financial constraints. This created uncertainty about his future and reduced his ability to transition into the next level of Education upon completing high school although he felt capable and driven, opportunities seemed out of reach.
His turning point came when he attended a Business and Entrepreneurship Skills Training (BEST) where he was introduced to the Tayinu Financial Inclusion models. Through the program, he received mentorship and practical training in financial literacy facilitation, group
governance structures, and management of community-based savings models.

With over five years of experience in innovating sustainable community-led solutions that
maximize opportunity for young people, one lesson stands out clearly: youth need a safe fallback system to experiment, fail, and try again.
Serial entrepreneurs often say that at some point in the entrepreneurial journey, one must hit rock
bottom before finding the right path. This argument is not rhetoric, it reflects the lived reality of building something from nothing.
Yet, the current funding ecosystem rarely acknowledges this truth. No one wants to invest in a beginner. But at the same time, whoever never begins never has a journey.