Bora Rwarinda is a Congolese Refugee social entrepreneur and young refugee youth leader driving community-led innovation through refugee and rural-focused development initiatives. As the founder and Executive Director of Refugee Youth for Rural Innovations & Integrated Development Initiative (RYRUID Uganda), his work aligns strongly with SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work), and 13 (Climate Action).
Through RYRUID Uganda and related grassroots programs, Bora has led initiatives that empower refugees and host communities particularly youth, women, and vulnerable households through an integrated model of vocational skills training, regenerative agriculture, entrepreneurship development, financial literacy and climate-smart livelihoods. His projects have directly reached hundreds of young people across settlements such as Kyangwali and surrounding rural host communities, while indirectly impacting thousands through community-based training, peer learning, and cooperative models.
He has spearheaded the Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Futures – Uplifting Potential (YES-UP) Project, funded by the European Union through the Global Youth Mobilization. This initiative equips refugee youth and adolescents in Kyangwali with hands-on, market-driven vocational skills, particularly in soap making, alongside entrepreneurship and financial literacy training. Beyond vocational graduation, the project emphasizes practical transition into business by supporting youth to apply their skills in real market contexts. As a result, participants are producing quality, but affordable laundry and hygiene products that serve both refugee and host communities, improving access to essential goods while generating income.
Despite operating in resource-constrained and complex humanitarian contexts, Bora has mobilized youth-led structures, built partnerships, and advocated for inclusive systems that center local solutions. His work is particularly notable for shifting narratives from aid dependency to self-reliance by equipping communities with practical skills and innovation pathways.
