era92 Elevate x Belfast 2025 Exchange Program
Co-Creating Youth Solutions Across Continents
Something powerful happens when young people from completely different backgrounds realise they’re fighting the same battles. That was the heartbeat of the era92 Elevate & Belfast 2025 Exchange Program, where 20 youth from Katanga (Uganda) and Belfast (Northern Ireland) came together to dream, design, and build solutions for the challenges they share.
Guided by Moreen Nassolo, the program unfolded as a reminder that even distant worlds can mirror each other.
Shared Realities, Shared Purpose
To set the pace, the Belfast team dove into the era92 community-first model, a crash course in how creative education and digital skills can transform underserved communities. What surprised everyone was how similar their stories were:
- youth unemployment,
- limiting stereotypes,
- and the struggle to access dignified work.
Different continents, same frustrations. Same hopes.
A Walk Through Katanga
The immersion into Katanga was the emotional anchor of the workshop. Participants walked the narrow corridors of the community, met young people carving out a life in difficult conditions, and witnessed the systems that both limit and inspire them.
For many, it was the first time seeing how resilient innovation grows in places where resources are scarce but imagination is not.
When Creativity Crosses Borders
Once back in the workspace, the mixed teams got to work—Ugandan and Belfast youth co-creating in real time.
They shared and taught each other everything from branding to web design, from storytelling to pitching. Suddenly, skill gaps became bridges.
Two Digital Prototypes, One Future
By the final days, two standout digital concepts had taken shape:
1. The Belfast Katanga Initiative (BKI)
A cross-community platform built to:
- train young people,
- build supportive networks,
- and open access to new opportunities.
2. Pathport
A practical digital tool helping underserved youth find real pathways into creative and digital jobs.
The room buzzed as each concept was pitched with confidence, clarity, and a touch of pride. BKI emerged as the winner, but both prototypes showed genuine potential.
Leadership on Both Sides
Something subtle but important happened: the youth took full ownership of the process. They led the pitches, shaped the narrative, and steered discussions on how these initiatives could live beyond the workshop. In doing so, they built more than projects—they built community.
Momentum Beyond the Program
era92 Elevate is committing to mentor the teams as they refine their concepts in the coming months. The exchange laid the foundation for long-term partnerships, deeper collaboration, and more cross-community programs.
This wasn’t just a week of activities.
It was the beginning of a movement—one stitched together by creativity, empathy, and the belief that young people everywhere deserve a fighting chance.