About Us

NOYU is a fully registered and compliant indigenous NGO under the laws of Uganda.

Our Vision

A community where children and youth flourish with hope and resilience.

We envision a Uganda where every young person, regardless of their background or circumstance, has the opportunity to thrive.

A future where hope replaces despair, and resilience overcomes adversity.

Our Mission

Nurturing hope and resilience in Uganda's children and youth.

We pursue this mission through practical action - skills training, health education, economic empowerment, and climate adaptation, delivered directly to the communities that need it most.

Our Goal

Uplifting Uganda's children and youth towards excellence.

Our goal is ambitious but clear: to elevate the lives of young Ugandans so they can reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities and their nation.

The principles that guide every action we take:

All our work is organised around four strategic pillars, each addressing a fundamental challenge facing Uganda's children and youth:

1. Health and Well-being
   Sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and malaria awareness, nutrition, WASH, and access to healthcare services.

2. Education
   Access to quality primary education, vocational skills training, and youth empowerment through sports and life skills.

3. Poverty Alleviation
   Entrepreneurship training, income-generating projects, financial literacy, and integrated livelihood support.

4. Climate Change Adaptation
   Community-based environmental conservation, climate-resilient agriculture, and locally-led adaptation knowledge.

Learn More About Our Focus Areas.

NOYU works with a diverse clientele base across the Lango Sub-Region and beyond:

• Children (aged 3–14, including vulnerable children accessing primary education)

• Adolescents and Youth (in-school and out-of-school, including teenage mothers)

• Women (including child mothers and war-affected women)

• Elderly community members

• Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)

We prioritise those most often left behind - street children, child mothers, youth with disabilities, war survivors, and those living in extreme poverty.

NOYU is permitted to operate countrywide across Uganda. Our current operational footprint is concentrated in the Lango Sub-Region of Northern Uganda, specifically:

• Lira (Lira City East & West Divisions)

• Alebtong

• Kole

• Otuke

• Amolatar

Our headquarters are located at Plot 11, Market Street, Junior Quarters, Lira City West Division.

NOYU is powered by a dedicated team of 20 staff members - 9 male and 11 female, working across our programmes and projects.

Board of Directors (2022–2024)

NOYU collaborates with a diverse range of international and national partners who share our commitment to Uganda's youth. We are grateful for their trust and support.

[View All Our Projects]

At NOYU, we take our responsibility to donors and beneficiaries seriously. Our financial management system ensures:

• Separate Accounts: Each project maintains a dedicated bank account for clear, transparent financial reporting and follow-up.

• Regular Audits: Our accounts are audited to ensure compliance with Ugandan law and international best practices.

• Donor Accountability: Every partner receives detailed financial and narrative reports on the projects they support.

We believe that trust is earned through transparency. When you support NOYU, you can be confident your contribution is used exactly as intended.

Before we were NOYU, we were LAYDNET - the Lango Youth Development Network. Founded in 2013 in direct response to the devastating impact of the Northern Uganda conflict, LAYDNET began as a grassroots initiative focused on healing and rebuilding war-affected communities.

Our founding motto, "Strive for Tomorrow," captured the spirit of young people determined to move beyond the trauma of war and build a better future. Over the years, we grew from a small community-based network into a respected organisation delivering programmes across multiple districts.

Key milestones in our journey include:

• 2013: Founded as LAYDNET in response to the Northern Uganda conflict.

• 2014–2016: Implemented our first major projects, including USAID Community Connector and the GREAT Project with Pathfinder International and Save the Children.

• 2015–2018: Led the War Survivors Support Project, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, restoring livelihoods across Lira, Otuke, and Kole.

• 2016: Launched our flagship Entrepreneurship Training Project with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which continues to this day.

• 2018: Began our self-funded Vocational Training Initiative, equipping vulnerable youth with practical skills.

• 2022: Launched the I DECIDE Project with Plan International, marking a major expansion of our SRHR work.

• 2024: Rebranded as the Noble Youth Foundation Uganda (NOYU) , embracing a national vision and expanding our scope of operation countrywide. Secured official registration and permit under the NGO Act, 2016.

The rebranding from LAYDNET to NOYU symbolises our evolution from a regional network to a national force for youth empowerment. While our name has changed, our founding spirit - Strive for Tomorrow - remains at the heart of everything we do.

Noble Youth Foundation Gallery