How We Work

Our Work ▸ How We Work

A Scholar’s Journey

  • We find talented orphaned youth from across the African continent. Each person we recruit has lost one or both parents, is in the top 5% of their country academically, and has a strong desire to help others.

  • After being selected, Scholars complete a pre-university programme, including academic and personal development training to prepare them for their studies abroad.

    During this time, we help Scholars chose a university course, and a plan to create future impact.

  • Scholars complete both undergraduate degrees relevant to their future impact plans, and our rigorous leadership development programme.

  • Scholars return to the African continent, with the tools, networks and experience to begin their careers and contribute to the development of their communities.

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Our Leadership Programme

  • Each year, all the Ashinaga UK Scholars gather in one location for 3-4 days of leadership development and skills training. We call these tsudoi (Japanese for “gathering”).

    Scholars reconnect with the African continent and their life goals; bond with their peers; and develop their academic, personal, and professional skills.

    Example activities:

    • External speaker sessions on social impact in Africa, mental wellbeing, fundraising and entrepreneurship, and Pan-Africanism.  

    • Career planning including workshops on internships led by the older Scholars in the program.

    • Social activities such as evening football games or movie nights, to promote peer support.

    • Ashinaga Proposal presentations

  • Each Scholar is assigned an Ashinaga staff member who checks in with them throughout their time in the UK, providing guidance and advice. Scholars also benefit from mentors in relevant professions.

  • Every Scholar works on an “Ashinaga Proposal” — a detailed plan to tackle a problem they’ve identified in their communities — over four years.

    • Year 1 (Prep programme in Uganda)
      Identify an issue in their home country. The issue should be possible to change, but with no current solution in place.

    • Year 2 (first year of study in the UK)
      Research the issue, including interviews with stakeholders and analysing previous interventions.

    • Year 3
      Develop a new solution to the issue, with feedback from external experts.

    • Year 4
      Write up a detailed report and present to staff and partners at graduation.

    The proposals give Scholars experience of research, problem solving, and imagining a social impact. Scholars may put their proposals into action after graduating, or use the experience to make a different type of change in the future.

    Examples of Ashinaga Proposals

    • A new way to redevelop slums in Uganda

    • Improving maternal health in Ethiopia

    • Recycling an agricultural waste product to create soap in The Gambia

    • Establishing support groups for burn victims in Mauritius

    • Providing school supplies to areas in rural Gabon

  • Scholars complete at least two internships during their time in the UK, and at least one has to be in the African continent. These internships are relevant to the Scholars’ life goals and help them create a professional network in their industry and the African continent.

    Examples of Internships:

    • Water engineering in Senegal

    • A social enterprise reducing gender-based violence and

      improving sexual reproductive health in Uganda

    • The Ministry of Agriculture in Rwanda

  • Ashinaga Scholars complete monthly workshops in their first year, which builds foundational skills and reinforces peer support. Our corporate partners and individual supporters provide additional workshops throughout Scholars' time in the UK.

Each Ashinaga Scholar develops their Kokorozashi (志)

A heartfelt dream to help others and generate positive change. 

  • “I had the opportunity to intern at a gold mine in Mali as part of the AAI. My academic focus on mining engineering, the debates with other African youth, and my internship experience in Mali invigorated me.”

    Thiery

  • “The AAI program has helped both my personal and academic development. Activities such as the tsudoi and Ashinaga Proposal have improved my self-esteem and awareness and helped me discover my passion to tackle teenage motherhood in Malawi.”

    Naliyes

  • “Inspired by my Ashinaga research proposal on vertical agriculture, I created the application ecoSokoni in the summer of 2020. EcoSokoni is a youth-driven start-up that aims to streamline the flow of ingredients from farms to customers.”

    Ian