Nelson Mandela grandchild joins Uganda’s Jane Acilo in empowerment drive

South Africa’s Thembekile Mandela Foundation (TMF) has sealed a new partnership with the Jane Acilo Foundation aimed at strengthening women and youth empowerment in Uganda.

The TMF is headed by Ndileka Mandela, the eldest granddaughter of former South African president Nelson Mandela

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed at Mestil Hotel in Kampala on Thursday evening, between the two nonprofits, launching strategic collaborations that will focus on education, health, leadership and community development.

The partnership follows the recent recognition of Jane Frances Acilo Nkya by the Mandela Awards Commission, where she received the Legacy Award for Philanthropic Excellence and Transformational Leadership for her work in community development.

Speaking during the event, Ndileka Mandela said the foundation was inspired by the work of her grandfather and his commitment to breaking the cycle of poverty.

“The Thembekile Mandela Foundation was born out of the work that my grandfather used to do when he started the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He found that two sectors were important in breaking the cycle of poverty; health and education,” she said.

“I wanted to keep his memory alive. We have a lot of programmes which align with what Jane Acilo is doing. We have programmes that speak to young women, such as one called ‘Pride of the Rural Girl’. On the education side, we build science libraries, computer labs and libraries.”

Susan Novela, co-founder and CEO of the Mandela Awards Commission, said the partnership would mainly focus on women and youth empowerment.

“We are here to sign an MOU between the two organisations. They will be working together on different projects, with the main focus on women and youth empowerment,” she said.

She added that the commission had already seen the impact of Jane Acilo’s work during a visit to Oyam District.

“It was a privilege to recognise Jane Acilo for her impact and we saw it when we visited Oyam. We have seen the impact of her work to the community, especially the women and youths.”

Novela noted that similar partnerships already exist across Africa, including in Mozambique, Togo, Mali, Chad and Zambia.

Jane Acilo said her foundation draws inspiration from the values of her late mother, Dr Caroline Abeja.

“The Jane Acilo Foundation is inspired by the legacy of Dr Caroline Abeja who is my late mother, whose values of compassion, integrity and service continue to guide everything that we do,” she said.

She explained that the organisation focuses on women, youth and inclusive development in Oyam District and beyond.

“This year alone we have distributed 20,000kg of maize to support households during periods of vulnerability. Over 5,000 people access essential medical services through our programmes. We provide scholarships every year for learners from vulnerable families.”

The Thembekile Mandela Foundation and the Jane Acilo Foundation say the partnership will help expand access to education, healthcare and social protection while deepening Pan-African cooperation.

Organisers said the collaboration is expected to unlock new opportunities for innovation and strengthen a shared vision for a more inclusive and resilient Africa.