Reinaldo Natcha lives in Guiné Bisssau where he founded the Martin Luther King School catering to the education of 150 pupils from the vulnerable Bairro Militar. Reinaldo is a true servant leader having built the school and the education project from the ground up, out of sheer persistence and inner drive to serve the children of the Bairro Militar.The Ruben Fernandes has recognized his mission and is now supporting Reinaldo and his team in building a school extension designed to provide better teaching and learning conditions which will include: • Four classrooms — two on the ground floor and two on the first floor; • One library; • One administration office; • One school canteen with a bakery. To complete the entire construction project, a total of 1,390,000 XOF (approximately €2,120) s.

Led by Victor Nyamawi, Dream Doers Investments Ltd in Kilifi County, Kenya, is using Azolla, a fast-growing aquatic plant, to produce affordable animal feed while creating income opportunities for rural farmers. With support from the Ruben Fernandes Association since 2022, the initiative has grown from establishing Azolla ponds to mechanized feed production and laboratory-tested feed quality. Today, 200 farmers participate in the value chain, benefiting more than 1,200 community members. The project is now seeking €5,500 to expand to 400 farmers and reach more than 2,400 people. Funding will purchase a fish-feed extruder, a crumbles pellet machine, farmer training, and starter kits for 200 new farmers. The new equipment will enable production of floating fish feed and poultry crumbles, opening new markets, increasing demand for farmers' Azolla, and creating more sustainable income opportunities. €5,500 can help transform a small-scale initiative into a stronger, climate-resilient agricultural enterprise—empowering 200 additional farmers and strengthening livelihoods across Kilifi County.

In many rural communities across Uganda, girls and women continue to face systemic barriers to education, economic participation, and social inclusion.Poverty, harmful gender norms, Gender-Based Violence (GBV),early marriage, teenage pregnancy, and limited livelihood opportunities disproportionately affect adolescent girls and young women, perpetuating cycles of vulnerability and inequality. Joseph Mugirimani, an Ubuntu social entrepreneur and community leader, grew up witnessing these inequalities firsthand. Raised alongside two sisters in a context where girls’ education was often undervalued, he observed how poverty and entrenched social norms exposed women and girls to exclusion and violence. These experiences shaped his commitment to advancing gender equality and sustainable community transformation. Given the social economc context Joseph decided to address a gap in the community: lack of income and employment opportunities to adolescent and young women. He decided to open a training hair style centre called Ubuntu Harmony Initiative Skilling Centre. The UHI Skilling Center is committed to equipping learners with practical skills that prepare them for the workforce. To enhance sustainability and provide hands-on internship opportunities, this proposal outlines the establishment of a commercial salon and Focus & Concentration Program trainings with an investment of Euro 2,162,00.

Pedro Vicente is a young Mozambican entrepreneur. A tailor by profession, e suffers deeply with the circumsntaces to which his community, in Lourenço, seem to be condemned to. With his meager savings he still manages, together with a group of friends, to provide one meal per month to the children of Lourenço. Finding in him the drive and commitment that are the common denominatr of great servant leaders, Pedro Bento Vicente proposes the creation of a Community Training and Learning Center for Tailoring and Metalwork in the community of Lourenço, Nampula District, Mozambique. The project responds to youth unemployment and inactivity by providing accessible vocational training within the community. The initiative will enable young people to develop practical skills in metalwork and tailoring, two areas with local market demand and strong potential for employment, entrepreneurship, and small businesses. In addition to preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship, the center will provide tailoring and metalwork services to the local community. The income generated will gradually contribute to the center’s financial independence and long-term sustainability. During the first phase, the center aims to train 80 young people, with priority given to vulnerable youth, those who are out of school or unemployed, and residents of the local community. An investment of 540,000 MT (approximately €7,357) is required to launch the project and operate during the first five months. The funds will support the construction of a building with five classrooms, the purchase of equipment and raw materials, meals for participants, and the recruitment of three qualified trainers.Training will combine theory and hands-on practical learning, with continuous monitoring and evaluation of participants’ progress. Beyond equipping young people with skills for employment and entrepreneurship, the center will provide tailoring and metalwork services to the community. The income generated from these services will progressively strengthen the center’s financial independence and long-term sustainability, while creating new opportunities for young people in Lourenço.