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Dalai Lama Fellows
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Ambrose Onapa
Leadership Vision
I lead because I owe the road I have walked to the people who kept showing up for me long before I ever called myself a leader. I grew up in a place where survival often felt louder than dreams, and I learned early that progress is never individual. I lead by creating spaces where young people who were told they are “too rural” or “too small” begin to see their own ideas as worthy. I believe real change happens when we stop waiting to be rescued and start building with what is already in our hands. My vision is to replace fear with responsibility and charity with shared ownership, so that leadership becomes something we grow together, not something we perform alone.
Project Description
In Northern Uganda, over 80% of households rely on rain fed agriculture, yet rainfall patterns no longer follow the old calendar. In Apac and Lira, farmers lose up to 30% of harvests to drought and poor storage, and youth unemployment remains above 60%, pushing many to leave farming or migrate for unstable work. My Compassion in Action project trains and supports 500 youth leaders to work alongside 1,000 smallholder farmers to apply practical, low cost climate smart practices that raise yields by at least 20% and cut post harvest losses by half. We establish 15 demonstration plots, introduce drought tolerant seed, composting, mulching, solar drying, and village savings groups so farmers can store, sell later, and keep value locally. The goal is simple but urgent. Steady food, steady income, and a youth led extension network that communities trust long after the project steps back.