Finding Belonging: Here is why a New Club from Sweden Joined MasterPeace !

Every network grows stronger when new voices choose to join it, not because they have everything figured out, but because they believe in something bigger.

This story comes from Sweden, where a young club is taking its first steps and already shaping what the future can look like.

EmpowerU Sweden was founded in 2024 with a simple belief: every young person has a talent, and that talent deserves space. Based in the municipality of Trollhättan, the team works closely with young people through community-based activities, creating opportunities to grow, connect, and believe in themselves.

As a new organization, they were looking for more than projects. They were looking for belonging, learning, and a network that shares values. That is why they joined MasterPeace.

Rezarta Hoxhaj from EmpowerU said that “being part of the MasterPeace network gave EmpowerU Sweden something crucial at an early stage: connection”. Through the network, they were invited into partnerships for projects planned for 2026–2027 and joined exchanges and study visits in Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Albania. These trips were moments of learning, trust-building, and realizing they were not alone in this work.

But the deepest impact still happens close to home.

One young person joined EmpowerU activities with little self-confidence. Through encouragement and creative engagement, something shifted. Today, he speaks with belief in himself and his abilities. As he shared:

“Now I know that my talent has value.”

That sentence explains why networks like MasterPeace matter. Confidence isn’t transferred through training manuals. It grows when young people feel supported — locally, and as part of something larger.

For EmpowerU Sweden, joining MasterPeace meant knowing that their local work is connected to a global family — one built on collaboration, shared learning, and trust.

Looking ahead, their vision is clear: to create strong connections between young people across borders, cultures, and experiences.

Because when young people connect beyond borders, they don’t just learn about the world.
They begin to understand their place in it.

This story is part of the MasterPeace Impact Series —
where we share why people join, why they stay, and how change grows through connection.

The MasterPeace Impact Series was created to show the real impact of our work. It tells the stories of young people whose lives begin to shift when opportunity meets trust.

This story comes from Uganda.

MasterPeace Uganda is working with young people in Bweyogerere, Wakiso District, to turn potential into possibility. Driven by a strong belief in youth-led futures, the team focuses on equipping young people with practical skills, confidence, and access to opportunities that lead to meaningful livelihoods.

Closing the Gap Between Skills and Jobs

Last year they launched the Job Launchpad Program. Designed as a 45-day, WhatsApp-based bootcamp, Job Launchpad was created to tackle one of the most pressing challenges young Ugandans face — the moment after training ends. The “Then what?” gap. Too often, young people complete courses but are left without clear pathways into employment.

Job Launchpad responds directly to that gap. Through mentorship, employer connections, internships, and entry-level job placements, the program focuses on real outcomes, with a targeted 80% placement rate. It meets young people where they are, using accessible digital tools while connecting them to real-world opportunities.

The impact is best seen through people. One participant, Abiseyenka Ashiraf, an environmental scientist and young professional, joined the program looking for direction. Reflecting on his experience, he shared:

“Last week was very educative for young people like me searching for employment. I learned how to treat myself as a product, what makes me valuable as a job seeker, and how to write an attention-grabbing CV and cover letter that could actually land me a job.”

That shift — from uncertainty to confidence — is exactly what Job Launchpad aims to create. When young people understand their value, opportunity feels reachable.

This journey was made possible through collaboration with partners including Centre for Media Literacy and Community Development (CEMCOD), DiG-Y Hub, and ShareWithCare — showing what happens when organizations come together around a shared purpose.

MasterPeace Uganda’s work is deeply rooted in local realities, but it is part of something much larger. Through the MasterPeace, their efforts connect to a global movement focused on youth empowerment, inclusion, and opportunity as foundations for peace.

What happens in Bweyogerere matters — not only for the young people there, but as part of a worldwide effort to build societies where talent is recognized and nurtured.

Looking Ahead

The vision for MasterPeace Uganda is clear: a generation of Ugandan youth who are skilled, confident, and economically empowered. Young people who don’t just find jobs, but create opportunities for others. They aim to grow as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and youth leadership, where ideas turn into action and action into lasting impact.

Because when young people are equipped and inspired, they don’t just change their own lives, but they strengthen their communities and shape a more hopeful future for all.

This story is part of the MasterPeace Impact Series where we share why people join, why they stay, and how change grows through connection.

On Friday, 23 January 2026, voices from across South Asia came together online for “We Got Game Asia,” a webinar exploring how sports can be used as a powerful tool for social change. The session was part of the Learning Planning Festival organized by the Learning Planet Institute (LPI), celebrated every year on the International Day of Education in collaboration with UNESCO.

Set in a South Asian context, the webinar focused on how sports go far beyond physical activity, becoming a means to build communities, challenge inequalities, promote peace, and create opportunities for young people. The session brought together practitioners who have spent years using sports on the ground in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

Setting the Stage: Sports, Education, and Social Impact

The webinar opened with reflections on the Learning Planet Festival and its focus on innovation in education. Aart Bos, Strategic Business Developer at ISA, started the session by sharing how sports have shaped his own life , from building friendships to creating bridges across divided communities. Drawing from his experience in contexts like Burundi, he highlighted how sports can connect people where words and policies often fall short.

Saugat Jung Pandey, Project Officer at MasterPeace, moderated the session and framed the discussion. He invited participants to look at sports not only as games, but as spaces where values like teamwork, inclusion, leadership, and resilience are learned naturally.

Voices from South Asia: Sports in Action

From Nepal, Mr. Mohan Dangal, Executive Director of Child Nepal (CN), shared how football has been used as a tool for early childhood development and girls’ empowerment. Through collaborations with partners such as the FIFA Foundation and the European Union, Child Nepal has i

ntegrated football into learning spaces to help children build confidence, communication skills, and social awareness. Mohan emphasized how sports have helped shift parental attitudes especially towards girls, by showing thatplay can be educational, safe, and empowering.

From Bangladesh, Mr. Istiak Ahmed, Founder of SARCC and MasterPeace Bangladesh, reflected on the shrinking access to playgrounds and outdoor activities, especially in urban areas. He spoke about how the lack of safe spaces for play can contribute to isolation and negative influences among young people. At the same time, he highlighted encouraging developments, such as the rise of women’s football in Bangladesh, now recognized at the national level. Istiak also stressed the importance of preserving local and traditional games, which are deeply tied to culture, identity, and community bonding.

From India, Dr. Manoranjan Mishra, Director of Jeevan Rekha Parishad (JRP), shared deeply personal and community-level experiences. He spoke about how sports supported his own recovery after injury and COVID-19, and how JRP uses sports, including archery, w

restling, and indigenous games, to transform youth lifestyles in Odisha. His work focuses strongly on tribal communities, underprivileged youth, and girls, creating safe spaces where sports help break caste, gender, and religious barriers.

Sports as a Bridge for Inclusion and Peace

Several stories shared during the discussion illustrated how sports can bring divided communities together. Dr. Mishra described how sports activities helped integrate Dalit and general caste children around Chilka Lagoon, improving school attendance and community relations.In another case, football matches helped rebuild trust between Hindu and Christian communities in Kandhamal after ethnic violence.

Participants from other regions, including Samer

Alkasih from MasterPeace Jordan, also shared how sports support mental health, refugee integration, and youth engagement, reinforcing that while contexts differ, th

e impact of sports remains universal.

Challenges, Opportunities, and the Way Forward

The speakers did not shy away from challenges. Limited infrastructure, lack of trained teachers, inconsistent institutional support, and governance issues were openly discussed. Yet, there was strong agreement that impact does not always depend on big budgets, but on mindset, collaboration, and commitment.

The session concluded with reflections on the growing relevance of sports as non-formal education, especially in preparing young peoplefor life and work. Participants explored opportunities for cross-border collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building, including the idea of an online workshop to exchange sports-based methodologies.

From Conversation to Action

As a concrete next step, speakers agreed to continue the dialogue beyond the webinar. Plans included exploring partnerships with schools, organizing follow-up meetings, and sharing practical tools and methodologies across the region. We Got Game Asia was more than a webinar. It was a reminder that sports can be a language of hope one that speaks across borders, cultures, and identities. By placing young people, inclusion, and community at the center, the session showed how something as simple as a game can become a powerful force for education, empowerment, and social change.

Change rarely starts with strategies. It starts with people and with the belief that they matter.

At MasterPeace, we witness the power of youth empowerment across our global network every day. When young people are trusted, supported, and given the space to explore their ideas, empowerment turns creativity into action, challenges into opportunities, and vision into possibility.

This story comes from Kosova, a place where young people face high unemployment and limited opportunities, yet carry extraordinary resilience, imagination, and drive.

In 2024, our local partner SIT, the MasterPeace Kosova club, introduced young people to the Doughnut Economics methodology. Not as a theory, but as a way to rethink the future. Through workshops and camps, participants explored how their creativity could become concrete start-up ideas — ventures designed to serve people, strengthen communities, and respect the planet.

These weren’t just business plans but they were more as acts of hope. The real impact shows itself in small moments. After one of the camps, a participant shared:

“These activities don’t just help me, they help my whole community.”

That sentence captures the heart of this work. Empower one young person, and the effect spreads outward, to families, peers, and neighborhoods. Skills grow into confidence, and ideas become shared responsibility.

While this story is rooted in Kosova, it is part of something larger. Being part of the MasterPeace network means no club works alone. Each local step forward connects to a global movement grounded in creativity, peace, and sustainability.

Looking ahead, our vision is simple and ambitious: a generation of young Kosovars who are confident enough to design their own future. A society where ideas are nurtured, collaboration is natural, and every voice has space.

Because when young people rise, they don’t rise alone. They lift their communities and, quietly, the world with them.

This story is part of the MasterPeace Impact Series. Each week, we share another to remind ourselves, our partners, and our funders why this work matters, and who it is really for.