By Blossom Ukoha
Some women build their leadership journeys in boardrooms and business schools. Others begin by confronting the challenges they later dedicate their lives to changing. For Joyce Atimango, the journey towards empowering girls in Uganda is deeply connected to one belief: a difficult beginning should never determine a girl’s future.
As a former child mother who received an opportunity to return to school and complete her education, Atimango understands what it means for a young girl’s future to be interrupted. Today, as Founder and Executive Director of Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation (TMF), she is helping girls and young women continue their education, understand their rights and build futures beyond the limitations imposed on them.
Founded in 2013 by two former child mothers, TMF has grown into a registered Ugandan non-governmental organisation working across 23 districts of Uganda. Its mission focuses on preventing teenage pregnancy and child marriage while promoting education, mentorship, sexual and reproductive health awareness and economic empowerment.
The story of TMF is not simply about expanding an organisation. It is about transforming lived experience into practical action for girls, families and communities.
From Personal Experience to Purpose
Atimango’s journey reflects an understanding of what girls need when their education and childhood are disrupted. Having experienced teenage motherhood herself, she recognised that young mothers should not be defined by their circumstances or denied opportunities to pursue their ambitions.
In an interview published by Uganda’s Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, she explained that she wanted girls who had dropped out of school to receive the same second chance that enabled her to return to education.
That experience became central to the foundation’s purpose: ensuring that other girls have access to the opportunities that can help them rebuild their lives.
TMF’s approach recognises that preventing teenage pregnancy and child marriage requires more than telling girls to make better choices. Poverty, limited access to information, unsafe environments and social pressures can all contribute to girls leaving school prematurely. Addressing these challenges requires support from families, schools, communities and institutions.
Reaching 3,700 Girls Through Mentorship
One of TMF’s significant interventions has been its contribution to the Girls Empowering Girls (GEG) programme, implemented by Kampala Capital City Authority with support from UNICEF.
According to TMF’s April 2026 programme close-out report, the initiative reached 3,700 adolescent girls across two cohorts. Its activities included peer-to-peer mentorship, life-skills development, referrals to health, psychosocial and protection services, and engagement with caregivers and communities.
TMF’s contribution was recognised at the programme’s close-out event in Kampala in April 2026, acknowledging its work supporting girls’ wellbeing and empowerment.
The programme’s approach matters because staying in school depends on more than classroom access. Some girls need emotional support, protection services or help navigating difficult family circumstances before they can focus on their education.
By connecting girls with mentors and appropriate support services, initiatives like GEG can help create environments where young women feel supported and better equipped to make informed decisions.
Beyond Education: Building Confidence and Independence
For TMF, empowering girls means more than helping them enrol in school. It also means equipping them with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to make informed decisions about their lives.
The foundation’s work spans education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic empowerment, and mentorship. These priorities recognise that girls need both opportunities and the resources to take advantage of them.
TMF also works with schools, families, local authorities and development partners to address barriers affecting girls’ participation in education.
Its wider programme portfolio includes the Girls Get Equal initiative, which focused on preventing child, early and forced marriage in communities and schools in Uganda’s West Nile region. Through the Gender for Development Uganda programme, the foundation has also supported vulnerable adolescent girls through financial assistance, mentoring and referrals.
Together, these interventions reflect an important lesson: sustainable change requires both individual empowerment and stronger support systems around girls.
Leadership Beyond the Foundation
Atimango’s work extends into broader efforts to strengthen child development and family support in Uganda.
In June 2025, she was elected Interim Chairperson of the Parenting Cluster under the Network of Early Childhood Development Actors. The role reflects the importance of strengthening the systems that support children, parents and caregivers.
Her leadership highlights how experience working directly with vulnerable communities can inform wider conversations about education, protection and family wellbeing.
It also reinforces the connection between girls’ empowerment and the environments in which they grow. Families and communities play a critical role in whether girls feel safe, remain in school and can pursue their ambitions.
A Mission Built Around Girls’ Potential
Reflecting on TMF’s recognition for its contribution to the Girls Empowering Girls programme, Atimango emphasised the collective effort behind the results.
“This recognition reflects the collective effort of our team, partners, schools, and the communities we serve,” she said. “Most importantly, it celebrates the resilience and achievements of the girls themselves.”
Her words return attention to the girls whose determination gives the work its meaning. Behind every programme figure is a young person navigating challenges, making decisions and trying to build a better future.
TMF’s presence across 23 districts represents a substantial commitment, but its real significance lies in the opportunities it helps create: the chance to continue learning, access support, develop confidence and imagine a future beyond present circumstances.
For Joyce Atimango, the mission is deeply personal. For the girls supported by Trailblazers Mentoring Foundation, it is an opportunity to write a different story.
Across 23 districts, the message remains clear: every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, feel safe and determine the direction of her own future.
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