kood/Garage48 Empowering Women Uganda Hackathon

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When 11-13 December 2026

Where National ICT Innovation Hub, Kampala, Uganda

  • Overview
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    kood/Garage48 Empowering Women Uganda Hackathon

    11-13 December 2026 at National ICT Innovation Hub, Kampala
    Apply Now: https://form.typeform.com/to/k8C0Pobw

    Explore technology and build something that matters

    You know your community. What would you build to make it better?

    Join kood/Garage48 Empowering Women, a 48-hour hackathon where young people turn problems they care about into practical digital solutions. This programme puts girls and young women at the centre, creating space to explore technology, contribute ideas and take the lead in building something useful.

    Your idea could make a local service easier to use, help a small business reach customers, support farming or reduce waste. We welcome a wide range of digital ideas, especially those that support communities or contribute to greener ways of living and working.

    You don’t need any technical experience, a business plan or a ready-made team. Bring your curiosity, your own perspective and the willingness to try something new.


    What happens during the hackathon

    You’ll share problems and ideas, find teammates and get building. With support from mentors in technology, design and entrepreneurship, you’ll explore who needs your solution, test your assumptions and create a first prototype.

    That could be a clickable app, a simple website, a working demo or a digital service concept. You’ll learn by doing, share skills with your teammates and get support when you get stuck. At the end, you’ll present your prototype to a jury and receive feedback on its potential and next steps.

    Before the hackathon, an online preparatory workshop will introduce you to problem-solving, teamwork, prototyping and pitching. Afterwards, teams interested in continuing can join an online follow-up session to explore their next steps.

    Prizes

    A €1,500 prize fund for the top 3 teams!

    Who is invited to join?

    The hackathon is open to everyone aged 16-26, with girls and young women especially encouraged to apply. We welcome students, aspiring developers, designers, future entrepreneurs, community-minded problem-solvers and complete beginners.

    Apply individually or with a team, with or without an idea. Understanding a problem, asking questions, designing an experience and explaining an idea are all valuable contributions.
    PS! If you are joining the hackathon as a team, then all team members must register separately and indicate the SAME team name. 


    Participation is free for selected participants. The event will take place in English.
    For the selected participants that are coming from outside Kampala, travel and accommodation will be provided.
    Apply Now: https://form.typeform.com/to/k8C0Pobw
    Deadline for the applications is 27/11/2026
    All the applicants will be notified of the selection latest by 2/12/26


    kood/Garage48 Empowering Women in Uganda is organised by //kood and Garage48 together with the National ICT Innovation Hub, with support from ESTDEV, the Estonian Centre for International Development.



    What could you build for your community

    How could technology help make life better in your community? Start with something you know from your own life, studies, work or neighbourhood. Who faces this problem, and what would make a useful difference to them?

    The areas below are inspiration, not fixed tracks. The best problems often come from your own experience. Bring your own idea or discover a challenge with your team. Together with mentors, you’ll turn a broad concern into a specific problem you can start solving.

    1. Stronger communities

    How might we make information, services and support easier to access?

    Think about something people in your community struggle to find, understand or use. Your solution could help with:

    • Finding local services, health information and community support.

    • Accessing education and practical learning resources.

    • Connecting residents with organisations, volunteers and local initiatives.

    • Making services useful for people with limited connectivity or different access needs.

    2. Greener lives

    How might digital tools help us use resources more wisely and create a greener future?

    Think about where digital tools could help people reduce losses, save resources or find new value in things that would otherwise go to waste.

    • Reducing food waste and improving how products reach markets.

    • Making repair, reuse, recycling and sharing easier.

    • Using water and energy more efficiently or helping communities respond to changing weather.

    • Any solutions that support farmers and both green and digital transformation- like sustainable agriculture


    3. Opportunities and livelihoods

    How might we help people learn, earn and turn their skills into opportunities?

    Think about what would help someone take a practical next step, from learning a skill to finding customers for a small business.

    • Finding training, mentors and work opportunities.

    • Helping women and young people access business networks and support.

    • Making small-business tasks easier, such as managing orders or keeping records.

    • Connecting local products, services and skills with customers.


    4. Digital confidence and trustworthy information

    How might we help people use digital tools and information with greater confidence?

    Your idea could help someone make sense of information, recognise a suspicious offer or feel more confident using an online service.

    Think about solutions for:

    • Checking whether information is reliable before sharing it.

    • Making data and public information easier to understand.

    • Recognising scams and protecting personal information.

    • Helping people learn practical skills for everyday digital life.

    5. Bring your own idea

    Bring it. You’re welcome to work on any digital solution that responds to a real community need or supports the green and digital transition. Find one problem worth solving, explore it with your team and build a first version that shows how your idea could work. Join us in Kampala and discover what you can build together.


    WHAT IS SAID

    #g48koodempoweringwomen #g48uganda #g48kampala