As NEMA Recognized Uganda’s National Green Champions at NESA 2026 under the theme, “Innovation for Climate Resilience.” We rejoiced with our Laudato Si Club of Nyakasura School, whose activities have contributed significantly to the school being nominated and recognized as one of the leading Green Schools in the country. To God be the glory,” said Mr Daniel Rusahura, the Laudato Si Club Patron at Nyakasura School.
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on Friday, 19th June 2026, hosted the 3rd National Environment Sustainability Awards (NESA) 2026 at Serena Hotel, Kampala, under the theme, “Innovation for Climate Resilience.”The prestigious award recognizes and celebrates outstanding individuals, organizations, institutions, companies, and communities that are making significant contributions to environmental conservation, climate action, innovation, and sustainable development across Uganda. Nyakasura School was awarded as first runners-up in the Green School Award (Secondary Schools) 2026 for advancing Environmental Sustainability.
Bringing together leaders from government, the private sector, academia, civil society, local governments, and the media, NESA 2026 highlighted the people, projects, and ideas shaping a cleaner, greener, and more climate-resilient future for our beloved country, Uganda. NEMA congratulated all nominees, finalists, and winners for their remarkable efforts in protecting Uganda’s environment and advancing sustainable development. The awards serve as a powerful reminder that collective action and innovative solutions are essential in addressing climate challenges and safeguarding the environment for future generations, a value upheld dear by the Laudato Youth Initiative.
Laudato Youth Initiative continues to promote environmental stewardship and climate action among young people in institutions through its Laudato Si Clubs Model. The Initiative participated in the celebrations as Uganda recognized outstanding achievements in environmental conservation and sustainability.
A notable highlight for us is the recognition of Nyakasura School’s recognition as one of the country’s schools advancing environmental sustainability. In March 2022, we were at Nyakasura school, opening the Laudato Si Club with the aim of walking with and mentoring youth at Uganda’s celebrated tourism heritage school and sustainability abiding institution, whose sustainability story dates back to its founder.
In the 1930s, when Commander Calwell established a mini-hydroelectric power station at the school, making it the very first school in Uganda to generate its own electricity with the aim of making the school a sustainable institution. The mini-dam transformed the school into a self-sufficient entity. It never suffered blackouts during its early years, though the original station eventually broke down for several reasons. Beyond generating power, Commander Calwell also installed a system that pumped water from a kilometer away using locally developed technology all attributed to innovation for sustainability. A school that runs a swimming pool originally constructed in the 1930s, with an ingenious water-pumping infrastructure.
Laudato Si Club at Nyakasura School
This achievement reflects the dedication and impact of the school’s Laudato Si’ Club, whose environmental activities have played a significant role in fostering a culture of sustainability within the school community. Speaking on the recognition, the Patron of the Laudato Si’ Club at Nyakasura School, Mr Daniel Rusahura, expressed gratitude for the achievement, saying.
“The Laudato Si’ Club of Nyakasura School is grateful for this achievement, as the club’s activities have contributed significantly to the school being nominated and recognized as the leading Green School in the country. To God be the glory,” he said. This reflects our Integral Ecology approach of faith and action towards building a sustainable nation, beginning by empowering the young generation.
In the next few weeks, several schools and Laudato Si Clubs will gather in Jinja for our 3rd Laudato Si Green Festival, themed “Environmental Conservation for Peace and Sustainable Development.” The Laudato Si’ Green Festival serves as a dynamic platform that convenes youth, educators, innovators, religious leaders from schools across the region, and leading practitioners in integral ecology from across Uganda.
Through mentorship, knowledge exchange, and experiential learning, the festival empowers young people to translate classroom learning into practical skills and locally relevant solutions that advance sustainability, innovation, and climate resilience. By nurturing a culture of Research, Innovation, Action and Problem-solving, the festival empowers students to become change-makers and positions schools as living laboratories where sustainability, research, innovation, and community engagement converge to create lasting environmental and social impact.
National Environment Sustainability Awards (NESA) 2026
The recognition of Nyakasura school as the First Runners-up in the Green School Award (Secondary School) 2026 for Advancing Environmental Sustainability underscores the growing role of schools and youth-led initiatives in promoting environmental responsibility and climate resilience across Uganda. Through tree planting, environmental awareness campaigns, waste management initiatives, and community engagement, young people are increasingly becoming key drivers of sustainable development, and our Laudato Si Clubs are well-positioned to promote these causes.
As Uganda continues to confront the challenges of climate change, initiatives such as NESA and our Laudato Si Green Festival provide an important platform for recognizing excellence, inspiring innovation, and encouraging broader participation in environmental conservation efforts.
Key to our upcoming festival is the promotion of the STEM Practical exhibition knowledge booth showcasing real-world models of innovation focused on science and technology with Dr. Muwanika Jdiobe, Ph.D. an Aerospace engineer and STEM educator from Oklahoma State University who currently works as an acoustic engineer at Boeing and advocates for expanding science education in Uganda. His recent publication “Pamula, Abhiram SP, Mark J. Krzmarzick, Muwanika Jdiobe, Jamey D. Jacob, and David J. Lampert. “Development of a Low-Cost, Open-Source Unmanned Surface Vehicle for Water System Monitoring.” Journal of Hydrologic Engineering 30, no. 6 (2025): 06025002.”
The Laudato Si Club at Nyakasura School
The Laudato Si Club of Nyakasura School has already been engaged in activities such as Water Quality Bio-monitoring, during which students have also been equipped with skills to monitor and protect our water resources. Ahead of the Water and Environment Week 2026. themed “The role of water and environment in achieving Uganda’s tenfold growth strategy”.
Together, stakeholders across the country are building a sustainable Uganda, one innovation, one community, and one environmental champion at a time, guided by our motto, United for Climate Action.
About Nyakasura School
Founded in 1926 by Scottish Commander Ernest Ebohard Calwell, in Fort Portal area, the institution recently celebrated its centenary, which opened with the Fort Portal city clean-up and ceremonial tree planting at the school. Proudly known for its legacy of training creative thinkers, Uganda’s celebrated traditional school that has preserved its original amenities and natural green lush vegetation, compound, agricultural projects, paper free environment with the golden rule written on the hearts of every learner that walks into the school “ And Thou Shall Not Walk Through Thy Greens”., and last but not least admired across Africa for its Scottish traditions where male kilts are used as a uniform for boys and its prestigious skills-driven education that has transformed many over the years.
While Uganda’s national curriculum adopted a competence-based approach just five years ago, Nyakasura School has been teaching skills-driven, learner-centered education for over a century. The school pioneered project work, research, and critical thinking just like long before it had electricity or piped water, generating its own power and pumping water from a kilometer away. Today, Nyakasura remains unique, a historic school whose administration has sustained its heritage and culture ranking it Uganda’s tourist attracting school in fort portal tourism city with a well sustained environment.
