This years 3rd Laudato Si Green Festival Eastern Region inspires the next generation of innovators through STEM, environmental stewardship, and real-world engineering at the eco exhibition knowledge booth.
A good shoot is sprouting in Uganda. The Laudato Si Green Festival (LSiGF) which was by the Laudato Youth Initiative (LYI) back in 2023 continues to grow in its impact of inspiring and equipping young people with practical knowledge, hands-on skills and opening opportunities for meaningful interactions with role models and experts as an essential element to building a more sustainable future. This year’s festival like before featured eco exhibitions and Jdiobe STEM Foundation was one of the exibitors generously sharing its knowledge, offering students an opportunity to experience how science, technology, engineering, and innovation can contribute to environmental conservation and sustainable development.
Leading this inspiration was Dr. Muwanika Jdiobe, an Aerospace Engineer at Boeing and a PhD graduate from Oklahoma State University, whose personal journey embodies the transformative power of education, determination, and opportunity.
Before contributing to one of the world’s leading aerospace companies, Dr. Jdiobe’s passion for engineering was born at Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S in Uganda. As a student, he designed and built model helicopters and AC generators using locally available materials, proving that innovation does not depend on expensive resources but on curiosity, creativity, and perseverance.
His inspiring story closely reflects the vision of the Laudato Youth initiatives goal for the Laudato Si Green Festival, whose aim is to mentor and form innovative stewards of the future. This years’ theme, “Environmental Conservation for Peace and Sustainable Development,” highlight three key components: (Environmental Conservation, Peace and Sustainable Development) aimed at encouraging young people to develop practical solutions to local and global environmental challenges.
At the Jdiobe STEM Foundation Knowledge Booth, students explored hands-on engineering demonstrations and practical innovation displays that illustrated how applied research and engineering can address environmental problems. The interactive exhibition enabled learners to connect classroom theory with real-world industrial applications while exposing them to emerging opportunities in STEM careers. The Ugandan Minister of ICT and National Guidance Rt. Hon Justine Kasule Lumumba visited the booth and witnessed first hand how the Laudato Si Green Festival is enhancing the use of ICT skills for vocational and sustainable development inspiring STEM innovations and promoting export of knowledge opportunities to communicate environmental conservation and strengthen creative solutions.
Speaking through the exhibition, the Foundation reinforced a message that resonated with many of the students:
“Talent is universal, but opportunity is not.” we need to create opportunities for our young people to solve societal problems with innovative solutions that ensure the welfare of others. Our young innovators showcased their creativity and innovations sharing their growing skills in artificial intelligence and robotics to solve climate change and sharing their stories using digital media.
By creating opportunities for young people to engage directly with scientists, engineers, innovators, and environmental leaders, the Laudato Si Green Festival is helping bridge the gap between academic learning and meaningful careers that can positively impact communities and the planet.
Throughout the exhibition, students eagerly interacted with the displays, asked questions about engineering design and research, and discovered how local innovation can contribute to solving global challenges such as climate change, renewable energy, and sustainable development. The enthusiasm demonstrated by the 27 participating schools and and many other partners and environmental enthusiasts reflected the growing interest among Uganda’s youth to become part of the next generation of problem-solvers.
The partnership between the Laudato Si Green Festival and the Jdiobe STEM Foundation for the exhibition highlighted the importance of investing in young people by providing access to mentorship, practical learning experiences, and inspiring success stories. As Dr. Jdiobe’s journey illustrates, world-class innovation can emerge from grassroots ingenuity when young people are empowered to dream, experiment, and pursue excellence.
The Laudato Si Green Festival Uganda’s premier catholic youth led environmental festival remains committed to nurturing environmental leadership, scientific curiosity, and innovation among young people, believing that today’s students are tomorrow’s engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and environmental stewards of the future.
As Uganda continues to champion sustainable development, our Laudato Si Green Festival will continue to create opportunities that open chances for young innovators to be equipped not only to respond to today’s environmental challenges but also to lead the creation of a more peaceful, resilient, and sustainable future for our beloved mother land – Uganda – the pearl of Africa.
