Isaac Mwebazemukama, an alumnus of the 2025 Aspire Leaders Program, is a social innovator and changemaker from Uganda whose journey reflects the importance of conservation and the power of education and mentorship.
He joined Aspire’s community as an emerging leader seeking to build skills in social impact and community transformation, an experience that shaped both his confidence and his vision for sustainable development within his organization: Leaf Lives Africa.
This transformative, youth-led initiative responds to immediate community needs and lays the foundation for long-term impact through sustainable agriculture, environmental conservation, and community empowerment. Mwebazemukama hopes Leaf Lives Africa will inspire future generations to continue working toward a greener, hunger-free Africa.
The Power of Education
Mwebazemukama’s early life in Uganda was defined by perseverance and a belief in education as the key to progress. His father, a teacher and generous community leader, inspired this conviction by ensuring that both his own children and those in the community had access to quality education.
“My father is a very generous man,” Mwebazemukama said. “He didn’t only educate me — he has also educated many, many other people in our extended family. He believes that education is the key.”
His father’s influence instilled in him a deep-rooted belief that leadership begins with learning.
“Education opens your mind, it opens your eyes, and it gives you a solution to different challenges,” he said. “Any person in university or still doing school should really focus on [learning], because whatever I learn, I use it to uplift other people, or to benefit other people who did not get the chance to get the education I got.”
A Passion Grounded in Community Challenges
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mwebazemukama witnessed the deep social and economic vulnerabilities within Ugandan communities.
“People didn’t have food when COVID came. People didn’t have savings to sustain them and many young ladies were getting pregnant,” he recalled. “I [felt] like something [needed] to be done about this kind of thing, and personally, I have a passion for nature and conservation.”
Mwebazemukama also witnessed how environmental challenges intensified during this period. Issues like limited access to clean water, food insecurity, and poor waste management became even more visible. These struggles moved him to take action for his community’s future, and he identified a new mission for himself: combining environmental sustainability with community empowerment through education.
Education opens your mind, it opens your eyes, and it gives you a solution to different challenges.
“If many people are educated and [can] think, half of the problems that we are facing could be solved,” he said.
Mwebazemukama envisioned a future where education, agriculture, and conservation worked hand-in-hand to uplift livelihoods and safeguard Uganda’s environment for generations to come.
Cultivating Sustainability and Empowerment
After finishing college, Mwebazemukama founded Leaf Lives Africa, a youth-led organization focused on advancing sustainability across Uganda through climate-conscious agriculture, reforestation, and community development. The organization empowers farmers by training them in commercial farming while also promoting tree-planting and climate resilience. As it stands today, Leaf Lives Africa thrives on collective passion and volunteerism.
“Most of the people that I work with are all volunteers and willing to put their work out there,” Mwebazemukama said.
Through its work, Leaf Lives Africa aims to transform food systems, combat hunger, and promote access to nutritious food, clean water, and a healthy environment, empowering current and future communities to thrive while protecting the planet.
“We’ll have people who will stand in for us in 20 years to come,” he said. “And they’ll still stand on the principles of conservation, of morals, of integrity, in whatever they do.”
The realities captured in Leaf Lives Africa’s documentary How Water Shapes Lives of Communities in Uganda show the challenges that inspired Mwebazemukama’s mission. The film highlights how inadequate access to clean water and harsh living conditions continue to affect rural communities, issues that those in the organization dedicate themselves to solving.
The Impact of Aspire
Mwebazemukama expressed gratitude to the Aspire Leaders Program for playing a key role in shaping his leadership journey and helping him expand his organization’s reach and potential. He cited the program as helping him organize his ideas into a more structured initiative capable of driving real community change while also gaining inspiration from diverse global perspectives.
They’ll still stand on the principles of conservation, of morals, of integrity, in whatever they do.
“I have a vision to introduce drones in Uganda that are going to help us with fumigating or spraying big plantations,” he explained. An idea he gained from a Masterclass on technologies across Africa.
Overall, the program provided Mwebazemukama with the kind of capacity building that is often inaccessible.
“In Uganda, capacity building is very expensive, so what Aspire is doing is halfway, or 98%, or 100% capacity building for communities already,” he said.
Future Plans for LLA: Growing Beyond Borders
Mwebazemukama dreams of expanding Leaf Lives Africa’s impact far beyond Uganda.
“We’re still envisioning to have more people to spread the word — to spread Leaf Lives Africa. We don’t only look at it as being only in Uganda, but the rest of Africa as well,” he stated.
As part of this vision, Mwebazemukama continues to collaborate with researchers, lecturers, and students from various institutions to strengthen the scientific foundation of his work. While the organization continues to grow, Mwebazemukama emphasizes that its mission remains the same.
“[We want] to touch those souls, touch those hearts, and go out there, change their lives, teach them how to thrive, survive, and leave a legacy for tomorrow,” he said.
