Teso Elites Development Association (TEDA) is a youth-led, non-profit organization advancing sustainable development across the Teso and Bukedi sub-regions of Eastern Uganda.

We work with young people, schools, communities, local governments, cultural institutions, civil society, academia, and the private sector to co-create practical, evidence-informed solutions that strengthen resilience and expand opportunity.

15+ districtsTEDA works across the Teso and Bukedi sub-regions, staying close to the communities we serve.

6 focus areasEducation, leadership, entrepreneurship, health, climate, and culture sit at the centre of our work.

Local ownership firstWe invest in people, community leadership, and partnerships so solutions last beyond any one project.

Figures based on programme records.

Who we are

Founded on the belief that communities already hold the knowledge, talent, and potential to solve their own challenges, TEDA equips young people and communities with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to become architects of their own development.

At the heart of TEDA is a simple belief: lasting development happens when communities are empowered to lead their own transformation.

Our programmes strengthen local capacity, promote accountability, foster innovation, and create opportunities that extend well beyond the lifespan of individual projects.

Our story

TEDA began with a clear realization: the greatest resource in our communities is not funding, it is people.

Across Eastern Uganda, committed young leaders saw talented young people being held back by poverty, unemployment, climate change, limited opportunities, and a lack of platforms to turn ideas into action. Rather than waiting for change to come from elsewhere, they chose to build a youth-led response rooted in local ownership.

What began as an initiative has grown into a regional movement that brings together young people, communities, institutions, and partners to create practical, locally led solutions — from mentoring future leaders and convening the Teso Youth Forum to advancing education, health, climate resilience, entrepreneurship, leadership, and culture.

Our story is still being written by every young person who discovers their potential, every community that chooses resilience over dependence, and every partner who believes that lasting change begins from within.

Our Vision

An empowered generation of Teso youth driving education, culture, and sustainable development.

Our Mission

To empower the youth of Teso to lead in education, preserve culture, and champion sustainable development for a thriving future.

Our Promise

TEDA is more than an organization, it is a movement of young people determined to shape a brighter future for the Teso region.

What sets us apart

TEDA is more than an implementing organization — we are a movement of young leaders committed to transforming Eastern Uganda from within.

Local capacity

We build people, not dependency

Our goal is to develop problem-solvers, innovators, and community leaders who can carry progress forward.

Youth leadership

Young people are partners

Youth help shape programme design, implementation, monitoring, advocacy, and decision-making.

Community roots

We stay grounded in context

Our work is shaped by trusted relationships with communities, schools, cultural institutions, local governments, youth groups, and partners.

Integrated development

We connect the issues people live with

Education, health, climate resilience, entrepreneurship, leadership, and culture are treated as connected parts of one ecosystem.

Learning and evidence

We improve through reflection

TEDA uses research, community evidence, monitoring, learning, and adaptation to keep programmes responsive and practical.

Partnership

We co-create with others

We work with governments, development partners, academia, civil society, the private sector, and local communities to build solutions that last.

Why partners choose TEDA

Locally led with deep community trust and ownership.
Youth-led and innovation-driven, creating solutions from within communities.
Resilient, sustaining programmes through volunteerism, partnerships, and local resource mobilization.
Evidence-informed, using data and learning to improve impact.
Integrated, addressing interconnected challenges through holistic programming.

Our team

TEDA operates through regional and district coordinators, thematic programme teams, and campus ambassadors in institutions of higher learning. That structure keeps the organization close to the communities it serves while creating a clear pathway for leadership development.

Our team

Meet the team

Internal team

Fraide Solomon

Team Lead

Fraide Solomon is the Team Lead, institutional visionary, and operational "oxygen" of the TEDA. Having historically served as President, he…

Adumo Sandra

Secretary General

Adumo Sandra is the chief administrative and operational anchor of TEDA, overseeing the day-to-day management of all organizational directorates, compliance…

Alupo Doreen

Head of Treasury

Alupo Doreen directs TEDA’s financial operations, ensuring absolute transparency, accountability, and strategic resource allocation. She oversees the management of all…

Alupo Phoebe

Programme Associate-Skill Dev't & TVET

She coordinates targeted training initiatives that equip young women and men with market-driven vocational skills, digital competencies, and entrepreneurship capabilities.…