Bunyoro-Tooro Junction
Crafting Memories Across Africa
Before schools, before youth programmes, before any formal curriculum existed, communities across Bunyoro and Tooro had their own way of preparing young people for adult life. It was called Ekisaakate — a mentorship tradition where elders and trained guardians took in girls (and, in related practices, boys) approaching adulthood and taught them the practical, social, and emotional skills they'd need to run a household and hold their place in the community.
Kyisakati is our attempt to bring that idea back — not as a museum re-enactment, but as a genuinely useful mentorship camp for today's kids and teens, held at Grace Farm.
Ekisaakate wasn't a single lesson or a weekend workshop. It was an immersive, often extended period of mentorship, usually ahead of marriage or the transition into adulthood, covering everything from household management and cooking to etiquette, respect, and how to conduct oneself in the community. It was hands-on and relational — learned by doing, under the guidance of someone who had already walked that path.
Much of that infrastructure faded as formal schooling took over the job of "preparing children for life." But formal schooling was never really built to teach public speaking confidence, basic household skills, or how to handle stress and social pressure — and that gap is exactly where Kyisakati sits.
Kyisakati runs two tracks — a Kids Track (ages 8-12) and a Teens Track (ages 13-17) — each built around five practical skill areas:
None of it is delivered as a lecture. Sessions are hands-on and mentor-led, at Grace Farm, in small enough groups that every child actually gets seen.
Modern life hasn't reduced the need for these skills — if anything, it's made mentorship rarer. Extended families are more spread out, school curriculums are exam-focused, and a lot of kids are quietly figuring out confidence, etiquette, and self-care on their own. Kyisakati is a deliberate, structured space to close that gap — rooted in a practice that already belonged to this region, rather than an imported programme.
It's also part of a bigger picture for us. Bunyoro-Tooro Junction exists to grow heritage, tourism, investment, and skills across the Bunyoro and Tooro Kingdoms — and skilling the next generation is as much a part of that as preserving a royal palace or promoting a heritage site.
Any parent or guardian in the region looking for a structured, mentor-led environment for their child to build real-world confidence and life skills — whether that's a shy 9-year-old who needs practice speaking up, or a 15-year-old who could use a steady adult mentor outside of school and home.
Registration happens directly on the Kyisakati page, where you can choose the Kids Track or Teens Track and submit your child's details. Our team follows up to confirm placement and answer any questions before the session at Grace Farm.
Kyisakati runs two tracks: a Kids Track for ages 8-12 and a Teens Track for ages 13-17, each with age-appropriate activities held at Grace Farm.
The curriculum covers public speaking, personal hygiene, cooking, social etiquette, and mental health awareness, delivered through hands-on, mentor-led sessions rather than classroom lectures.
You can register directly on the Kyisakati page on the Bunyoro-Tooro Junction website, choosing the age track that fits your child and submitting your details through the registration form.