Planting the Seeds of Democracy – Our First School Simulation at Airfield High School

Why we believe that how students learn to lead today will shape Uganda's mental health and climate future.

Hakiim Makubuya

6/17/20262 min read

At PurpleMinds Foundation, we believe that leadership is not about titles, popularity, or politics. It is about service, empathy, and the courage to champion what matters most.

Last week, we took a bold step forward. We carried out our first-ever School Democracy Program at Airfield High School – a full simulation of the electoral process. Students nominated candidates, campaigned with standardised posters, cast secret ballots using photo ballots, and witnessed a peaceful transfer of leadership.

But this was not about politics.

This was about building the kind of leaders Uganda needs for the future.

Why We Did This

Uganda's young people face two of the most urgent crises of our time: mental health and climate change. Eco-anxiety, depression, and hopelessness are on the rise. Environmental degradation is destroying livelihoods and peace of mind.

Solving these crises will require leaders who:

Listen to their peers
Act with integrity
Understand the connection between a healthy mind and a healthy planet
Champion mental well-being in every decision they make

Our democracy program is designed to nurture exactly these qualities.

Through the simulation, students learned:

How to listen to their voters (their peers)
How to make promises they can keep
How to handle both victory and defeat with grace
How to lead with transparency and fairness

The Pilot at Airfield High School

Airfield High School was our first pilot. Students from different classes participated as candidates, campaign teams, voters, and election observers. The energy was electric – and the lessons were deep.

One student told us:

"I never thought about leadership this way. It's not about being popular. It's about serving."

Another said:

"Seeing the ballot papers with our own photos made it real. We could trust the process."

We left Airfield High knowing that these young people are now better prepared to lead – not just in school, but in their communities and country.

The Bigger Picture: Building a Foundation for the Vijana Leadership Workshop

This democracy program is not an isolated event. It is a foundational step toward our larger vision.

On 25th July, we will host the Vijana Leadership Workshop at Makerere University – a national gathering of 500 student leaders. The workshop will dive deeper into servant leadership, mental health literacy, and environmental stewardship.

Our democracy program is the soil. The workshop is the harvest.

By engaging students in democratic processes, we are showing them that leadership is a responsibility, not a privilege – and that their voices matter, especially when it comes to advocating for mental health and climate action.