The HatHats Foundation is partnering with Era92 to support its mission to create over 100,000 skilled jobs across East Africa.

Together, we aim to build a Barista Academy in a community on the outskirts of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, where many people live in poverty without access to clean drinking water, education, or sanitation. Alongside the local organisation Era92, our goal is to establish a barista and hospitality academy that will train hundreds of young people for employment in the rapidly growing hospitality and tourism sectors.

Kosovo is a densely populated community in Kampala with approximately 33,200 residents living in poverty. The majority of these are women and young people, whilst the area faces significant social, economic, and environmental challenges. Key issues include:

Residents relying on informal economy jobs

Poor infrastructure, like inadequate sanitation, waste management, and access to clean water.

Women and children are especially susceptible to abuse, violence, and exploitation, with high rates of domestic violence and child safe guarding issues.

Many children are out of school, and educational levels are generally low.

The community is characterised by high crime rates, driven by poverty and unemployment.

Emmanuel Trinity, founder of Era92, said:

“At Era92, we’ve set a bold ambition to create 100,000 skilled jobs for young people across East Africa. Uganda has one of the highest youth unemployment rates, and building a facility to teach real, practical skills will not only impact the Ugandan economy but will also be life changing for the families of those who attend, providing them with sustainable futures.”

The Grounds for Growth campaign goes beyond just building an academy. It’s about creating a lasting partnership with leading hotels and hospitality providers to ensure real job opportunities at the end of training. The academy will also encourage, mentor, and equip young people from the community with entrepreneurial skills, helping them develop their own business ideas and build better futures.

We’re taking coffee grounds and fuelling growth.

Daniel Semaganda, Director of HatHats Coffee UG, said:

“I’ve known Trinity and the team at Era92 for many years and have seen how charitable giving needs to evolve in East Africa. It’s not about one time donations, if we can give skills through our barista and hospitality academy, it will provide a hand up, not a hand out.”

Coffee is one of Uganda’s biggest exports, and hospitality is one of its fastest growing sectors. A donation to this campaign will bring lasting, sustainable change to those living in poverty in Uganda.

HatHats Coffee staff are actively fundraising for the project. In the summer of 2026, a team of 14 young people from across our business will travel to Uganda to help with the final stages of the academy’s setup. They’ll also deliver training sessions for the young people and help train the trainers. Every purchase through HatHats stores will help fund the trip and fit out the academy space.

Louis Hurst, Founding Director of HatHats Coffee, said:

“I’ve been fortunate to take part in many incredible projects in East Africa through our Foundation and other charities over the years. I’m a huge fan of what Trinity and the Era92 team are doing. It’s about raising funds for sustainable skills and long term solutions, rather than short term fixes. Every time I’ve taken a team out, it’s been a two way learning experience. Our team share their skills, but they also learn so much from those we’re working alongside.”