Our Blog

Choosing beauty where it isn't always obvious is almost completely what takes up my artist brain. In every setting I enter, in every story I hear, finding the beauty and turning it into art consumes me. When a couple of us with Empower and Shine first learned about Lilias Trotter, it felt like we were learning about ourselves in a past life, in a past century. Some stories stay with us not because they are loud or dramatic, but because they are quietly brave. Lilias Trotter’s

A new year often arrives with all the pressure to change, to improve, to become something “better.” But at Empower and Shine, we shifted and decided to believe January can be an invitation to begin gently. Before goals, before plans, and before productivity, there is now self-love. Self-love is about listening to yourself, honoring your needs, and choosing kindness in the small, everyday moments, not about perfection or constant positivity or productivity. It’s learning to re

Celebrating 700 graduates from Street Business School At Empower & Shine, we believe that true change begins when one heart reaches out to lift another. Every act of generosity—big or small—creates waves of hope that stretch far beyond what the eye can see. This past year, we’ve witnessed incredible transformation across Uganda—700 graduates completing their journey with Street Business School in Buliisa, and the joyful opening of the new God’s Will Preschool in Mubako. Eac

What began 3 years ago as a request to go on a safari turned into something far more meaningful than anyone on our team could have ever...