From shared space to collective ownership
Mayuge Community House – A Hub for Cooperation, Learning, and Community Life
📍 Location: Budhebera Village, Mayuge District, Uganda
🗓 Duration: 12 months
🟢 Status: Small Project – Consolidation & Governance
🎯 Focus Areas: Civil society cooperation · Youth engagement · Democratic spaces · Community learning · Grassroots leadership
💰 Funder: Civil Society Fund (CISU)
About the project
This project strengthens the Mayuge Community House as a democratically governed, community-owned hub that enables cooperation among CSOs, youth groups, schools, and community initiatives—while expanding access to lifelong learning through a shared library.
At a Glance
The Mayuge Community House has long functioned as an informal meeting place for youth groups, CSOs, NGOs, and community initiatives. This project formalises and strengthens the space by establishing democratic governance, shared rules, and sustainable coordination mechanisms, transforming the house into a durable platform for civil society collaboration and community learning.
At the heart of the project is local ownership: the Community House is not a service—it is a commons.
The context
Mayuge District is young, fast-growing, and resource-constrained:
More than half the population is under 15
Schools lack access to books, libraries, and study spaces
CSOs operate in a constrained civic environment with limited coordination
Youth and community groups lack safe, neutral spaces to meet, organise, and learn
Although the Community House already exists and is widely used, it has lacked:
A clear governance structure
Shared ownership and decision-making
Sustainable frameworks for coordination and learning
Without these, its long-term potential remains fragile.
Our partnership role
Civil Connections Community Foundation (CCCF) works alongside The Hope Alive Initiative (THAI) as a facilitator, capacity supporter, and governance mentor.
Together, we:
Support the transition from informal use to democratic ownership
Facilitate inclusive processes for rule-setting and coordination
Strengthen local leadership rather than managing the space ourselves
Ensure learning, documentation, and accountability
What we intentionally do not do:
Own or control the Community House
Centralise decision-making
Turn the house into a project office
Expected outcomes
By the end of the project:
A legally recognised, democratically governed Community House is established
11 community groups / CSOs actively co-own and use the space
500+ youth engage through sports, meetings, and learning activities
14 schools partner with the Community House library
Sustainable membership and fee structures support ongoing operations
The deeper change: fragmented actors begin to act as a community.
Working hypotheses
Physical spaces matter deeply for civic trust and cooperation
Governance is as important as infrastructure
Youth engagement grows when learning, play, and leadership coexist
Small, shared institutions can anchor resilient civil society
What we hope to follow up with
The project lays the foundation for long-term sustainability:
Leadership gradually transitions from THAI to the elected board
Membership fees support utilities and daily operations
The library becomes a permanent learning resource for schools
The house serves as a platform for future locally led initiatives
The Community House is positioned as a permanent civic anchor in Mayuge.
Alignment with Civil Connections’ Theory of Change
This project contributes by:
Strengthening local civil society structures
Enabling collective sense-making and cooperation
Supporting locally owned democratic spaces
Translating shared experience into collective action
It reflects CCCF’s belief that strong communities grow from shared spaces, shared rules, and shared responsibility.