Reigning Little Miss Uganda and First Runner-Up Little Miss Africa 2026/27, Serena Abigail Makumbi, has launched a non-governmental charity organisation, Serena’s Children Foundation (SCF), aimed at creating opportunities for children to discover and develop their talents.

Speaking at the launch last week, the 12-year-old Primary Seven pupil at Taibah International School said many children have dreams but lack opportunities to pursue them.

“Many children have dreams, but no one has opened the door for them and even with talent but no one has given them a stage or a microphone to speak.”

Serena Abigail Makumbi signs at the foundation launch

SCF operates under five pillars: increasing access to educational materials for children in underserved communities, celebrating identity through the promotion and preservation of Ugandan culture, building healthy futures and wellbeing through sports, empowering children to use their talents to speak out on issues affecting them, and fostering collaborations and partnerships with like-minded individuals and organisations.

“Some of these children live in rural areas, where the roads are rough and dusty, and where getting to school or hospital can feel very far. They come from families that love them dearly, but cannot always afford school fees or medicine. In these homes, a child’s dream is not rejected, sometimes it cannot be paid for,” she said.

“I am here today because someone gave me a chance. In September 2025, I was given the opportunity to join the Little Miss Uganda auditions. That opportunity opened a door for me to showcase my talent, celebrate my culture, and believe that my dreams were possible. And because I know what one opportunity can do for a child, I want to help create opportunities for others too,” she added.

Pupils of Taibah International School students perform cultural dance

Makumbi said the foundation’s vision is to give children opportunities to learn, belong, thrive and be heard, while offering underserved communities a second chance through education, culture, talent development, wellbeing and strategic partnerships.

The initiative, she said, seeks to create opportunities for children to remain in school while discovering and nurturing their talents in arts and culture.

Makumbi is also a Little Miss Uganda ambassador. She won the Best Talent – Little Category and Best Creative Wear – Little Category titles at Little Miss Uganda 2025/2026, as well as Miss Creative Cultural Wear at Little Miss Africa 2026.

Her mother, Catherine Ntabadde, a senior communications specialist at UNICEF, said many talents in underprivileged communities across Uganda go undiscovered due to a lack of opportunities and support.

She said Serena’s Children Foundation would help provide platforms through which such talents can be identified, nurtured and developed.

Buganda Kingdom minister and lawyer Julius Paul Ssekadde urged parents to engage with their children and understand their aspirations so they can support them in pursuing their goals.

He noted that many parents often push children to pursue the parents’ ambitions instead of their own, yet allowing children to follow their interests is critical to their career development and overall wellbeing.

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