Refactory Academy
MBALE — Before stepping into the tech world, Gloria Clara Nekesa. already knew her purpose. As a social entrepreneur and youth researcher, she was on the front lines in Mbale, Uganda, championing health and rights for adolescent girls, young women, and youth affected by HIV/AIDS. Yet, every time she wanted to design an online awareness campaign, build a digital tracking system, or scale the outreach of her organization, BOLD MINDS ENTERPRISE LIMITED, she hit a wall.
“Before the program, I faced challenges in building digital systems, designing professional online content, and using technology effectively for my organization,” Nekesa recalls. Like many grassroots leaders, she found her impact constrained by a lack of technical tools, leaving her dependent on external support for vital digital operations.
Determined to bridge this gap, Nekesa enrolled in the 10X Program at Refactory Academy. Her goal wasn’t just to learn how to write lines of code, but to completely transform how her enterprise communicates, operates and drives social change.
The transition into digital development can be daunting, but Refactory’s structured ecosystem provided both the technical guardrails and creative freedom Nekesa needed. She built a robust foundation in software development, mastering foundational technologies like HTML and CSS, while learning to collaborate on live digital projects using GitHub.
But for Nekesa, the true breakthrough was holistic. Alongside technical skills, the program’s focus on professional development and the Japanese concept of Ikigai (finding one’s “reason for being”) helped her align her new abilities with her lifelong mission.
“This experience didn’t just teach me how to code, it helped me understand who I am and the impact I want to create,” Nekesa shares. “I explored my personality and Ikigai, and for the first time, I clearly understood my purpose, my ‘why,’ and how my skills can serve my community.”
That clarity fueled her confidence. When she successfully completed web development mini-projects—watching her own conceptual designs come to life as functional, interactive websites—she realized she was no longer just an observer in the digital age. She was a creator.
Navigating complex coding concepts wasn’t a solitary journey. Nekesa credits the peer-to-peer learning and expert mentorship at Refactory for helping her stay consistent and build resilience.
“Learning from peers and facilitators made complex topics easier to understand and helped me apply coding concepts to real-world projects,” she says.
Since graduating, the return on investment has been immediate and visible. Today, as the CEO of Bold Minds Enterprise Limited, Nekesa operates with an entirely new level of independence. She directly manages her organization’s digital content, designs its marketing materials, and improves its online visibility without needing to outsource tech support.
Moreover, her transformation is triggering a ripple effect across eastern Uganda. Her journey has become a powerful case study for young women in her community, proving that tech fields are entirely within their reach.
Nekesa’s outlook on her career has fundamentally shifted. Over the next one to three years, her vision is to scale Bold Minds Enterprise into a fully tech-enabled social enterprise. She plans to build an independent portfolio website, design advanced online platforms for HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) awareness, and launch new initiatives to train local youth in digital marketing and e-commerce.
For future prospective students hesitant to take the leap into technology, her advice remains clear and grounded:
“This program is not just about learning technical skills, but about transforming how you think, solve problems, and create opportunities for yourself and others… Most importantly, believe in your potential.”
Are you ready to transform your career, business, or community initiative with industry-ready tech skills? Discover how Refactory Academy can equip you with practical expertise in software development, digital design and collaborative problem-solving. Visit refactory.academy to explore upcoming cohorts and more.
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Refactory is a software-skilling academy addressing the need to produce skilled software developers in Uganda today. We are training the next generation of software developer talent and experts responsive to the needs of the ecosystem.
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