Nukanti Foundation for Children

Founded in 2009, Nukanti is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the social fabric in communities affected by conflict and poverty, using the arts & media, sports and education to engage and empower young people, especially women and girls. The 2013 recipient of Beyond Sport’s Sport for Conflict Resolution and a finalist for Peace and Sport’s 2013 NGO of the Year award, Nukanti is an international organization with headquarters in the USA, the UK and Colombia. Our current initiatives are located in Colombia and Morocco, and we have implemented past programs in Brazil, Haiti, Spain, and UK.

Nukanti, meaning ‘us’ in the Inga language, epitomizes the concept of a community and a shift from the individual to the collective, thus aims to foster community-building through empowering young leaders. Young people are both victims and perpetrators of the increasing violence in Latin America, so our programs look to reverse the trend from destruction to reconstruction, by engaging youth in the positive transformation of their communities. In the community, we come together to share knowledge and skills, and provide the necessary support to young people so they can transform themselves from subjects of conflict to agents of peace.

Our Vision & Mission

Our vision is a war-free society with strong communities and empowered young leaders.

Our mission is to strengthen the social fabric of communities affected by conflict and poverty by engaging and empowering young people, especially women and girls, through the arts & media, sports and education. The three pillars of our work consist of:

• Community Building - Strengthen the social fabric of deprived communities building with and not for their members.
• Empowering Youth - Engage and empower young people through the arts/media, sports and education thereby helping bring up new community leaders.
• Connecting Leaders – Build partnerships with local leaders sharing knowledge, experiences and ideas to create and implement effective programs reflecting the needs and potential of the communities.