Who We Are
Atonga Foundation
For over two decades, Northern Uganda endured unimaginable hardship during the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency. Families were torn apart and communities displaced. Out of this tragedy emerged Atonga Foundation, founded in 2006 by Ayeny T. Steve to help heal the hearts and rebuild the lives of those affected by conflict.
Atonga Foundation empowers women and youth through creative expression, vocational skills, psychosocial support, and community rehabilitation. Rooted in storytelling and cultural heritage, the Foundation restores dignity, promotes peace, and nurtures talent.
A creative and self-reliant generation using art, innovation, and community spirit to rebuild lives.
To restore hope and dignity by providing training, psychosocial support, and creative opportunities that transform vulnerable lives into sustainable livelihoods.
Core Values
At Atonga Foundation, our work is grounded in compassion, creativity, and community. We believe that transformation begins when people are given both a voice and the tools to use it.
Faith and Resilience
Rooted in faith and guided by hope, we believe no story is beyond redemption. We rise from adversity, turning pain into purpose and creativity into lasting impact.
Excellence and Professionalism
We are committed to quality, creativity, and consistency. Whether in film, training, or community outreach, we strive to set the highest standards of excellence.
Collaboration and Partnership
We believe lasting change happens together. We work closely with communities, government, creatives, and global partners to build solutions that endure.
Inclusivity and Diversity
We welcome everyone,regardless of gender, age, background, or ability. Our programmes are safe spaces where every person is seen, heard, and valued.
Empowerment and Self-Reliance
Our goal is not dependency but independence. We empower people with practical skills, opportunities, and confidence to create lasting livelihoods and lead their own transformation.
Integrity and Accountability
We operate with transparency, honesty, and respect — ensuring every partnership, resource, and action directly improves lives and reflects our shared mission.
Creativity and Innovation
Creativity is our language of change. Through film, music, dance, and storytelling, we help people rediscover their strength, share their truth, and shape new opportunities for themselves and their communities.
Compassion and Healing
We are driven by empathy and the desire to restore hope. Every initiative we run is built around healing emotional, social, and economic scars left by conflict and hardship.
We are fueled by deep cultural heritage, passionate talents, and authentic East African tales that deliver unfiltered stories that captivate globally.
With plans for a 50-acre campus, Atonga is building a one-stop creative hub for film, music, dance, and drama, complete with studios, classrooms, accommodation, and production facilities—a first of its kind in Uganda and the region.
Atonga tells stories that reflect Africa’s realities and dreams—from local heroes to social issues—while nurturing local talent to compete globally.
Atonga has both a profit arm (Atonga Entertainment) and a non-profit arm (Atonga Foundation). The profits from film, TV, and creative productions directly fund education, film training, and empowerment programs for women and youth.
Graduates from the Atonga Film School don’t just get trained—they get employed or featured in Atonga Entertainment’s productions like Adui, Kampala, Kony: Order from Above, Hotel Mara, Senchu Boss, and Crossroads.
Every Atonga project uplifts communities by addressing real issues—peace, gender equality, and youth empowerment—and ensuring beneficiaries see tangible impact in their lives.
Guided by its core value, “Lifting Every Voice,” Atonga focuses on inclusivity, cultural preservation, and giving a platform to unheard voices—especially women and youth.
Founded and led by Ugandans, Atonga builds capacity locally, proving that world-class film and television can be created by Africans, for Africans, in Africa.