Darren Harry Baine

Darren Harry Baine is a Ugandan changemaker, biology student at the University of Waterloo, and the founder of two organisations – Young Eye Foundation and Young and Restless – that have impacted thousands of young people across Uganda and Canada.

At age 17, Darren began his journey with a school donation drive to support 80 underserved students in Bombo, Uganda. That initiative grew into Young Eye Foundation, a non-profit that has now supported 1,000+ students through bursaries, school renovations, and climate education. The foundation has physically upgraded four rural schools and awarded bursaries to children at risk of dropping out due to poverty, orphanhood, or displacement.

In Canada, Darren co-founded Young and Restless, a student-led organisation at the University of Waterloo that empowers youth through summits, hackathons, and micro-grants. Since its founding in 2023, it has supported 300+ students, launched a climate hackathon in Kitchener, and distributed $4,000+ in microgrants to support youth-led startups and social impact projects.

Darren also launched the Young Eye International Podcast, a platform that has reached 30,000+ global listeners, featuring voices like the Mayor of Kitchener and the President and Chancellor of the University of Waterloo. He has used the podcast to tackle equity, innovation, climate justice, and entrepreneurship, making space for marginalised voices.

A recognised leader, Darren has delivered talks for the United Nations Association in Canada, Kitchener City Hall, and the University of Waterloo, and was named one of Uganda’s Top 40 Under 40 – the youngest ever recipient. He has spoken at Bloomberg CityLab Mexico City and the UCLG Annual Retreat in Barcelona, advocating for youth representation in global urban development and climate policy.

Despite the barriers of international relocation, cultural dissonance, and job insecurity, Darren has thrived – earning scholarships, co-op positions, and high academic honours. He currently runs Inspired Work In Progress (IWIP), an innovative digital networking app that helps students and professionals connect through QR-coded profiles while tracking their carbon footprint – a direct solution to problems he faced as a newcomer in Canada.

If awarded the Global Student Prize, Darren plans to scale his impact with a $100,000 roadmap: expanding bursaries to 60 more students, revamping six schools, training 150 teachers in resource-scarce classrooms, and growing IWIP’s global user base.

Darren’s leadership sits at the intersection of education, technology, climate, and equity. Whether he’s fundraising for a school in Kampala or mentoring a student entrepreneur in Canada, he builds bridges across borders to unlock opportunity.