Sarah Nininger

Sarah Nininger is founder and executive director of Action in Africa, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing education, health care and economic opportunity for children, youth and adults in Uganda. She established the organization 20 years ago as a high school club and has grown it into a community-driven nonprofit serving Nakuwadde, Uganda, a community of 30,000 residents.

Under her leadership, Action in Africa operates a community center that provides education, nutrition and health care programs along with trade and empowerment initiatives for women and marginalized groups. In 2025 alone, the organization served 1,085 after school program participants, reached 1,087 people through medical outreach clinics and provided more than 109,000 cups of porridge through nutrition programs. To date, it has supported 1,194 secondary scholarships and produced 18 university graduates.

Nininger has focused on building sustainable, locally led leadership by equipping Ugandan staff with training, networks and decision making authority to ensure long term impact beyond any one individual. Her model emphasizes community ownership and capacity building as the foundation for lasting change.

In Colorado, she fosters global engagement through partnerships, events and student initiatives, including the Action in Africa club at Aspen High School, which connects students with hands-on service and cross cultural learning opportunities. She also mentors individuals emerging from poverty through a six month leadership program with a local nonprofit, helping participants build confidence and purpose.

In 2025, during the organization’s 20th anniversary, Nininger focused on advancing a new 8.5 acre campus in Sentema, Uganda. The 40,000 square foot development will expand integrated programs in education, nutrition, wellness and opportunity, reflecting two decades of community driven growth and her continued commitment to long term, scalable impact.