EQUIPING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ICT SKILLS

Shiela Atukei showcase her business idea as FOWODE Executive Director Ms Patricia Munabi Listens

FOWODE Young Leaders Alumni Association (FYLAA) together with Digital opportunity Trust (DOT) a Canadian Enterprise with operations in 14 countries around the globe, including Uganda in January trained youth in technology, business, life skills, and micro-enterprise development. Over 42 young people from universities in and around Kampala, High school leavers, and other youth were trained. The training equipped them with the tools and skills to help them advance their economic status and build successful, sustainable livelihoods.

According to recent studies, the youth total population is estimated to be at 27 million and majority of them are unemployed and engage in drug abuse and other related crime activities. In Ugandan youth constitute to over 70% of the total population and they form 47.7% of the total labor force and are disproportionately affected by high unemployment rates, which have been at 92% males and 77% females for the age group 20-24 years. Majority of young people are unemployed due to the country's high level of unemployment according to the Uganda National Household Survey conducted in 2009/2010. A 2010 International Labour Organisation (ILO) report revealed that the share of unemployed youth among the total unemployed persons in the country was high as 83%. According to the World Bank report 2008/2009, the United Nations warns that unless countries such as Uganda, Botswana and others that share the same challenges scale up provision of youth employment, the youth are bound to resort into crime. The crime can be detrimental to Uganda and its future. On top of that, recent reports also suggest the low willingness of the government in creating and providing jobs has led to many young people being lured into foreign countries in search of greener pastures and yet most of these usually backfire. Many of these have ended up either in miserable employment than it would have been if they were employed in Uganda or have ended up being sexually abused and later contract the deadly virus, HIV/AIDS.

Youth unemployment poses a serious political, economic and social challenge to our country and its leadership as manifested by the "walk to work" and the black Monday campaigns, riots and the recurring unrest in Kampala and many young people are opting to migrate in search of greener pastures. The persistence of this problem is also partly contributing to Uganda's slow progress towards meeting some of its Millennium Development Goals.

 Many young people who went through the training all expressed optimism and they shared the following to share during their graduation. According to Simon Kimatewa trainee from Kyambogo University, he has already started applying the knowledge that he acquired in the training by updating his Curriculum Vitae. He said that his mind was open to how to market himself including his dress Code.

“I have never been in a group of people smartly dressed as the friends I have met here, I have been challenged and I am going to buy more clothes to look smart. I am so grateful for this opportunity that has opened my eyes” Simon said. 

Olivia who had been struggling with her business decided to attend to the training in order to learn about ICTs and gain entrepreneurship skills to boost her business. She owns a business of selling Ladies cloths and with the 30 seconds self marketing strategy learnt from the training, she feels energized and she says she will use it to advertize her business. “I have been hearing people talk about themselves but I have never had the confidence and the enthusiasm about my business but nothing will stand in my way now.

Patrick thanked FYLAA and DOT Uganda for the work done. He has now a developed personal mission which he never considered very important in life. Another participant, Tinka Paul confessed that training has build his capacity and coupled with his passion, he will be able to reach out to many schools in his area using his community enhancement project and share the information with fellow youths. 

Participants engage in outside games

The offered training builds confidence of participants to learn to recognize their strength and develop skills they can apply directly to their livelihoods. In addition participants learn to create livelihood opportunities that meet the specific need of their targeted audience and also to communicate in a professional and convincing manner as they understand the use of technology in Business. They also learn to used computer Microsoft office applications and engage in thoughtful planning processes to analyze their situations, develop a personal mission statement and set concrete goals to guide their actions to achieve their visions.

FOWODE Young leaders Alumni Association (FYLAA), is a nonprofit; non partisan youth led association formed in 2008 with a vision of “A society where the leadership upholds the ideals of social justice and gender equality”. FYLAA grew out of Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE)’s Leadership Building Initiative (LBI) that has, since 2004, trained and equipped young people from different parts of Uganda to promote alternative and transformative leadership in their communities