Ugandan youth head to Zambia for skills training
The youth display their products recently. PHOTO BY AMOS NGWOMOYA
What you need to know:
Innovative. The youth are also expected to train their counterparts in Zambia on making chairs.
Kampala.
A group of youth have been chosen to travel to Zambia for a one-year training in different business skills so as to train others when they return.
The youth, who have been making chairs from tyres, will also train their Zambian counterparts on how to make chairs, belts, tables and bags, among other things.
They include Mr Mustafa Ssebuwufu, Mr James Kiweewa, Mr Denis Mwesigwa, Mr Jonathan Bagalukayo, Mr Rashid Waiswa, Mr Muhammed Ssekamyanya, Mr Julius Otim and Mr Denis Ssekandi.
The group has been operating from the trenches of Nakivubo and some parts of Kisekka Market.
Mr Farouk Mujumba, their manager, on Monday said the government endorsed their trip to help the youth acquire skills to sustain their families.
“Officials from the government of Zambia visited these young boys and liked their work. They decided to sponsor a few of them in one of their technical schools to acquire more skills and also train Zambian youth on how to make chairs made from the tyres,” Mr Mujumba said.
“We ask government to keep on supporting projects initiated by such youth to fight unemployment,” he added.
Mr Mujumba also said the youth will travel with some of their equipment.
“They will go with all their machines to be able to teach their friends in Zambia. After the exercise, they will then return to Uganda and pass on the skills they were taught to the jobless Ugandan youth,” he said.
Praised
Early this year, Kampala city mayors met in Munyonyo with the youth and commended their work.
They pledged to support them through lobbying from government so that they could be empowered.
Mr Denis Ssekandi, their team leader, told Daily Monitor that they want to fight poverty among youth.
“I pray that the Lord guides us and we achieve our intended objective. I have been praying to God to enable me travel abroad so that I could explore new things and since this opportunity has come, I will use it with much zeal. I must transform the lives of other Ugandan youth when I return from Zambia,” Mr Ssekandi said.
