students get entrepreneurial skills to start own businesses
The students, have among other skills, learnt how to make candles, liquid soap and fruit salads. PHOTO BY RACHAEL MABALA
What you need to know:
Training partnership. The non-profit making organisation has partnered with at least 240 schools across the country to train students in leadership skills.
Are you a secondary school leaver? How much of the skills you have garnered at this level can you use to earn a living?
There have been several reports that students leave school without attaining skills necessary in the world of work.
But that is likely to change after Educate, a non-profit making organisation partnered with at least 240 schools across the country to train students in leadership skills, presentation, resource mobilisation and entrepreneurial skills to enable them start their own businesses after school.
According to Ms Jane Sebuyungo, the Educate senior schools coordinator, Rubaga, the club was started in 2007 after realising that students completed secondary education without basic skills they need to survive after school.
“We have identified the gaps the graduates of secondary education have. They finish school when they don’t have skills to enable them begin any business,” Ms Subuyungo said.
“We then train them not only to make a product but also label them (design logos, names) for sale. They need to know how to price the product. You must know the costs involved in making this product so that you know how much you will charge.”
Beneficiaries
Some of the beneficiaries have been students of Caltec Academy, Makerere.
Nicholas Kiwalabye, a Senior Five student, said he has learnt how to make liquid soap, fruit salads, juice cocktail and ‘daddies’ which they now sell to students and teachers in the school canteen.
He is also targeting to start the business at home and seeks to expand the business to the neighbouring schools in Nansana.
The business has so far fetched them Shs1.5 million in savings.
“We have given our school samples and they have promised to give us business next term, to supply liquid soap,” Kiwalabye said in an interview during the inter-schools skills retreat.
The teachers and administrators are also trained in learner-centred approaches, motivating large classes and mentoring students to aspire, have a vision and make smarter goals. At least 2,400 students have benefited from this initiative.
ABOUT EDUCATE
Educate Uganda, a non profit organisation focuses on helping improve the education of the impoverished children of Uganda by providing school fees for orphaned children and improving their learning environment.
Educate Uganda focuses on children who have lost one or both of their parents. For the one million children who have been orphaned by Aids, the ability to attend school is often difficult due to the compulsory school fees,
