The Programme will target youth from the entire Karamoja region with a focus on Moroto, Nakapiripirit, and Kotido Districts. It will also achieve gender equity by targeting 50 percent girls and 50 percent boys.
Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo, the State Minister for Higher Education, Peter Lokeris the Karamoja minister and the Ireland Ambassador launching the skilling program
AVSI Foundation in partnership with Cooperation and
Development has launched a vocational education and skilling program to train
over 3,500 youths in the Karamoja sub-region.
The five-year project funded by the Embassy of Ireland for 5
million euros is aimed at increasing gainful employment of youth in the
Karamoja sub-region.
It will target youth from the entire Karamoja
region with a focus on Moroto, Nakapiripirit, and Kotido Districts.
Additionally, the program will also elevate Technical and
Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in the Karamoja region to
centers of excellence.
John Makoha, the country representative for AVSI Uganda said
that they are covering the gaps that exist in the training institutions
because there has been a mismatch between the skills and the employment.
Makoha said that the skilling project will work closely with
the private sector, civil society organizations, the district TVET directorate,
and line ministries to promote the skilling initiative and implementation of
vocational education in Karamoja.
Makoha said that they have signed a memorandum of understanding
with each district local government across the region to help in the mobilization
of the youth to embrace the program.
He said that they aim to ensure that skilled young people can
get employment in the area of training.
//Cue in: "In all these areas.......
Cue out: .........a lot in mobilizing ". //
John Chrysostom Muyingo, the State Minister for Higher
Education who represented the Minister for Education Janet Kataaha Museveni urged the youths to embrace the skilling program if they are to get out
of poverty.
Muyingo challenged the local leaders to preach the gospel of
vocational education and skilling as the only way of transforming Karamoja. He noted that the youths should consider having more
than one skill to reduce the struggle in the job market.
He warned the youths to desist from the negative mindset that vocational training is meant for school dropouts and academic
failures.
Muyingo noted that the skilling program would help the
people in the Karamoja to study while earning money out of the knowledge gained
from technical education.
//Cue in: "The gospel you .......
Cue out: ........to learn while earning ".//
Kassim Kutosi, the Moroto Chief Administrative Officer
said that the skills offered to the young people should be relevant and ready
market for the products.
Kutosi noted that they are ready to support the initiative
because this will transform the youths in the region. He said that skilling would also motivate more youth to join
the programs and start making money through their own hands.
Kutosi urged the local leaders to mobilize the youth to
embrace the skilling program so that they can make money to sustain livelihoods
in their households.
John Nangiro, the LCV Chairperson of Nakapiripirit said that they will monitor the
activities and ensure that it achieves the objectives. He said that they want the people of Karamoja to start
providing for themselves rather than waiting for handouts.
He noted this skilling program suits the region and will
also help capture the youths who are currently staying idle without anything
productive.
Nangiro urged the partners to deliver every necessary
support to the Karamojong people because they can no longer wait to demand such
services.
//Cue in: "We want Karamoja ......
Cue out: ..........that they did not want ".//
John Baptist Lokii, the Member of Parliament for
Matheniko County noted that youths in Karamoja are reluctant and do not value
technical education.
Lokii said that young people are now struggling for
government and non-governmental organizational jobs which are very limited
rendering most of them jobless.
He challenged leaders to step up the effort and
mobilize the youth to embrace the skilling program for transformation.
//Cue in:" The youth in Karamoja......
Cue out: .........from the poverty levels ". //
Peter Lokeris, the Minister for Karamoja Affairs said
that the program will help to improve the lives of the youths who never had a
chance to attend school.
Lokeris noted that the skilling program will create
more markets for the youths who have been idle and thinking of making money
through illicit ways.
Lokeris urged the youths to embrace the skilling program
stating that this would help to bring peace in the region since everyone would
be kept busy in a money economy.
