Poor Enterprise Selection, Limited Skills Ruin YLP in Lwengo

The lack of skills and wrong choices of enterprises are affecting the success of the Youth Livelihood Program-YLP in Lwengo district.  

The Youth Livelihood Program implemented under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, is a revolving government initiative targeting the poor and unemployed youths to improve their social-economic potentials and income levels. 

In Lwengo the program is not progressing at the anticipated pace.

Jjuuko Kasiita, the Lwengo District Resident Commissioner indicates that the beneficiaries lack skills to effectively manage the income generating projects. He explains that some of the youth groups were created out of excitement and anxiety regardless of their capacity and financial management skills.

//Cue in; “the progress is….

Cue out: …big problem.”// 

Kasiita has also expressed concern by the failure of the Ministry of Gender to organize adequate capacity building programs of youths prior to giving them money.  He explains that the beneficiaries are also not guided on the proper enterprise selection.

 //Cue in “three the purchasing….    

Cue out: ……so well.”// 

Azizi Kazoora, the Malango Sub County youth chairperson has acknowledged the slow progress of the program but attributes the challenges of the program to the unpredictable weather changes and price fluctuations that mainly affect agricultural projects.

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Cue out: …..mu group emu.”// .

In the 2018/2019 budget framework, Lwengo district was earmarked to receive 400 million shillings.

Kasiita says that they plan to meet all youth leaders and the beneficiaries to agree on how to increase the recovery rate which currently stands at 36 percent.