By eastafrican gazette
The beneficiaries of the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child (PISGBC) project exhibited the products they created after completing a series of skill-building workshops.
The event was held at Luzira Skilling Centre, which is located within the Prisons Complex at Luzira Prison.
The students from various disciplines such as embroidery, hairdressing, bakery, tailoring, knitting, leather designing, and shoe making presented their products during the ceremony.
Moses Kizito Nsubuga, the Kampala Regional Coordinator, who represented the Head of Office of the National Chairman (ONC), Hajjat Hadijah Uzeiye Namyalo, commended President Yoweri Museveni’s initiative to provide free vocational skills training to vulnerable youth in Kampala and across Uganda.
The program aims to empower youth to improve their quality of life.
He urged the students to apply the skills they have acquired, emphasizing that their destiny lies solely in their own hands.
“Don’t give up, this is just the beginning. You have learnt the skills, now put them on the ground by starting small and growing big,” he advised the students.
“You should not disappoint the President of Uganda after giving you these skills. Let one day the President be there and he says yes, I did this, and my people are now enjoying the skills I have given them. So, we in the community, let us send in these young people for skills training so that we have a poverty-free and crime-free community, so that we enjoy our city Kampala as we vote again for the President in 2026,” he said.
Dr. Faith Mirembe Katana, the Special Presidential Assistant on Education and Skilling, as well as the Head of PISGBC, emphasized the importance of the State House budget, highlighting the numerous activities undertaken by the Presidency, which includes the Skilling of children in nine centers located in Kampala City, as well as other skilling hubs across the country.
She urged the political leaders to refrain from misleading the public regarding the State House budget.
“The detractors who said the budget of the State House is too big, you should know that the budget covers a lot of activities like rent for skilling centres, salaries, materials, food and water, among other requirements. The President also has other initiatives like poverty alleviation. So, we beg politicians not to be misguided and don’t misguide the people if you yourself are misguided,” she said.
Katana also advised students to put into practice the knowledge they have acquired.
“It is not money that can develop you and promote you, what you need is a product and service; the quality of the products that promote the country,” she advised.
She also urged the students to guarantee that the quality of the products they are manufacturing will be able to compete in the global market.
“What is going to promote us as a country is the quality of the products and service as well as the finishing. They must be of the acceptable standards in the world market,” she added.
Joyce Athieno, the Administrator of Luzira Skilling Centre, reported that there are 566 students from the current intake who are prepared to take their exams. Additionally, she emphasized that out of the 8,103 young individuals who registered for different programs since January 2018, a total of 6,382 have already successfully completed their studies and graduated.
“Most of them have created jobs for themselves and also employed other youth,” she noted.
Athieno expressed gratitude towards President Museveni for the successful project, as well as extended thanks to Dr. Johnson Byabashaija, the Commissioner General of Prisons, for offering a complimentary training facility to empower the youth.
In addition, Athieno also expressed her gratitude to Jane Barekye, the State House comptroller, as well as Dr. Katana, Dr. Hillary Musoke Kisanja, and all other stakeholders for their unwavering support towards the project. Furthermore, she disclosed that apart from equipping the youth with skills, an ideology and patriotism curriculum was also implemented, which has had a significant impact on the students’ mindset.
She also mentioned that the newly introduced sports program has not only nurtured the students’ talents but also improved their physical fitness and mental well-being.
She highlighted that a sports gala is organized every semester, involving all nine Skilling Centres from the five divisions of Kampala.
“When the idea of a sports gala was started, Luzira centre did not slumber but went ahead and formed a girl’s football club team PISGBC Queens and we registered it under FUFA. It plays in the third division league in Kampala. They are number four out of the 21 teams,” Athieno noted.
At the event, some recipients had an opportunity to share their stories about the positive impact the Luzira Skilling Centre has had on their lives.
Among them is Julius Mugisha who was selected from the Kinawataka ghetto in Nakawa division.
“A friend told me that this project of the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy child was going on at Luzira Centre. I enrolled in 2021 and graduated after 6 months. I now have a workshop in Kinawataka and I make five pairs of back-to-school shoes each day that I sell at Uganda shs50,000 a pair,” he disclosed.
He encouraged fellow youths to enroll at the skilling centres and also to take advantage of various SACCOs that have been put in place by the government like Emyooga to get funds to start their own enterprises.
Sylvia Nabukeera another beneficiary conveyed her deep gratitude to President Museveni for the initiative and encouraged her fellow Ugandans to strive towards gaining skills for personal growth.
Another account came from Ronald Musoke, who praised President Museveni for the initiative, revealing that following an accident, his right hand became paralyzed and he felt abandoned by the world.
“I am really very grateful to President Museveni for the project that has given me an opportunity to discover my potential in weaving though I am using only the left hand. The project has brought back hope in me. Now I feel like a Ugandan and a man,” he said.
The event was characterized by impressive cultural showcases performed by students, emphasizing that in addition to acquiring skills through diverse projects, they were also actively engaged in preserving their cultural heritage. The ceremony was graced by dignitaries including representatives from the ONC-NRM, security personnel, and local political leaders.
Leave a Reply