Women and adolescent young girls are mothers of today and tomorrow. In Uganda they are less privileged and vulnerable since many don’t attend school since priority is given to boys. Those that manage to attend school face quite a number of challenges and drop out early, still leaving them in a vulnerable state. Disabled youth because of disability challenges, they are ignored and not empowered with any skill making them more vulnerable yet disability is not inability. Therefore, to support women, young girls, the disabled and other young people in Busubi village and other surrounding areas need to acquire skills and reduce their vulnerability; establishment of Paul Lwanga Memorial Vocational Centrum (PLMVC) is a solution.
Problem
Uganda has a young population with 70% below 35 years of which 42% are women (UNHS, 2009/2010). There is a lot of early marriages due to family’s inability to maintain girls in school. HIV AIDS is also high in women especially the young unmarried ones because they use their body to get money and in the process they contract the deadly HIVAIDS disease. 60% of the women have no skills because they have not gone to school or dropped out of school early before even completing primary school. This has made women and young girls very vulnerable because they have not acquired any knowledge or skills they can use to support them earn a living which put them at the mercy of men for a living. Kisekka sub-county and Busubi village in particular is not any different, it has many illiterate young women and girls and those without skills.
As many other areas, disabled children are ignored on all fronts; education, skills empowerment etc.. This exposes them to many challenges in life as they are unable to easily support themselves unless they find a helper. However, disability is not inability, when disabled youth are supported to acquire knowledge and skills depending on their ability, they will support themselves reducing their dependence and vulnerability.
In light of all challenges faced by women, girls and disabled youth in Busubi and the surrounding areas, establishing a Centrum offering vocational skills empowerment, adult learning, healthy education services and many other interventions is a solution to supporting these people for improved livelihood and self reliance.
Intervention
The project will involve construction and equipping of; offices; training classrooms; carpentry, tailoring, hairdressing, bakery, computer and other services; dining room and a kitchen; Dormitory; staff quarters and procurement of training materials and tools. PLMVC has land at it’s disposal, equivalent to 1.5 acres, for the construction of this Centre to support the community.
Women, girls and disabled youth will be trained in vocational skills including; Tailoring, Catering, Carpentry, Hairdressing, Craft making and computer services including phone repair. As the use of phones increase, phone repair is becoming a booming skill most suitable to most disabled youth as its not laborious.
Trainees will also be trained in entrepreneurship, health talks, nutrition, counseling and life skills including prevention of teen pregnancy, early marriages, reduction of the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Boys will also be trained to instill respect for girls and women.
The acquired knowledge and skills will enable women, girls and other youth create their own jobs but also improve their employability hence getting employed.
The training courses will last for six to twelve months and at the end of the training, graduates will be awarded with certificates and given startup kits. .
The project intends to directly empower a total of 100 women, young girls and disabled youth every year with vocational skills.
To support women get started with the acquired skills and knowledge, each trainee at the end of the course will get startup kits for self-employment.
Impact
As women, young girls and disabled youth are empowered with skills and knowledge; they will be able to start their own businesses, workshops etc.. using the startup kits. The acquired skills will also improve their employability hence enabling them to acquire jobs. All this will lead to improved household economic status, improved people’s health, controlled HIV/AIDS, controlled early pregnancies and reduced domestic violence.
Sustainability strategy
To sustain the Centrum continue offering services to the community;
- A sales outlet will be opened up for items that will be produced by the trainees during the training. These will be sold at a reduced price to attract people to buy despite of their quality.
- As trainees practice and learn, like catering, bakery, these services will be open to the public at a reduced cost. This will expose the trainees to the market of their skills but also experience how to operate with clients.
- Use of locally available materials for making products will be emphasized and used. This reduces on the cost of training materials but will also unable trainees be able to start with any materials around them to produce something like in crafts.
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