Among the startup kits donated include sawing machines that help in tailoring craft shoes, Mortars for smoothening shoe soles and other assorted materials which are used to make craft shoes worth shs10m. Youth were first taken through mind set change training to have a positive mind towards skills development.
The youth received these start up kits at Innovation village located in Rwebikoona, in Mbarara City North on Monday.
Godlive Nayebare, President of Rotary Club of Mbarara said this is being done under Rotary Vijana Poa (every youth working) a program aiming at reducing high levels of unemployment among the Youths and they are partnering with Innovation village.
“We aim at training and empowering the Youth with skills especially those that didn’t get a chance to complete studies and cannot find white collar jobs. We train and give them start up kits to help them in hand craft shoe making” said Nayebare.
She added, “We are doing this because this is one of the campaign being undertaken by government to skill youth in job creation and this brings in money quickly than spending much of the time looking for the jobs”
Anthea Ankunda, A Rotarian and Innovation village coordinator for western Uganda highlighted that the biggest challenge among the youth is mindset change towards starting up small.
“The mindset of most youth is still confined to looking for white collar jobs which they cannot get and when we invite them for training they demand transport refunds and allowances. We think that there should be a paradigm shift among the Youth on how they view things” said Ankunda.
Adding that most youth want quick things and have no patience, “But those that have tried to understand our gospel about 2000 youths have managed to at least start up their own businesses and have tried to transfer knowledge to their colleagues”
Nicholas Katwesigye, former turn boy in Mbarara taxi park who received the kits told new vision that he had done that job for about five years but realized he had no future until when a good Samaritan took him to innovation village and learnt how to make craft shoes.
“At least my family cannot fail to get basic needs and I have tried to pass the knowledge that I have acquired to other people. Now that they have added me to more kits, this is a big push and my life cannot be the same again” said Katwesigye.
Specioza Kiconco another beneficiary who has been taken through skills training on how to make craft bags said she has been challenged with limited capital to expand her business which she operates in Mbarara town.
“Capital to expand has been a problem but I am glad that this push has come in, I hope to increase production from using hands to using machines” said Kiconco.
