By Patrick Jaramogi

TWENTY-year-old Tina Bukenya, a hair dresser at Kitega in Mukono, knew her financial end had come when she dropped out of school a couple of years ago.

Sharon Nakalega, another school dropout, only heard about value-addition during her economics class before the lack of school fees forced her out of education.

However, today, she owns a curry powder packaging business.

These are some of the numerous success stories that have demystified the notion that it’s only through better education that a secure financial future can be guaranteed.

“When I dropped out of school in Senior Four, I knew it was the end of the road for me.

“Today, I am self-employed in my saloon after getting a loan of sh200,000 from BRAC,” she explained at her workplace.

“I didn’t have to look for a job when I dropped out of school.

“I am now self-employed,” she said at her home in Lungujja, a city suburb.

The two are some of the beneficiaries of BRAC Uganda, an international development organisation with roots in Bangladesh.

The firm that empowers young people using holistic approach through innovative livelihoods, life skills training and a customised microfinance programme for older adolescents, started operations in Uganda in 2006.

“We are in the process of introducing an innovative mentorship programme for young men and women to work with small businesses in and around their communities,” said Khondoker Ariful Islam, the country programme head.

The programmes, he added would be supported by microfinance loans.

He said $14m (about sh32b had been injected in empowering the youth with livelihood support and skills development to address poverty and unemployment.

The funding generated from MasterCard Foundation, Whole Planet Foundation and Nike Foundation, is expected to empower over 100,000 youth by 2015.

Khondoker explained that so far 40,000 young girls and boys aged between 12 and 21 had been supported with loans to “start-up life.”

“We have helped the youth in several communities to address issues of poverty, illiteracy, disease and social injustice,” Khondoker, explained in an interview recently.

Demographically, Uganda has the youngest age structure in the world, with 77% of the population under the age of 30 as per the Population Action International (2010).

Khondoker said the youth were vulnerable, often abused, marginalised and disenfranchised economically.

“We shall use the $14m to reach out to over 100,000 Ugandan youth through our 785 clubs that will shoot up to 1,400 by 2015,” he said.

BRAC has already extended loans to over 2,000 teenage girls, with an average loan size of $95 (about sh220,000).

African Development Indicators 2008/09 show that youth unemployment among people aged 15 to 24 stood at 83%, a scenario that economists say poses complex economic, social and moral policy issues.

“Education empowerment and economic participation can help overcome material, social and cultural barriers to becoming confident,” said Khondoker.

Youth livelihood will be integrated closely with the mainstream adult livelihood development programmes in agriculture, poultry, livestock and health.

Khondoker said they would also establish partnerships with the private sector and civil society actors to identify cutting edge livelihood opportunities in emerging sectors such as renewable energy and telecommunications.

The programme’s key component includes provision of safe space for the youth, education-based life, livelihood training, financial literacy, microfinance services and vocational training.