‘I LEFT KASPER WITH A BUSINESS PLAN’
Oct 07, 2008
THE desire to create jobs and self-employment drove them into studying at an institute that could meet their needs.
BY JOHN KASOZI
THE desire to create jobs and self-employment drove them into studying at an institute that could meet their needs.
Florence Acuma, 21, from Owang village in Apac district is a second year student at Kasper Institute of Development Studies in Mityana district. She says during secondary school, she longed for self-employment.
“My region is blessed with lots of foods and fruits which are usually left to rot. This is money thrown away and it displeases me a lot. If many of us did a value addition course, there would be no famine in the region. We would export the fruits,†she says.
“By enrolling at institutes that offer value addition courses, we could rescue ourselves from problems caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency,†says Acuma.
“I got to know about Kasper through Plants and Health, an NGO in northern Uganda, when I was looking for an institute that teaches value addition,†she says.
“I also wanted to create jobs in the North since most of the youth in Uganda are unemployed. The region needs to catch up with other regions,†says Acuma.
Besides, she looks at reintroducing and improving local breed poultry, bee-keeping, fish and diary farming, commercial tree planting and piggery.
“The revival of these sub-sectors would drive us into setting up food processing cottages. We hope the Northern Uganda Social Action Front (NUSAF) and National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) will facilitate us,†says Acuma.
Harriet Adoko, 22, a first year student at Kasper says she was inspired by her desire to create jobs and be self-employed.
“I longed to share what I learnt about modern organic farming and adding value to foods and fruits with farmers in my district, Lira,†she says.
Josephine Amongi, 23, from Apac district, says since childhood, her focus has been on agriculture.
“At one time, I wanted to be a veterinary surgeon and to engage in organic farming, so when I heard of Kasper, I knew this was the beginning of my dream.â€
She says northern Uganda is still blessed with a lot of virgin land on which they can practice organic farming. “With this kind of vocational course, I can practise what I have learnt.â€
Justin Bangindi, 24, a Sudanese from Western Equatorial State in Sudan, says he was inspired to study a food processing course when he was a student at St. John Bosco Seminary in Hoima.
I came to Uganda in 2001 and went to the seminary. During my six years, I developed the desire to set up a food processing unit and also put up a vocational institute in Sudan,†said Bangindi.
“After that, since I had not identified an institute at which to study, I enrolled for a six-month certificate at the International Institute of Business Studies in 2006,†he adds.
After the course, Bangindi joined an agriculture college in Bukalasa, but because the courses did not measure up to his expectations, he went to Kasper.
The institute offered practical and theoretical course units of his choice, so chances of employing himself and others were high.
Kasper offers courses project planning and management, food processing technologies, community development and entrepreneurship skills.
Others are crop science, intensive animal science and poultry nutrition, sustainable organic agriculture, environmental management, participatory market chain approach, computer studies, cleaner production and industrial extension.
Bangindi, now a second year student, says he has already written his business plan. When he goes back home after completing his course, Banginda will start Atita Solidality Service, a training centre and cottage industry.
“I will mobilise and train farmers in January before the rain season begins so that we can produce enough food for processing in July before the exhibition,†he says.
Banginda says there is no food processing cottage industry in his home area. He wants to change the face of agriculture.
Robinah Nakaweesi, 26, from Mityana says: “I observed that Uganda’s economy depends mainly on self-employment. This drove me into joining Kasper.â€
“The institute has taught us to be job creators and innovators. We can also write business plans and start our own enterprises,†Nakaweesi, the NAADS youth representative for Mityana Town Council, says.
“For two months, 16 of us have been at Kabanyolo Agriculture Research Centre doing industrial training. We performed best among the institutes that took part in the in-service learning programmes.â€
Prof. Moses Tenywa, the head of the centre, rewarded them with sh90,000 for excelling in the implementation of in-service learning programmes. In-service learning is offering services, while learning with others.
Kasper Vocational Institute is located in Kannamba village behind the Mityana district local government offices. It offers a two-year diploma course to S.4 and S.6 leavers with at least six credits at O’level and two principle passes at A’level.
The institute has a food laboratory to facilitate practical sessions and a hostel to house the students. The institute also offers tailor-made training programmes every year in January and July for four weeks.
Twenty-five students can enroll for a fulltime course every year.
Peter Kasirye, the institute’s director, says the school was founded in 2007. Currently, it has 20 students including six females.
Last year, there were 23 students including eight females. It has eight fulltime lecturers and some visiting ones.
Before it was registered as Kasper Institute of Development Studies, Kasper Food Enterprise was training farmers from Kasese, Kayunga, Lira, Gulu, Mbarara and Bushenyi districts.
Other farmers were from Masaka, Butogota, Kabale, Mukono, Kampala, Mityana and Mubende districts. A total of 720 farmers have been trained at this centre.
Kasirye says he has also trained foreigners including seven entrepreneurs from the Democratic Republic of Congo under Women International and 20 from Southern Sudan.
He has also trained Nigerians through the National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda and many university students.
Kasirye says students grapple with a number of challenges.
“Many people have failed to put to use what they have learnt. Value addition equipment is also expensive. Only a few people can afford it.â€
“We are also still struggling to establish linkages with some universities and institutes in the same field like the Uganda Industrial Research Institute,†he said.
THE desire to create jobs and self-employment drove them into studying at an institute that could meet their needs.
Florence Acuma, 21, from Owang village in Apac district is a second year student at Kasper Institute of Development Studies in Mityana district. She says during secondary school, she longed for self-employment.
“My region is blessed with lots of foods and fruits which are usually left to rot. This is money thrown away and it displeases me a lot. If many of us did a value addition course, there would be no famine in the region. We would export the fruits,†she says.
“By enrolling at institutes that offer value addition courses, we could rescue ourselves from problems caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency,†says Acuma.
“I got to know about Kasper through Plants and Health, an NGO in northern Uganda, when I was looking for an institute that teaches value addition,†she says.
“I also wanted to create jobs in the North since most of the youth in Uganda are unemployed. The region needs to catch up with other regions,†says Acuma.
Besides, she looks at reintroducing and improving local breed poultry, bee-keeping, fish and diary farming, commercial tree planting and piggery.
“The revival of these sub-sectors would drive us into setting up food processing cottages. We hope the Northern Uganda Social Action Front (NUSAF) and National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) will facilitate us,†says Acuma.
Harriet Adoko, 22, a first year student at Kasper says she was inspired by her desire to create jobs and be self-employed.
“I longed to share what I learnt about modern organic farming and adding value to foods and fruits with farmers in my district, Lira,†she says.
Josephine Amongi, 23, from Apac district, says since childhood, her focus has been on agriculture.
“At one time, I wanted to be a veterinary surgeon and to engage in organic farming, so when I heard of Kasper, I knew this was the beginning of my dream.â€
She says northern Uganda is still blessed with a lot of virgin land on which they can practice organic farming. “With this kind of vocational course, I can practise what I have learnt.â€
Justin Bangindi, 24, a Sudanese from Western Equatorial State in Sudan, says he was inspired to study a food processing course when he was a student at St. John Bosco Seminary in Hoima.
I came to Uganda in 2001 and went to the seminary. During my six years, I developed the desire to set up a food processing unit and also put up a vocational institute in Sudan,†said Bangindi.
“After that, since I had not identified an institute at which to study, I enrolled for a six-month certificate at the International Institute of Business Studies in 2006,†he adds.
After the course, Bangindi joined an agriculture college in Bukalasa, but because the courses did not measure up to his expectations, he went to Kasper.
The institute offered practical and theoretical course units of his choice, so chances of employing himself and others were high.
Kasper offers courses project planning and management, food processing technologies, community development and entrepreneurship skills.
Others are crop science, intensive animal science and poultry nutrition, sustainable organic agriculture, environmental management, participatory market chain approach, computer studies, cleaner production and industrial extension.
Bangindi, now a second year student, says he has already written his business plan. When he goes back home after completing his course, Banginda will start Atita Solidality Service, a training centre and cottage industry.
“I will mobilise and train farmers in January before the rain season begins so that we can produce enough food for processing in July before the exhibition,†he says.
Banginda says there is no food processing cottage industry in his home area. He wants to change the face of agriculture.
Robinah Nakaweesi, 26, from Mityana says: “I observed that Uganda’s economy depends mainly on self-employment. This drove me into joining Kasper.â€
“The institute has taught us to be job creators and innovators. We can also write business plans and start our own enterprises,†Nakaweesi, the NAADS youth representative for Mityana Town Council, says.
“For two months, 16 of us have been at Kabanyolo Agriculture Research Centre doing industrial training. We performed best among the institutes that took part in the in-service learning programmes.â€
Prof. Moses Tenywa, the head of the centre, rewarded them with sh90,000 for excelling in the implementation of in-service learning programmes. In-service learning is offering services, while learning with others.
Kasper Vocational Institute is located in Kannamba village behind the Mityana district local government offices. It offers a two-year diploma course to S.4 and S.6 leavers with at least six credits at O’level and two principle passes at A’level.
The institute has a food laboratory to facilitate practical sessions and a hostel to house the students. The institute also offers tailor-made training programmes every year in January and July for four weeks.
Twenty-five students can enroll for a fulltime course every year.
Peter Kasirye, the institute’s director, says the school was founded in 2007. Currently, it has 20 students including six females.
Last year, there were 23 students including eight females. It has eight fulltime lecturers and some visiting ones.
Before it was registered as Kasper Institute of Development Studies, Kasper Food Enterprise was training farmers from Kasese, Kayunga, Lira, Gulu, Mbarara and Bushenyi districts.
Other farmers were from Masaka, Butogota, Kabale, Mukono, Kampala, Mityana and Mubende districts. A total of 720 farmers have been trained at this centre.
Kasirye says he has also trained foreigners including seven entrepreneurs from the Democratic Republic of Congo under Women International and 20 from Southern Sudan.
He has also trained Nigerians through the National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda and many university students.
Kasirye says students grapple with a number of challenges.
“Many people have failed to put to use what they have learnt. Value addition equipment is also expensive. Only a few people can afford it.â€
“We are also still struggling to establish linkages with some universities and institutes in the same field like the Uganda Industrial Research Institute,†he said.