Women find hope in landscaping, building skills

_____________

A total of 40 women and girls have walked across the courtyard of AIQ Training Institute in Wakiso district's Najjera after completing landscaping and construction skilling courses.

The ceremony at the institute’s head offices was the first of its kind since AIQ Skilling Ltd branched off from AIQ Company Limited in May 2025 to focus exclusively on hands-on vocational training in construction fields. 

The institute offers both short and long courses in tiling, landscaping, paint making, building, and other trades traditionally dominated by men. 

According to administrators, AIQ was founded on three pillars: Innovation, continuous learning and financial empowerment, with a deliberate bias toward training women who are often excluded from construction opportunities.

Breaking gender barriers

For many of the graduates, this journey required far more than showing up for class. They had to challenge entrenched beliefs in their households, navigate scepticism from spouses and defend their ambitions against relatives who insisted that “such work is for men.”

Some studied with babies on their backs. Others attended lessons while heavily pregnant. A few faced outright resistance, including cases where husbands hid student identification badges to keep them from attending training.

Yet, they showed up.

“This field is unique and it gives me a lot of peace,” Faridah Najjuma, who completed her landscaping and building course, said. 

She explained that the construction sector offers endless business opportunities “if one is creative,” adding that certificates alone are not enough.

“Without discipline and good conduct at work, we cannot sustain our careers,” she said.

Her remarks echoed the broader sentiment of the class. Women determined not just to learn skills, but to claim space in a sector long considered off-limits.

Leaders laud graduates

The head of AIQ Institute, Wycliffe Tumwine, described the day as a major milestone for an institution still in its infancy. 

He lauded the 40 women “who have braved and chosen to stand out,” noting that AIQ’s mission is to increase financial inclusion for women by equipping them with skills that are in high demand.

Tumwine highlighted the role of the training team, led by Sylvia Kabagenyi, who organised the event, and reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to partnerships that open doors for learners.

Kabagenyi, in her remarks, urged graduates to stay adaptable and keep learning in an evolving industry. She observed that many learners face stigma in their own homes, with some being “called names” for pursuing construction. 

She appealed to the Government to “open doors” for institutions like AIQ that teach high-value skills beyond the usual vocational courses. 

According to her, the biggest challenge remains shifting mindsets at the family and community level. 

“Our nature as women should not be a disadvantage,” she said, encouraging learners not to hide their potential.

The November 14, 2025, event opened with prayers led by the Rev. Festo Kalungi, who encouraged the graduates to be wise as they step into the world of work. He urged them to remain focused, reminding them that society benefits when skilled and disciplined people rise to serve.

Representing Kira Municipality deputy mayor, Halima Nampiima, thanked instructors for “strengthening the country” through skills training. 

She encouraged the learners to form SACCOs so that the Kira Municipal Council can support their start-up efforts. She described the trainees as “the trees that strengthen the forest,” emphasising their role in community growth.

From the national level, gender ministry principal gender officer, Kityo Richard, lauded AIQ’s instructors for equipping young women with employable skills. 

He noted that such training contributes directly to reducing unemployment and urged the graduates to tap into government programmes such as PDM and GROW to secure start-up capital. He also encouraged them to maintain integrity in their work so they can build trust and attract more opportunities.

A future built by women

The teaching staff, including instructors in tiling, painting and landscaping, also celebrated the resilience of the learners. 

One of the senior trainers, Silver Kabbalega, called on the graduates to put their new skills into practice and appealed to the government to support institutions that are training “the country’s children” in technical disciplines.

For the graduates, the ceremony marked both an ending and a beginning, the end of months of sacrifice and the start of a journey into a profession that many never imagined they could enter.

AIQ Institute hopes to expand its partnerships and continue scaling up programmes, especially for women. As the first group of trainees steps into the field, tools, certificates and determination in hand, the institute believes they are not just breaking barriers but helping redefine who belongs in the construction industry.