Over 4000 girls to graduate under presidential girl child skilling initiative

Thousands of girls that have been undergoing training in a project dubbed Presidential Initiative on Skilling Girl Child programme are to set graduate in July this year.

They have been receiving training for the last six months in different centers such as Nakulabye, Ntinda, Luzira, and Mutundwe among others according to project manager, Faridah Mayanja. 

"The girls started in January this year and completed exams on May 31. They will graduate in July. After graduation, we always give them equipment to use as well as sh1m as start-up capital for them," she stated.

Mayanja said the girls have been trained in different courses such as tailoring, knitting, bakery, weaving among others.

"The project since its inception has reduced on unemployment levels since they are given hands-on skills as well as start-up capital. Even those who don't have money to go to other established vocational skills have been helped with skills for income-generation," she said.

According to  Mayanja, the Presidential Initiative of skilling the girl child started in April 2017 by the President of Uganda to empower the girl child and since then has benefited 12,651 girls.

"When women are empowered the whole community stands to benefit as they are in a  position to contribute to the economic development of the country.  "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed him a lifetime" this is a common adage we subscribe to as a program," said Mayanja.

What beneficiaries say?

Sharon Nambiiro from Katanga, in Kampala said:  "I enrolled for tailoring because I love fashion and beauty. I do makeup and earn some money, after this course I will have learnt another skill to expand on my income base. I want to start a beauty parlor".

Zamzam Namayanjja said she dropped out of the school because her mother couldn't afford paying school fees for her and other children.

"This project has given me an opportunity to learn new skills that I can earn from some money. I intend to upgrade and be the best in what I do" . Over 7,000 lives have been transformed through this project. We pride ourselves in the work we are doing in different places in town," she said.

Kamulegere Viola, the administrator Katanga Center said:  "I am very happy with this project because it's helping so many girls in Katanga.

Some of them were drug addicts, prostitutes and others dropped out of school early. I believe a time will come when all women will no longer be downtrodden. I look forward to a time when all women will be able to support themselves financially."