Empowering the youth through Prosperity-For-All
Mar 08, 2009
THERE is a saying: ‘it is not the mountains ahead that wear you out, it is the grain of sand in your shoe.†When it comes to Uganda’s development challenges, this saying comes to life. Uganda has achieved numerous successes in its democracy and deve
By Nabusayi Wamboka
THERE is a saying: ‘it is not the mountains ahead that wear you out, it is the grain of sand in your shoe.†When it comes to Uganda’s development challenges, this saying comes to life.
Uganda has achieved numerous successes in its democracy and development efforts. That said there is still a section of Ugandan’s — young, sensitive with a lot of both negative and positive energy that Uganda needs to exploit or extinguish — the youth.
Although the Government has put in place several infrastructural arrangements including a ministry responsible for youth, they continue to be a challenge at every-step. The more they grow in number, the more their needs increase and the less focus they get.
Statistics show Uganda has a large young population, accounting for about 30% of the total population. This poses considerable challenges in terms of human resources, planning and development.
Despite the numerical strength of the youth, they continue to lead marginal lives.
They have limited access to basic social services like education and health and they lack useful skills for better life. In addition, tradition and cultures, which have preferences for boys including accessibility to property, still exists and continues to hinder the growth of young women.
The Government through its prosperity for all programme has the youth as one of its key focus groups. Through the programme projects are initiated that empower them at various levels.
Professor Gilbert Bukenya the coordinator for prosperity for all said youth are a vital link in spearheading the fight against poverty through various income generating activities.
Among other things, Prof. Bukenya has started various projects including that of chalk making, soap, crafts, growing spices for mainly urban and peri-urban youth who have less than an acre of land. Some youth do not even have any land at all except where they lay their heads to sleep.
The youth were trained in small scale income earning enterprises like liquid, bar soap making, detergents and chalk making. These would boost household incomes and are cost effective home made products that have a wide market locally.
According to Vincent Mubiru one of the youth, if these projects can be implemented, behaviour change among the youth will drastically change.
“The problem today is that there are so many youth who are idle. As a result they engage in unacceptable behaviour including smoking weed, raping or stealing. If the youth are gainfully engaged, nothing like this can happen,†Mubiru said.
“The unemployment rates are so high in Uganda and the youth are the most affected. What we need are jobs. Once these projects are supported, we can get employment but also create employment for other youth.
In this way, we become role models for other people to believe its possible to fight poverty,†says Andrew Ntambazi another youth in the projects initiated for the youth under the prosperity for all.
Several youth from Wakiso and Iganga districts have already held exchange visits with other enterprising youth from Masaka and Rakai districts. In one of the exchange visits, the youth interacted with 29- year-old Charles Matovu, who engages in coffee and a banana farming.
Matovu a youthful farmer in Kyanamukaka sub-county in Masaka district is currently building a sh78 building and owns houses for rent. He built everything out of his earnings from his farming activities. He also employs a number of other youth on his farm. Matovu believes the youth should be supported to be self-reliant and productive.
Prof. Bukenya believes the youth must be exemplary and enterprising because their biggest challenge is for them to be job-creators using available resources in response to the Government’s prosperity for all programme.
Bukenya has on several occasions led the youth to his personal demonstration farm to equip them with basic knowledge of banana and coffee farming. “For the youth who are interested in farming, they must have the best practices that can boost their productivity. And our role is to avail them with opportunities as much as possible to make them self-reliant,†says Bukenya.
According to the UN under-secretary general and executive director for UN-HABITAT Anna Tibaijuka, the youth need their active engagement, as partners in development.
“One powerful way to invest in young women and men is through education and skills training,†she says.
Former minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development who is now Minister for Finance Planning and Economic development Syda Bbumba said the Government will double its efforts to mobilise the Youth into income generating groups so that poverty amongst themselves can be reduced.
Bbumba believes income generating groups enable the youth to easily access modern farming methods, funds and seeds from the Government.
In a statement she made to mark the International Youth Day last year, the minister indicated that practicing modern methods of farming, generation of other sources of income other than land and general improvement in the household income among young people will reduce environmental degradation.
The writer is the Vice-President’s press secretary
THERE is a saying: ‘it is not the mountains ahead that wear you out, it is the grain of sand in your shoe.†When it comes to Uganda’s development challenges, this saying comes to life.
Uganda has achieved numerous successes in its democracy and development efforts. That said there is still a section of Ugandan’s — young, sensitive with a lot of both negative and positive energy that Uganda needs to exploit or extinguish — the youth.
Although the Government has put in place several infrastructural arrangements including a ministry responsible for youth, they continue to be a challenge at every-step. The more they grow in number, the more their needs increase and the less focus they get.
Statistics show Uganda has a large young population, accounting for about 30% of the total population. This poses considerable challenges in terms of human resources, planning and development.
Despite the numerical strength of the youth, they continue to lead marginal lives.
They have limited access to basic social services like education and health and they lack useful skills for better life. In addition, tradition and cultures, which have preferences for boys including accessibility to property, still exists and continues to hinder the growth of young women.
The Government through its prosperity for all programme has the youth as one of its key focus groups. Through the programme projects are initiated that empower them at various levels.
Professor Gilbert Bukenya the coordinator for prosperity for all said youth are a vital link in spearheading the fight against poverty through various income generating activities.
Among other things, Prof. Bukenya has started various projects including that of chalk making, soap, crafts, growing spices for mainly urban and peri-urban youth who have less than an acre of land. Some youth do not even have any land at all except where they lay their heads to sleep.
The youth were trained in small scale income earning enterprises like liquid, bar soap making, detergents and chalk making. These would boost household incomes and are cost effective home made products that have a wide market locally.
According to Vincent Mubiru one of the youth, if these projects can be implemented, behaviour change among the youth will drastically change.
“The problem today is that there are so many youth who are idle. As a result they engage in unacceptable behaviour including smoking weed, raping or stealing. If the youth are gainfully engaged, nothing like this can happen,†Mubiru said.
“The unemployment rates are so high in Uganda and the youth are the most affected. What we need are jobs. Once these projects are supported, we can get employment but also create employment for other youth.
In this way, we become role models for other people to believe its possible to fight poverty,†says Andrew Ntambazi another youth in the projects initiated for the youth under the prosperity for all.
Several youth from Wakiso and Iganga districts have already held exchange visits with other enterprising youth from Masaka and Rakai districts. In one of the exchange visits, the youth interacted with 29- year-old Charles Matovu, who engages in coffee and a banana farming.
Matovu a youthful farmer in Kyanamukaka sub-county in Masaka district is currently building a sh78 building and owns houses for rent. He built everything out of his earnings from his farming activities. He also employs a number of other youth on his farm. Matovu believes the youth should be supported to be self-reliant and productive.
Prof. Bukenya believes the youth must be exemplary and enterprising because their biggest challenge is for them to be job-creators using available resources in response to the Government’s prosperity for all programme.
Bukenya has on several occasions led the youth to his personal demonstration farm to equip them with basic knowledge of banana and coffee farming. “For the youth who are interested in farming, they must have the best practices that can boost their productivity. And our role is to avail them with opportunities as much as possible to make them self-reliant,†says Bukenya.
According to the UN under-secretary general and executive director for UN-HABITAT Anna Tibaijuka, the youth need their active engagement, as partners in development.
“One powerful way to invest in young women and men is through education and skills training,†she says.
Former minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development who is now Minister for Finance Planning and Economic development Syda Bbumba said the Government will double its efforts to mobilise the Youth into income generating groups so that poverty amongst themselves can be reduced.
Bbumba believes income generating groups enable the youth to easily access modern farming methods, funds and seeds from the Government.
In a statement she made to mark the International Youth Day last year, the minister indicated that practicing modern methods of farming, generation of other sources of income other than land and general improvement in the household income among young people will reduce environmental degradation.
The writer is the Vice-President’s press secretary