Ugandan youth to be empowered through technology

By Isaac Baligema

THE world runs on technology and it has transformed the way people work, think and perform at all levels in various sectors of the economies.

From farming, to education, to communication; Technology has taken the center stage of the way societies transform and the world has come to be known as the global village simply due to the evolution of technology.

To this end, an American social worker and missionary to Uganda, Princessa Clendinen, who founded Upendo wa Yesu (Jesus's love) an organization working to empower the youths socially and economically through entertainment, has chosen to invest in technology to further equip and empower youths to improve their livelihoods.

"We are looking at empowering the Ugandan youths through technology at a regional level beginning with the Buganda region later this year. 

The mission is to build an internet center along with a state of the art computer training facility where the youths shall be getting free computer lessons to enable them to acquire computer, vocational and entrepreneurial skills “said Clendinen.

Uganda, the country with the world's youngest population currently has a population of slightly over 35 million people but just over 6.5 million Ugandans use internet in this day and era where internet drives almost everything; over 78% of Uganda's population are people below the age of 30 and most of them are unemployed and others are unskilled.

Clendinen said that such shocking findings have driven her to empower the Ugandan youths and ensure that they compete on the global job market favourably.

"I have been moving around the country interacting with the youths and children from all levels and I have found out that they are not knowledgeable as far as computer skills is concerned but that they have very limited to no access whatsoever to opportunities for them to compete on the local and global marketplace. This is the challenge that I want to improve at a regional level throughout central Uganda then national level over the coming few years," said Clendinen.

She started hosting the International Youth Leadership Development and Empowerment Conferences over three years ago to bring youths together to learn about these opportunities.

"Mentorship is a key component of this program that helps to train and raise leaders to help train other youth and this has worked well to bring youths on board." Said Clendinen

Clendinen partners with local and international organizations and in the forthcoming project of empowering youths she is partnering with the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF).

Clendinen is looking to negotiate with the Buganda Kingdom to give her land in central Uganda where the organization will put up structures where the youths in the region shall get free computer skills.

"I am looking at a piece of land of around 25-35 acres where we shall put the structures for classes and music training facility for the youths; we are beginning with Central region and later move around the other regions," said Clendinen.