Reach out Mbuya passes out 159 vocational trainees
Apr 15, 2016
Five graduands, who wrote impressive business proposals, were given sh1m each, to startup businesses. Five other graduands were given a sewing machine each, after saving sh250,000 with the organisation’s savings scheme.
159 youth who have been receiving training in vocational skills like tailoring, crocheting and bead-making were on Thursday passed out by the Executive Director of Finance at Barclays Bank, Michael Segwaya. The function took place at Reach Out Mbuya's Premises at Banda, in Nakawa Division.
Delivering his remarks during the function, Segwaya advised the graduates: "You have the ability to become wealthy, no matter your educational status. Many of the most successful people in the world did not go to the University; they just utilized their entrepreneurial skills. Just work hard with a positive attitude. Also advance your skills by studying further. You will achieve big."
The graduates were mostly HIV/AIDS infected and affected people, under the care of reach Out Mbuya, a Catholic Charity that takes care of HIV/AIDS infected and affected persons. The programme, which has been running for 10 years, is funded by Barclays Bank.
Entrepreneurship graduates dance. Picture by Mathias Mazinga
To emphasize the need for creativity and hard work, Segwaya narrated to the graduands the story of his own life; how he had sold cakes when he was at King's College Budo, and how he had also supplied mushrooms to some Indians when he was at the university.
"I don't care who or what you are. God created us to work. No one owes you a living. It is your duty to make yourself prosperous. If you have two hands and a head, you can attain big things. Just think big. If you make your garments, just be aggressive and take them to big supermarkets like Game, Capital Shoppers, or Standard Supermarket."
The Executive Director of Reach Out Mbuya, Dr. Betty Nsangi Kintu, revealed that her organization had introduced male-inclined courses like welding, shoe-making and motor mechanics, further to other new courses like adult literacy, computer skills and financial management.
Barclays Bank's Michael Segwaya hands a certificate to Resty Nansubuga. Picture by Mathias Mazinga
Nsangi later thanked Barclays Bank for funding her organization's vocational training programme, injecting in it sh750,000,000 (seven-hundred and fifty million), in a period of ten years.
Five graduands, who wrote impressive business proposals, were given sh1m each, to startup businesses. Five other graduands were given a sewing machine each, after saving sh250,000 with the organisation's savings scheme.
The function was also attended by the Beputy Mayor of Nakawa, Winnie Tushabe and Julianna Lugayizi, an official of Barclays Bank.