Taking financial literacy to villages

Feb 16, 2018

The programme is meant to empower the youth to become self-employed, through saving money and creating jobs

PIC: Agriculture minister Ssempijja Ugandans to becaome self-employed. (Credit: Victoria Nampala 

FINANCIAL LITERACY

KYOTERA - Project for Financial Inclusion in Rural Areas was established to promote integrating entrepreneurial teaching and learning in the formal and informal education system in Uganda.

The programme, which was designed by the Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, is taking financial literacy to villages around the country.

Project for Financial Inclusion in Rural Areas (PROFILA) has been carrying out financial literacy cross the country for the last four years.

The programme has been made possible with the help of the finance ministry, Bank of Uganda and the Uganda Co-operative College Kigumba.

During the official launch of the foundation in Kyotera over the weekend, Lance Kashugyera, the project manager of PROFILA, said the programme is meant to empower the youth to become self-employed, through saving money and creating jobs.

"We are going to move to different communities and institutions to empower people of all levels with entrepreneurship skills to enable them become self-employed so as to reduce unemployment in the country," Kashugyera said.

Agriculture minister Vincent Ssempijja urged Ugandans to utilise the village savings groups and become self-employed.

Haruna Kyeyune, the state minister for microfinance urged Ugandans to embrace financial literacy in order to prepare for their old age through working hard and using funds wisely.

"You must save money right from your early years with a view of planning your retirement because old age comes with all kinds of diseases, which are costly to treat," he said.

The outreach trainings co-ordinator, James Omvdu observed that less than 20% of the country's population wants to work for money yet they want to receive it in large quantities.

He said the demand for jobs among youth also exceeds supply, advising that the country should embrace financial literacy, which is less costly and affordable to everyone regardless of their income status.

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