Over 500 children benefit in entrepreneurship programme

KAMPALA - Over 500 children from primary schools have so far benefited from an entrepreneurship programme on vocational skills.

The programme which was geared  by I- profile Foundation, a Ugandan based   non-profit organisation located in Muyenga Kampala, started in 2016  with the aim of  helping children get entrepreneurship skills in order to curb unemployment in future.  

Aisha Ali, the managing director of I- Profile Foundation   said that the children got skills in decorative art, which include making decorative bottles, door mats, necklaces and  bracelets, which are sold in selected super markets and shops in Kampala.

She said the children who were aged five to 14 years were from Kampala Parents School, Mirembe Primary School, Kabojja Junior School, Rainbow International School Kansanaga, Kisugu Church of Uganda Primary School to mention but a few.

Aisha said that on this note, Finmango a US based organization has also come in to work with them by launching the Fincubator! which is a targeted   programme that champions the entrepreneurial  spirit of children.

Some of the door mats and decorative bottles made by the children

 
The managing director Finmango, Scott Glasgow, at the launch on Monday said the programme   focuses on education, entrepreneurship and microfinance, starting at primary level aiming at empowering children with vocational skills at an early age.

He said that according to the state of Uganda Population report 2018 launched in November last year, 1.2 million youth in Uganda between the ages of 15 and 29 were idle.

Scott further said the report launched by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed that youth are neither in employment nor education or training.

‘To this cause, we therefore, came in Uganda to provide programmes related to financial literacy and entrepreneurship to children from the ages of nine to 30  in order to reduce on the unemployment problem," said Scott adding: "We are working hand in hand with I- profile Foundation   that seeks to run long term annual projects with primary schools and refugee youth to promote integration and conflict resolution skills with emphasis on leadership and financial literacy."

The Fincubator!  Programme is going  to  start with  St. Andrew  Kaggwa Gombe Primary School , Kings way  Primary School Entebbe and  Kasubi C/U Primary School  Kasubi, which will be expanded to other schools in future.