DIT launches five-year skilling project for refugees

The Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) and Edukans Education Services have launched a project to skill refugees with vocational skills in West-Nile as one of the ways to increase food and nutrition security.

Food insecurity remains a big challenge for the vulnerable households in and around the refugee settlements.

Known as the Improving industrial training for increased food and nutrition security for refugees and host communities in West Nile, the project is also targeting the host communities.

Expected to last for five years the project was launched at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala during an event presided over by Mark Moro, the in-charge of finance and administration at the Industrial Council.

"This project is key because, equipping refugees with the right skills contributes to economic empowerment, self-reliance and resilience of refugees," Moro says.

He explains that through vocational training, livelihoods promotion and self-reliance initiatives will help reduce aid reliance.

"When the refugees and host communities are equipped with skills, it reduces on lawlessness and idleness which are breeding grounds for violence. With these skills' youth will easily find what to do and instead of thinking of war they will think of development," Moro says.

The project will also be key to address the effects of the outbreak of the Coronavirus which has left many refugees as well as host communities hit hard as food rations were reduced escalating the already existing hitches.

The Acting Director of the DIT Patrick Byakatonda noted that skills are important because they enable refugees and their local hosts to help create jobs or get employment.

"We are happy with this project because it will reduce aid-dependency and negative coping mechanisms and it contributes to the local economy when these people get job opportunities," Byakatonda says.

Some of the vocational courses that are to be taught include, hairdressing and barbering, motorcycle and motor vehicle repair among others. The courses will be assessed by DIT.

"If you are an entrepreneur you can't lack food," Byakatonda says.

According to Pamela Kertho, the country representative Edukans Education Services, Uganda, the project is aimed at promoting employable skills among refugees.

"When I'm employable and can earn then I can have food. If our refugee children are employable then they can have food," Kertho says.

During the project, at least 600 young people will be equipped with the skills. Of these 70% will be refugees and 30% from the host community.

The project is being run by a consortium of partners including Edukans, War Child-Holland and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

At least 50 trainers will be trained to and equipped.

Training the refugees will make them forget bad memories and empower them with new skills that are innovative and earning after the sale of the products made.