By Frank Kamuntu
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to offer startup capital to the beneficiaries of the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child (PISGBC) project.
“I want to assure you that we are going to give you start-up capital,” President Museveni assured.
The President made the remarks while officiating at the 4th graduation ceremony of 16,797 beneficiaries of PISGBC project from different cohorts starting from 2021 to 2023 at Kololo Independence Grounds.
In 2017, President Museveni initiated the project with an aim of empowering underprivileged youth in Kampala through skilling. Since its inception, 35,728 students have enrolled in the project.
The President however told the graduates that through the government, he will only be able to support them when they agree to work in groups, not individually.
“It will be challenging to support you individually; therefore, you should form groups as we help you together. You must work together,” President Museveni emphasized.
H.E Museveni further disclosed that the government is going to expand the program so that other skilling disciplines like ceramic making are added to the initiative.
“I do not see the ceramics because that activity has been here since time immemorial, even paper making, we are going to add them,” he noted.
President Museveni also explained that he decided to initiate the skilling program to wake up the young people and make them able to make money from satisfying human needs like shelter, and clothing, among others.
“The biggest problem we have in Africa is disorientation. You find that everything they are using is imported. You find people buying furniture from Dubai, a desert-,” the President said.
President Museveni also reiterated his warning to government school head teachers and other education stakeholders against frustrating the government’s move to extend free education to young Ugandans through universal education.
“We have a challenge of those people who don’t want our children to study for free under universal education. The Head teachers are charging the poor Ugandans money to access education in government schools. We are opening a serious war on those people who are frustrating programs that would help Ugandans.”
The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni expressed gratitude to President Museveni for the concern he exhibits towards the young generation and offers them an opportunity to improve their livelihoods through skilling.
“The project has gone a long way to giving our young people a new hope,” she said.
The First Lady also congratulated the students upon their graduation and urged them to embrace digital technology to leverage their entrepreneurship gains.
“Invest in your character development and don’t let bad elements lure you back into bad practices. As you go out, exhibit exemplary conduct and moral uprightness so that people can appreciate you,” Maama Janet added.
She also extended sincere appreciation to the State House Comptroller and other PISGBC stakeholders for ensuring the success of the projects.
The beneficiaries are trained for six months free of charge and at the end of the course, students do an assessment exam and are rewarded with certificates by the Directorate of industrial training (DIT).
The centres offer different skilling disciplines such as carpentry, tailoring shoemaking, weaving, embroidery, plumbing, construction, knitting, electronics, electric installations, bakery and confectionery, hairdressing and make-up, motor mechanics, and metal fabrication.
Currently, the program is being implemented in nine (9) centres which include Wandegeya Market, Mulago Community Hall, Mutundwe-All Saints Church of Uganda and Nakulabye-Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.
Other centres include Luzira at Luzira Prisons, Subway-Crested Towers roundabout, Wabigalo– Wabigalo Parish Community Hall, Kigoowa-Ntinda, Butikirwa Parish Catholic Church, and Kikoni- Makerere Community Hall. The centres are spread across the five (5) divisions of Kampala: – Kawempe, Rubaga, Makindye, Nakawa and Kampala Central.
