More than 200 students from both Katabi town council and Entebbe municipality in Wakiso district have graduated from the MSF Training Centre, marking a significant step toward reducing unemployment among the youth in the area.
The graduates, who included school dropouts that were a result of COVID-19 and students from vulnerable families, completed training in various vocational fields such as hairdressing, construction and painting, metal and fabrication, tailoring, and computer among others.
According to Rebecca Namagambo Machnik, the institution’s principal and one of the directors of Machnik Sickle Cell Foundation, which is a mother to the training centre, their main aim is to improve lives through advocacy, awareness, and support for those affected by sickle cell disease.
“Our training centre was founded in 2020 by Mr and Mrs Machnik as a resource centre to empower the youth and women of Wakiso District with essential skills to generate incomeand improve their livelihoods. We are registered and working in conjunction with the Directorate of Industrial Training; the centre has been a beacon of hope and opportunity for our community,” she noted.
In addition, Namagambo appreciated the new curriculum endorsed by the government, saying, “As we reflect on the achievements of our graduates, we must acknowledge the remarkable strides made by the Uganda government in introducing the competence-based curriculum. This new curriculum facilitates practical lessons and equips learners with the skills needed to thrive in today’s world.”
For the purpose of continuity and sustainability of the institution, she expressed sincere appeal to the government and any capable well-wisher for support both financially and items in terms of materials for the students so that they can achieve this noble cause.
Frank Gashumba, the founder and chief Strategist at National Action For Awakening Uganda (Sisimuka Uganda), emphasized the importance of vocational training in addressing unemployment and empowering youth, saying, “Equipping this generation with skills that they can use to earn a living and contribute to the economy is the way to go.”
In addition, Gashumba encouraged the graduates to be trustful and hardworking to make a positive impact in their communities.
Samuel Nsubuga, the chairperson of the Katabi civil society Organizations network, lauded the organization for thinking beyond by introducing this initiative of skilling the youth as a way to solve unemployment challenges.
“During COVID-19, many children were ravaged by the disease, leading to an increase in school dropouts. In Wakiso district, 10,000 girls were impregnated, and most of them never went back to school, including the male youth who impregnated them since they were psychologically tortured; this made the institution come up with this innovative supplementing its programs with skilling in conjunction with the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT).”
The Katabi town council boss, Ronald Kalema, commended the institution for the great work being done in assisting the government in solving the unemployment pressures, saying, “We appreciate the great role you are doing in skilling the young ones, and I pledge my total support towards the institute’s main goal.”
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