A project aimed at equipping ghetto youth with entrepreneurial skills was on January 31, 2023 launched by the Minister of Kampala City Council Authority, Hon. Hajjat Minsa Kabanda. The training will be conducted by researchers from the College of Education and External Studies led by Dr. Badru Musisi and Dr. Nalugwa Allen.
Dr. Musisi said the training would take twelve (12) weeks after which the trainees would be grouped and given capital and asked to start a business. This business will be monitored by the trainers in an effort to offer guidance where need be. The training will be two-faceted; it will also try to do mindset change by impressing it upon the youth that self-employment is a viable option. “When sending children to school, we think about them being job seekers and not creators. This needs to change,” Dr. Musisi said.
Dr. Musisi said, only 50 youth will be trained in the first phase because of resource constraints. The target, in the long run, is to train 5,000 youth (1,000 from each of the five Divisions in Kampala).
He thanked the government for the funding and the University for the environment conducive to researchers. The project titled ‘Kampala Ghetto Youth Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (KGYTEP)’ is funded by the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF). It is hoped that the project will contribute to reduction of unemployment and crime in Kampala’s slum areas.
Minister Hajjat Kabanda welcomed the training saying, “By 2030, we don’t want to have ghettos in Kampala,” she said. She asked the youth to utilize the opportunity given to them. She reminded the youth that the government had started appreciating the ghetto by appointing 3 RDCs from that area. “Let us use this opportunity to get ourselves and our friends out of the ghetto,” she emphasized. She called on the youth to register and benefit from government programs such as the Parish Development Model and the Emyooga. This she said, however, requires that they have National IDs. She then encouraged them to register so that they can exercise their civic duty of voting for their leaders. She encouraged them to be enterprising, hardworking and avoid crime.
Hajjat Kabanda, who referred to herself as ‘Maama Ghetto’ asked the youth to embrace government’s skilling programs and other such poverty eradication programs.
She thanked the research team and Makerere University for contributing to government projects by trying to create employment for Ugandans. She pledged KCCA’s support to the project and the struggle to move towards a middle income economy.
The Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences, Prof. Eria Hisali, who represented the Vice Chancellor, thanked the Minister for making the time to open the training and also congratulated the research team for undertaking something relevant to society. He thanked the government for the financial support to the university and Mak-RIF for making resources available for the project. Prof. Hisali advised the different agencies to work together to achieve the intended goals. He advised the project team to work with KCCA, Uganda Police, State House and any such organizations with interest in ghetto youth.
Prof. Hisali informed the youth about the new Innovations Hub being established at Makerere University with funding from UNDP. He advised the youth to utilize the facility which will be an incubation centre for innovative ideas and products.
The Deputy Principal of the College of Education and External Studies, Prof. Bisaso Ronald said the strategic direction of the university in the next 10 years calls for community engagements, so it was humbling to see his staff contributing to this goal. “We believe that this training will impact the youth and also significantly change our research models,” he said. He emphasized the need for the trainees to be innovative if they are to succeed in the area of self-employment.
The Chair Grants Management Committee (GMC) of Mak-RIF, Prof. Fred Masagazi Masaazi, informed the congregation that the fund had changed its focus to commercialization and PhD research. He congratulated the research team and also appreciated the Minister for sparing time to preside over the launch of the training. The government allocates UShs30 billion annually to the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund.
