Presidential Initiative for Skilling the Girl-Boy Child Showcasing ceremony at Luzira centre
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Their luck met with opportunity, and has turned them into entrepreneurs. Tens of students under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child (PISGBC) project on Tuesday 28th May, 2024 started showcasing their products.
The ceremony took place at Luzira Skilling Centre, situated at the Prisons Complex, Luzira Prison. The products were showcased by students of embroidery, hairdressing, bakery, tailoring, knitting as well as leather designing and shoe making.
Moses Kizito Nsubuga, the Kampala Regional Coordinator, who represented the Head of ONC office, Hajjat Hadijah Uzeiye Namyalo as the Chief Guest hailed Government for its generosity.
“The leadership, under President Yoweri Museveni has thought about the vulnerable youth in Kampala in particular and Uganda in general. The vocational skills they extended to them free of charge have helped them to uplift their standard of living.
He called on the students to put into practice the skills that they have acquired because no one is responsible for their destiny apart from themselves.
“Don’t give up, this is just the beginning. You have learnt the skills, now put them on the ground by starting small and growing big,” he advised the students.
Dr. Faith Mirembe Katana, the Special Presidential Assistant on Education and Skilling who also serves as the Head of PISGBC, defended the budget of the State House, pointed out that the Presidency has a lot of activities that include among others the Skilling of children in 9 centres around Kampala city and other Skilling hubs across the country.
Dr. Katana also advised students to put into practice the knowledge they have acquired.
“It is not money that can develop you and promote you, what you need is a product and service; the quality of the product that promotes the country,” she advised.
Dr. Katana further called on the students to ensure that the standard of the products they are making will be competitive in the world market.
“What is going to promote us as a country is the quality of the product and service as well as the finishing. They must be of the acceptable standards in the world market.”
Joyce Athieno, the Administrator of Luzira Skilling Centre, reported that from the current intake, 566 students are ready to sit for exams.
She also highlighted that out of the 8,103 youth that registered from January 2018 for various programs,6,382 completed and graduated.
“Most of them have created jobs for themselves and also employed other youth,” she noted.
Athieno praised President Museveni for the fruitful project. She also thanked the Commissioner General of Prisons, Dr. Johnson Byabashaija for providing a free training facility for skilling the youth.
She also thanked the State House comptroller, Jane Barekye, Dr. Katana, Dr. Hillary Musoke Kisanja and all the other stakeholders for their unwavering support to the project.
Athieno further revealed that apart from the skilling of the youths, another curriculum activity of ideology and patriotism was introduced, and it has significantly impacted on the mindset of students.
She also added that the newly introduced sports program has promoted the students’ talents, physical fitness and mental stability, adding that there is always a sports gala in every semester involving all the nine Skilling Centres of five divisions of Kampala.
“When the idea of a sports gala was started, Luzira centre did not slumber but went ahead and formed a girl’s football club team PISGBC Queens and we registered it under FUFA. It plays in the third division league in Kampala. They are number four out of the 21 teams,” She noted.
During the same event, some of the beneficiaries gave out testimonies on how the Luzira skilling Centre has transformed their lives.
