YAI Launches Vocational Training Program
Kampala, Uganda – On Friday February 8th, the Minister of Youth and Children, honorable James Kinobe officially opened Youth Action International’s vocational skills training initiative in the slum areas of Kampala, Kisenyi. Honorable Kinobe urged the youth to “maximize the opportunities afforded to them by this initiative.”Youth Action International launched the vocational skills training program in collaboration with Mengo Youth Development Link, a grassroots organisation for both income generation and skills development to the marginalized youth in Kampala’s slum areas.
Youth Action International understands that much of the change we see today happens at the local level. Thus, the ideas and involvement of people at the local level should be a motivating force for development and reform. Youth Action International’s Regional Director for East Africa, Ms. Memory Bandera said “too often young people are seen as the recipients of service; they should see themselves and be seen as leaders and assets who can make powerful contributions to their communities and country.” Bandera challenged the “youth to unleash their greatness and create a generation of responsible citizens.” She added that when young people are engaged in productive work, they are less likely to engage in risky behavior and are more likely to feel connected to their communities. This project is targeted at creating and sustaining healthy, skilled, stable and independent youths through ensuring sustainable livelihoods in the slum areas of Kampala.
Through this vocational training program, youth will gain experience in practical skills that will enhance them to start their own income-generating projects and make them financially independent. The targeted groups are youth from the poorest areas from Kampala Central Division in Kisenyi I, II, and III, Bukesa, Kagugube, and Mengo. Through this training program, Youth Action International seeks to address the problems of unemployment among young people in the slum areas in Kampala. Youth Action International secured a training room where the training will be conducted. They also bought the training equipment and material. The training will focus on tie and dye making, sewing and crafts making in the first 6months and then expand after to incorporate other skills. Youth Action International will support youth groups in slums by providing start-up kits upon graduation and that will enable them to become self-sustainable. “Our programs are expected to significantly contribute to the empowerment of local communities especially the youth and overall poverty reduction in slum areas”Bandera said.
Youth Action International (YAI) is an American based organisation that was established by Kimmie Weeks to develop and implement programs that alleviate the suffering of children affected by war and those living in dire circumstance and empower them to reach their full potential. The organisation is comprised of a growing network of young people, primarily volunteers who utilize grassroots techniques to support war-affected communities to improve the lives of children. Their programs are strategically developed to break the cycles of violence and poverty.