On Tuesday,June 4, 2024, the Minister Office of the Prime Minister General Duties, the Right Honourable Justine Lumumba Kasule, provided valuable advice to students of the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child.
She emphasised the importance of maintaining high standards and quality in their work, whether it’s in crafting products or showcasing fashion designs. The Right Honourable Justice Lumumba also commended President Museveni for the project and expressed her belief that it would alleviate poverty and brighten the future of vulnerable youth in Kampala City.
The minister advised the students to uphold good moral behaviour and put their acquired knowledge into practice, particularly emphasising the importance of patriotism. She encouraged the students to utilise the skills they’ve learned and become agents of change.
Furthermore, the Minister pledged to lobby for the establishment of production lines, potentially at Namanve Industrial Park, to offer employment opportunities for graduates of skilling centres and other Presidential Industrial Hubs countrywide.
The Right Honourable Lumumba also thanked the Assistant Parish Priest of Our Lady of Fatima, Father Emmanuel Ssenkusu, for providing space for the youth skilling programme.
Additionally, the Minister in Charge of the Kyabazinga of Busoga Affairs, Ms. Babirye Yudaya Kigenyi, urged the youth to embrace good moral behavior. “As a cultural institution, moral behaviour is of paramount importance and a priority,” she stressed.
She expressed gratitude to State House Comptroller Ms. Jane Barekye, Head of PISGB Dr. Katana, and all stakeholders for implementing the project, which is President Yoweri Museveni’s brainchild.
RCC Kampala District Ms. Amina Lukanga echoed similar sentiments, promoting good morals and encouraging students to utilise the skills they have acquired to change their lives.
Ambassador Walusimbi Abbey, in charge of the diaspora, praised President Museveni for the project, acknowledging its great success among all the government’s poverty eradication programmes in Uganda.
The Special Presidential Assistant on Education and Skilling, as well as the Head of PISGB, Dr. Faith Mirembe Katana, reaffirmed her team’s commitment to interpreting and realising President Museveni’s dreams.
“We are determined to interpret, manifest, and materialise the dreams of President Yoweri Museveni,” she stated.
Dr. Katana defended the introduction of patriotism in the skilling project, explaining that it aims to teach students to love themselves and their country, which is richly endowed with natural resources.
She appreciated the efforts of government agencies such as NIRA in registering all students at the nine skill centres for the acquisition of national identity cards and urged students to make good use of the opportunities they have been given.
The Administrator of Nakulabye Skilling Centre, Ms. Sarah Turyareeba, revealed that 228 students from the centre have completed their 6-month courses and are now ready to sit for the final examinations.
“They can now be self-employed and job creators,” she noted.
The Chairman of the Kampala Taylors Association, Mr. Ssekimpi Philip Kakembo, announced an offer for tailoring students from the Skilling Centres to work in his organization. His organisation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Health and the Malaria Consortium to supply mosquito nets to the population. The non-profit organisation, established in 2012, is partnering with Madame Lucia from Italy in the production of mosquito nets. They have distributed 200 nets to the people of the Karamoja sub-region.
Additionally, the Administrator of Nakulabye Skilling Centre urged young couples, especially husbands, to allow their wives to complete their Skilling courses, as disagreements between couples have been identified as the major cause of dropouts at the centre.
The Chairman of LC-1 Tree Shadow Village Nakulabye, who is also the NRM Vice Chairperson for the area, thanked President Museveni for the project and welcomed the guests to his area of jurisdiction.
The event showcased magnificently made items and featured a creative dance performance by the skilled students. Managers of Skilling at the PISGBC Office, Dr. Musoke Kisanja and Ms. Juliet Namale, as well as the area’s political leadership, were also present at the ceremony.
