In Nakifuma County, Uganda, our projects with TA Crusade provide vocational skills and literacy training, start-up business grants and workplace readiness support to vulnerable and unskilled youth and women.
Over a two-year period, 124 trainees who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic have undertaken vocational training in a range of trades and moved onto our follow-on ‘Transition to Work’ project. As the participants near the end of their training, they demonstrate the skills and confidence to overcome barriers to employment and achieve long-term attachment to the workforce.
Project background
The outbreak of the COVID-19 caused massive economic disruption to the unemployed and underemployed in Uganda, especially among low-income earners, their families and communities who were already struggling socially or economically. Most especially, rural Youth and Women were disproportionately affected by the crisis, particularly in terms of job and income loss.
Youth and Women used their small business capital and savings to cope with the hardship imposed by COVID-19, which depleted their future economic capacity and the viability of their small enterprises. Many smaller enterprises operating in the ‘hardest-hit sectors’ were forced to close shop, and workers who were furloughed or laid off during began to seek reskilling or up-skilling opportunities to support transitions to new jobs.
Phase 1 – Vocational Training
In 2022, 125 deprived unemployed rural youth and women in Nakifuma County joined our vocational training project to learn their choice of trade (Building, Plumbing, Welding, Motor Mechanics, Tailoring or Hairdressing) and develop Literacy, poultry farming and micro-entrepreneurial skills.
Phase 2 – Transition to Work
After graduating in 2023, participants moved on to our follow-on Transition to Work project to receive business start-up grants, high quality career guidance and job-finding services, direct employment linkages with local businesses and mentorship, advice and guidance to support new business development.
As the final phase of training nears completion, we catch up with some of our graduates as they continue to grow their businesses.
Meet Lamek, Motor Mechanics trainee
Lamek is a skilled motor mechanic
22 year old Lamek used to work 7 days a week as a shoe shiner. When he heard about our vocational training project on local radio, Lamek was excited about the opportunity to learn Motor Mechanics. As a child he used to spend time in his uncle’s garage, helping him with small mechanical jobs. From this time he knew he wanted to learn to be a mechanic.
At the start of his vocational training, Lamek learned how to remove and replace tyres. He told us “What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to try car driving for the first time.”
Over the next 6 months Lamek progressed to vehicle servicing and how to overhaul a car’s braking system. He learned how to repair bushes and how to do general diagnostics to work out what was wrong. By the end of his training and work placement, Lamek was undertaking repairs to various engines, including electric vehicles and practice the skills he had learned at the TA Crusade training centre.
Lameth told us that being presented with his own tool kit at the end of his training really inspired him to get a job. He told us “I want to be a Technical Teacher in Automotive Mechanics in 5 years’ time owning Car Repair Garage”.
Eleven months after completing his Motor Vehicle Mechanics course, Lamek is employed as a skilled mechanic at a reputable Auto mechanics Workshop in Mukono Town. He earns a monthly salary of 300,000 and benefits from on-the-job training. With an improved standard of living, he has been able to rent a place to live rather than living with his parents.
Lamek’s expertise in repairing and maintaining cars, small trucks and vans has earned him recognition from colleagues and clients. He’s developed strong problem-solving skills, improved communication, and enhanced customer service skills. With a loyal client base, Lamek contributes significantly to the workshop’s success, generating an average monthly revenue of one million. Future plans include specialization in diagnostic services and potentially starting his own workshop.
Meet Silas, Bricklaying trainee
Silas is an established builder
Silas left education at age 13 without any formal qualifications. At age 16 he joined our building project following a community outreach visit from TA Crusade and he told us that it had not been easy to earn a living without any job skills and that he had to survive on handouts.
By the end of his first 6 month of vocational training, Silas went from having no previous construction experience to being able to mix and lay concrete, build foundations to given design specification and construct walls with minimal supervision. He told us “The project has provided us so much more than we ever dreamed of like tools, building materials and good instructors. I plan to establish myself as a much sought after builder.”
Silas completed his technical training in 2023 and has gone on to established a thriving solo practice in rural Nakifuma. His portfolio boasts 12 successful projects and other smaller tasks including homestead renovations and shop constructions, generating an average income of 400,000 UGX per project (approximately £80). Leveraging his entrepreneurial spirit, Silas overcame initial start-up challenges using the tools supplied by Tools for Self Reliance and networking. Now, his business flourishes through referrals, partnerships with local suppliers, and strategic involvement in community development initiatives. Silas aims to expand his services, mentor local youth and secure larger contracts, targeting a monthly turnover of 1.5 Million Shillings (c £303).
Meet Grace, Plumbing trainee
Grace is a successful plumber
Grace joined our plumbing project aged 20 years old, where she learned to carry out installations of appliances and water pipes, how to maintain and repair water facilities and equipment, and how to install drainage and water disposal systems. He training taught her how to estimate and cost plumbing jobs, initiate and manage a small business enterprise and how to keep accurate records of her business transactions. When we met her in 2023 she told us, “This training is the best thing to have happened to me. I want to be a competent plumber trusted by my clients and owning a growing hardware shop.”
As she nears the end of our Transition to Work project, Namugwanya’s Grace is thriving, securing contractual jobs in Mukono. With an average monthly income of 600,000 to 800,000 UGX (approx. £160 per month) Grace has achieved financial stability. Notably, Grace has developed a strong reputation for quality work, attracting repeat clients and referrals. Grace is now enjoying self-sustenance and improved living standards.
Meet Swalik, Catering trainee
Swalik is pursuing his dream as a hotelier
Swalik worked as a street food vendor before he joined our project. He told us that working the under the scotching sunrays was causing him health concerns.
He found out about our Cookery and Bakery training with TA Crusade through a friend. He told us “I want to do something respectable and food preparation has always been of interest to me.” When we visited Swalik in 2023, he told us he joined the training as he saw it as a stepping stone in reaching his dream of being a hotelier. He had visited a hotel with a friend and seen the way they worked and wanted to be able to do the same.
First, Swalik learned how to bake. Immediately, he was able to use his skills to make and sell products to friends and family, adding to his product range with every new recipe he learned. He explained that in this way he was able to build up his reputation and attract new customers, and with his savings, Kinayita had money to look after himself.
From baking, Swalik went on to learn about food production, housekeeping, receptionist skills, how to decorate a table and a room and IT skills which will help him achieve his dream if being a hotelier.
After completing his catering training, Swalik and four fellow graduates established a roadside restaurant in Kiyunga, showcasing their entrepreneurial spirit. Eager to get started on their venture, they selected a suitable unit even before they had graduated. They each began contributing to a Village Savings and Loans savings scheme so they could invest and borrow money. Swalik explained that at the end of each month, the everyone sat down to look at their takings and share them out between themselves. Before deciding what to do with their income, the group looked at their business plan, what they were looking to achieve that month, and how they had performed against their targets. Swalik explained, “It is a partnership, when we have income, we all sit down together and decide how to split this and how much we need to save.” By borrowing from the savings pot, the group was able to purchase a freezer for their business.
After moving on to our Transition to Work project, Swalik decided to pursue employment opportunities as a hotelier. Currently, he is excelling both as a Chef and Cashier at Marz Hotel in Kigunga, Mukono, earning a competitive salary and gaining valuable experience. This strategic move has increased Swalik’s earning potential and exposed him to international culinary standards. Undertaking our training projects has instilled Swalik with skills, confidence and adaptability, paving the way for a successful hospitality career. Swalik told us that his family are very proud of his achievements, and he hopes he will inspire other members of his family to learn catering.
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October 2024
