Skilling Programme
Our Skilling Programme offers free vocational training, courses and business skills to parents to help them generate income for their families. Our Skilling Programme is split into two main focuses, women initiatives and the carpentry project.
The context
Slums in Kampala are notorious for high levels of unemployment, violent crime, poor sanitation and severe poverty. Nearly two thirds of Kampala’s population is made up of unemployed or under-employed youth, who often resort to crime and other social issues for survival (Kamara, 2020).
From years of experience working closely with the community in Katanga, we know that a lack of education and vocational skills are key factors that contribute to the cycle of poverty that young people find themselves in. We also know that alongside our projects supporting women and children, we also need to engage with men as a powerful force for change within this community.
Women's initiatives
Our women initiatives project offers free vocational training, business mentoring and resources for women who are currently unskilled and unemployed. ​The project takes place in our specifically built training facility, the Hope Centre in Naguru. Our tailoring and knitting courses run for four months and we run three intakes a year. Each year we aim to help 200 unemployed and unskilled women graduate.
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When women graduate from our project they receive an official government recognised qualification in the form of a certificate accredited by Uganda’s Directorate of Industrial Training, and the required start-up equipment from Kids Club Kampala, for example sewing or knitting machines. This enables them to either start their own businesses or find employment with tailoring businesses in the city, creating access to a sustainable livelihood and lift themselves and their families out of poverty.​
Carpentry project
Our carpentry project provides young men and boys in the slums with the vocational and entrepreneurial skills they need to earn a regular income, support their families, and move out of poverty.
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The carpentry project includes a full-time 12 month course delivered by a trained carpentry instructor in Katanga Slum, and was set up to support young males who had not completed school, teaching them vocational and entrepreneurial skills. The workshop is a specifically built training facility for our carpentry project and can hold up to 20 students a day.
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When students graduate from the carpentry project they receive an official government recognised qualification that is accredited by Uganda's Directorate of Industrial Training and the required start-up equipment to start their own business or employment. This opens up a door of employment and offers graduates the opportunity to financially provide for their family and community and break the cycle of poverty.
Our impact in 2024 ...
132
individuals took part in our tailoring and knitting skilling courses.
79
students received business training and support.
12
young people studied on our carpentry course.
What next?
Longer-term, the outcomes we expect to see are:
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Improved long term employment or self-employment opportunities
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Increase in financial independence and confidence
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Over time, the project will contribute to reduced child poverty in the slums of Kampala.
