Scovia Bbiira is a passionate Agricultural Officer at Alibagu Company Limited, a farm in Fort Portal. She graduated as an agricultural scientist from Mountains of the Moon University but did not find work. When she joined the Work Readiness Programme, Bbiira was fortunate to learn practical skills in agriculture. 

“Imagine I knew nothing about how someone handles themselves at work. I was just at home and had no skill,” she remembers. The programme turned into her new teacher for both the soft and hard skills, and Bbiira could not wait to throw herself into work at the farm. 

“I had heard of how to make silage from school but I had never felt that sweet aroma of the cows,” says the animal lover. “Now I can do things practically. I used to hear about ‘lablab’ (a valuable green manure) and other animal pastures for dairy, and now, I have had the opportunity to see it all,” notes Bbiira elatedly. 

She says that she was fearful and had trouble interacting with people, but now “I can talk easily with everyone; I have learnt how someone carries themselves professionally. I thank the Work Readiness Programme,” says a grateful Bbiira. Moreover, she is the only female graduate on the farm. When asked how she felt about it, she said, “I’m very happy to learn along with the gentlemen because they warmed up to me and treat me as their sister.”

Bbiira is passionate about chicken farming and wants to start a poultry unit after the programme, “I was excited to learn about how a brooder is managed,” says the cheerful graduate.