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In Uganda, Enabel and the Education Ministry equip NTC staff and students with safety Skills
Peace NERIMA | 26/08/2022
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is central to the Education sector as a whole and specifically to the National Teachers Colleges (NTC), given their facilities, assets, day-to-day activities, and interactions. However, there has been a capacity gap in the colleges' human, technical and financial resources concerning safety for a while. At Enabel, creating a safe learning environment is at the heart of all our initiatives in the teacher training colleges. We do this by raising awareness among students and staff about their safety online and on-site at the colleges through various capacity-building activities.In June and July this year, we partnered with the Ministry of Education and Sports to train students and staff from the five teacher training colleges to foster a safety culture and encourage the proper use of assets in these institutions. The training focused on emergency response procedures such as fire drills, first aid administration, emergency response protocols and risk control procedures. It targeted the security teams, the Safe Learning Environment (SLE) committees for each college, student representatives and teaching and non-teaching staff. The training was conducted by the Uganda Road Accident Reduction Network Organization (URENNO), which promotes safety through training, public awareness-raising, advocacy and research. The training followed a workshop where various education stakeholders and safety experts across the country gathered to validate safety training and awareness-raising materials for the colleges early this year. At one of the sessions in NTC Kaliro, Gafabusa Josephat, the Deputy Principal highlighted the importance of practicing and applying safety precautions in the day-to-day college activities. He said, "The skills acquired in this training are critical in ensuring our safety at the college and in our respective homes. We must adopt and share them within our communities."The training presented an opportunity for staff and students to identify and map unsafe areas in the colleges, emergency evacuation and fire assembly points and recommended safety precautions. It also allowed the participants to interact with the fire and emergency rescue police officers from whom they learnt various procedures such as making 999 calls and reporting emergencies. NTC Kaliro student Nalugobe Evelyn appreciated the safety training, from which she learnt first aid administration and fire safety drills. Other students like Mwesigwa Isaiah said he learned the importance of vigilance. "This training has stressed the importance of paying attention to my surroundings. I now know that a tap or gas leakage can cause a fatal accident", he said.Since then, the training has been extended to construction workers to equip them with OHS skills while at construction sites in NTC Mubende and Kabale for the next seven months. The colleges are also currently working with URENNO to develop emergency response plans.
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VIDEO - Uganda: Supporting refugees to rebuild their lives
William YEKA | 22/08/2022
Since 2017, Enabel in Uganda has been working with the Ministry of Education and Sports to rebuild the lives of refugees and nationals through skills development and entrepreneurship training. To-date, the initiative has enabled more than 7,500 refugee and host community youth, women and girls to acquire the skills for employment and job creation.
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In Uganda, Basemera excels in hairdressing
Catherine BEKUNDA | 22/08/2022
“I can’t spend a day without a customer”, were the words Irene Basemera the proprietor of Shalom Beauty salon in Fort Portal City told Enabel at our recent visit. She revealed that she earns between Sh.10,000 to Sh.30,000 per day when it is not a busy season but this goes up to Sh.80,000 during the Christmas and Easter seasons. “I advise fellow women to acquire a skill because you cannot sleep hungry,” Basemera intimated. She completed Senior four but lacked school fees to continue her education. It was during this period that she became pregnant in her senior four vacation and had to fend for herself and her child. Basemera, who is a Sunday school pastor at New Hope Family Worship Centre says she preaches the message of skilling whenever she gets a chance both at her church and saloon. Though her dream was to be a teacher, she doesn’t regret the path she took because her saloon and church are now her education platforms. Basemera and Teddy Kabahweza underwent a 6 months’ training course in hairdressing at Yawe Foundation, an Enabel Skills Development Fund grantee during 2018. The duo received a startup kit which included a big dryer, a hand dryer and a sink key instruments to run a successful saloon business. Although they had to temporarily close their business during 2020 and 2021 when all saloons were closed as a measure to limit the spread of COVID-19, the duo has not looked back since businesses were fully opened. “From this saloon we have been able to take care of our personal welfare and pay school fees for our children,” she admits. “We have injected in more money from loans so that we can grow our business,” Basemera explains. They are both members of the Turibamu Village saving group from which they have borrowed capital up to Sh2,500,000 at a monthly interest rate of 1.5 per cent. Although they have not yet got students to train in the same trade, they pledge to ask a minimal fee since they too were helped at no cost to acquire the skills. They would require them to pay about sh.400,000 to cater for training materials such as braids and chemicals for a 6months course. They hope to have expanded their business within the next three years and started a Beauty training school as well. The 26-year-old would like to receive more training in making beads, baking cakes and cosmetology so that she has a one stop centre for her clients who include bridal entourages. Currently her salon has weaves, skin care and hair relaxing products. But to diversify their income, the duo prepares French fries (chips) and other snacks in front of their premises to serve to other customers during evening hours. Basemera and Kabahweza are part of the 3,153 youths that have been skilled in the Albertine/ Rwenzori region by Enabel, through its Support to Skilling Uganda project aimed at equipping youths with skills for economic transformation and self-reliance.
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In Uganda, Johnson Ategeka defies hard start in life to become an entrepreneur
Catherine BEKUNDA | 22/08/2022
Having lost his father in 2012 and his mother 4 years later has not deterred Johnson Ategeka from succeeding in life. He dropped out of school in primary six because he occasionally had to first take on odd jobs to get school fees and other basic needs. It was during this period that George Akora, Executive Director of Yawe Foundation picked up the two brothers (Ategeka and Francis) and took them under his care.In 2017, he enrolled them for a one-year welding course at Yawe Foundation after which they upgraded their skills at St. Joseph’s Technical Institute, an Institution supported by Enabel to become a centre of excellence in Automotive mechanics situated in Fort Portal City.“I excelled at St. Joseph’s and was retained to work there,” Ategeka reveals. From the proceeds of his work, he was able to buy 12 hens and 2 goats. “I have now been self-employed for one and half years and have been able to achieve a number of things,” a smiling Ategeka shares. He has entered into a partnership with Yawe Foundation to produce shutters for their 3-storeyed building that will house the Foundation’s skills training centre. “We cost share on electricity and other utilities and the Executive director has continuously found for me big contracts from his colleagues in town,” he explains. Ategeka has recently joined Yawe saving scheme where he has deposits of more than Sh. 100,000.“I save between Sh.10,000 and Sh.30,000 every month,” he reveals. The young entrepreneur has not borrowed from the Scheme yet but will do when he starts on his business expansion programme. Ategeka, has so far trained two youth and will train another three soon. His training in welding and metal fabrication lasts 7 months. He charges Sh.80,000 per month and Sh. 500,000 annually.“This money is to buy training materials and pay for utilities such as electricity,” he quickly adds. Future plans His plan is to save enough money to buy land and build a home for himself. “I want to grow this business and have a big display area and expand to other districts too,” the ambitious Ategeka reveals adding “I want to work hard and be able to afford the good things of life.” Ategeka plans to start a family in 4 years’ time and hopes to have expanded his business by then. The 24year old whose interest had always been welding attributes his success to discipline, quality products and timely delivery of customers’ work. His appeal “I encourage other youth to embrace skills training because one cannot sleep hungry when they are skilled,” he advises. His products range from Sh.200,000 to 300,000 for a window and doors could go for between Sh.600,000 to 800,000 while a gate costs Sh.2,500,000. His only challenge is the unstable prices of raw materials, unreliable power, and the lack of other equipment used in making heavy door frames.Ategeka is one of the 3,153 youths that have been skilled in the Albertine/ Rwenzori region by Enabel, through its Support to Skilling Uganda project aimed at equipping youths with skills for economic transformation and self-reliance.
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Uganda: Learning Music Like Never Before
Peace NERIMA | 18/07/2022
In National Teachers' College (NTC) Mubende, music lessons have been conducted in theory for many years, hindering students from experiencing and expressing themselves musically. As much as music theory plays a crucial role in one's appreciation of the architecture of Music, practicing it with instruments goes beyond learning and memorizing keys, notes, pitches and chords. Musical instruments boost students' memories and increase their cognitive skills and interest in learning. They contribute to the academic success of students and teachers and provide a fun and informative learning experience that allows students to tap into their creativity.Music Fund donates musical instruments to NTC MubendeThe music department at NTC Mubende can finally put the old way of teaching Music behind them, thanks to the Music Fund. Music Fund is a Belgian non-profit association that donates refurbished musical instruments to music schools and socio-artistic projects in conflict zones, developing countries and Europe. Through Enabel, Music Fund generously donated a consignment of 160 musical instruments to NTC Mubende early this year to improve the teaching and learning experience for students and teacher trainers in NTC Mubende’s music department. Among the musical instruments donated are 50 new ¾ nylon string guitars, 50 new flute recorders, 50 second-hand Ukuleles and 25 second-hand classical guitars.A new learning experienceKatongole Elmar, a music student at NTC Mubende, said that before receiving new musical instruments at the college, he conducted school practice by referring to a pamphlet that describes different musical instruments and their functions. He said, “During school practice, I taught students about instruments I have never seen before. I am grateful to Music Fund for its donation to our music program. We have more than enough instruments for the entire class and can practice without competing for the same instruments. Unlike our predecessors, we will leave well-equipped with musical skills”.The mode of music instruction at NTC Mubende has changed, enabling each student to touch, play, feel and listen to the instruments. With various new musical instruments, music lecturers and students can now experience and enjoy orchestral music classes, which were taught theoretically for so long. Music lecturer Bolla Nobert said, “Each student must have mastered at least one instrument by the end of this course. With the newly donated orchestral instruments, we are equipping them with various practical music skills as it should be in a music class." Enabel, through the Teacher Training Education project, aims to produce competent teachers through effective use of acquired management, pedagogical competencies, infrastructure and facilities. This donation by Music Fund will boost the music program at NTC Mubende, improve the teaching and learning experience, and enhance both students’ and lecturers’ musical skills.
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Uganda: Catherine defies odds to resume school after pregnancy
Racheal AKELLO | 13/07/2022
In early May, Kasese Youth Polytechnic (KYP) in Kasese opened its gates to first-year students who were eager and ready to pursue various technical courses. Many were vibrant and excited about what would be several years of adventure and continuous learning. However, for 18-year-old Biira Catherine, hers would be an entirely different story from the new entrants. Catherine enrolled in a National Certificate course in Building and Practice. However, before that, she got pregnant during her senior six holidays and was 7 months long when the semester started. Enrolling in a course that is perceived to be only for males was a challenge for Catherine who was also expecting anytime soon. Nonetheless, this did not deter her or muddle her confidence in pursuing a course in Building and Concrete Practice. ‘From an early age, I have always wanted to become a civil engineer and an instructor in the field of construction,’ said Catherine, as she playfully twisted the spatula she uses to make a mixture for the building blocks. On learning of Catherine’s condition, the school was hesitant to accommodate her but she insisted that she would manage and meet the expectations. Eventually, one of her instructors gave in and he even lets her use his office as a resting and breastfeeding place for both Catherine and her 2½-month-old son. According to the UNFPA 2021 factsheet on pregnancy, a total of 290,219 teenage pregnancies in Uganda were recorded from January to September 2021. This number implied that women were already mothers or pregnant by the age of 18, with studies also showing that girls drop out of school due to the stigma associated with early pregnancies. During her school days, Catherine still faces several challenges that she hopes can be addressed. ‘I hope we can have a structure set up for nursing mothers to breastfeed and for our babies to rest at whatever time they wish,’ she remarks. Despite this, Catherine is persevering and she hopes hers can be a lesson to other young mothers to pursue their dreams no matter what. ‘I encourage young girls and mothers to join skilling programs to have a future they want,’ said Catherine. Enabel, the Belgian development agency, through the Support to Skilling Project, has supported the enrolment of females in several vocational training institutes through the construction of female dormitories and state-of-the-art classrooms and workshops. From 2016 until 2020, over 1,983 females enrolled for vocational training in the 7 partner institutes supported by Enabel in the regions of Albertine-Rwenzori and Karamoja.
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Uganda: Private sector companies pledge to support skilling
Catherine BEKUNDA | 11/07/2022
WorldSkills Uganda (WSU) and the Ministry of Education and Sports have called upon private sector actors in Uganda to take responsibility and join efforts to enhance skills development in the country. The call was made at a National Stakeholders’ meeting held at Fairway Hotel on June 23, 2022. The meeting was attended by representatives from several private and public companies and umbrella bodies such as Uganda Manufacturers Association, Uganda National Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors, Uganda Tailors’ Association, Uganda Small Scale Industries Association among others. Some of the big firms that participated include Roofings Group, Uganda Breweries, CFAO Motors formerly Toyota Uganda, Uganda Industrial Research Institute, National Housing and Construction Company, among others. During the meeting, several company representatives pledged their support to the skilling agenda, promising sponsorship of participants in the National and international WorldSkills competitions. While officially opening the meeting, Dr. Jane Egau, The Director of Higher and Technical Vocational Education and Training highlighted the importance of collaboration with employers in improving the quality of skilling. She explained, “the Ministry of Education and Sports developed a national TVET Policy in 2019 which emphasizes an employer led TVET system”. Dr. Egau added that the new arrangement puts the employers particularly the private sector in the lead of promoting skills that are required in the labour market. Enabel’s Skills Expert Ham Lukurwe reiterated the organization’s commitment to the skilling agenda. “Enabel understands the role skilling can do to a nation, it has the ability to improve the country’s productivity and thus improve the standard of living for everyone through increased employability,” Lukurwe noted. Enabel has for the past 20 years been in Uganda supporting different skills programmes. In 2016[LH1] , the organization started the implementation of a 5-year skilling programme that has seen 12656 youths skilled across the country. Of these 57 per cent were female while a total of 4141 representing 33 per cent were refuges residing in the areas of West Nile and Kiryandongo district. Enabel has been a key partner of WorldSkills Uganda in ensuring the coordination structures, enhancing the competences of competitors and coaches as well as successfully organizing and participating in national and international skills competitions. WSU is part of the WorldSkills International (WSI), a global movement which raises the profile and recognition of skilled people, and shows how important skills are in achieving economic growth. It promotes the benefits of and need for skilled professionals through grassroots community projects, skills competitions, and knowledge exchange through international cooperation and development between industry, government, organisations, and institutions. It organizes the world championships of vocational skills every two years in different parts of the world.
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Uganda: NTC Kabale prepares to open Digital Innovation Hub
Peace NERIMA | 04/07/2022
In preparation for opening the digital innovation hub in National Teachers’ College Kabale, we visited three digital hubs in Kampala with 13 digital ninjas from NTC Kabale to share knowledge, skills and creative ideas to support the operationalization of their digital hub. The 3-day safari took place at Outbox Uganda, The Innovation Village and ‘Motiv’. For more, Click the link below for a detailed safari https://www.polarsteps.com/EnabelinUganda/5150477-digital-safari
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Deaf teenager in Uganda tailors her way into becoming a business owner
Racheal AKELLO | 24/06/2022
As a deaf and dumb teenager in a hearing world, Masika Bridget from Kasese, who is now 18 years old, enrolled in a program in tailoring and garment making in February 2022. Bridget enrolled for a 6 months course with the Kasese District Union of Persons with Disabilities (KADUPEDI), a project funded by Enabel through the Skills Development Fund (SDF). In the African society, particularly in Uganda, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) are often considered insignificant and little or no care is shown towards these people, due to lack of education or skills. However, KADUPEDI decided to demystify this general outlook by providing a platform for disabled youth in Kasese and Bunyangabu districts to empower themselves. ‘Most of the disabled youth resorted to begging on the urban streets as a means for survival. Therefore as KADUPEDI, we decided to improve the standards of living of PWDs in the community through skills development,’ said Joshua Migyenyi, the Chairperson of KADUPEDI. In a country grappling with youth unemployment due to lack of quality skills, Bridget is or rather was one of the statistics in this category. However, with the grant given to KADUPEDI by Enabel, Bridget is starting to realise her dream of becoming a business owner. ‘Despite my hearing inability, I hope to one day start my own business and employ people like me,’ said a cheerful Bridget, as she operates her sewing machine. With the help of Biira Racheal, the sign language expert and interpreter, Bridget explains that she enrolled for this training due to a lack of tuition which forced her to drop out of school. Therefore, instead of sitting at home redundant, Bridget decided to respond to a radio advert calling for disabled youth to join skills development training. Bridget observed that this would be her chance to make herself useful and self-reliant. Although Bridget has just started this training, she says that when she starts making money, she will advise more youth like her about the goodness of skills training and encourage them to join such programs. The Support to Skilling Uganda programme has trained over 12,656 youth, women and girls in formal and informal courses such as Bakery, Soap making, Tailoring and so on, under the Skills Development Fund (SDF). The SSU programme is jointly funded and implemented by Ireland, Belgium and the European Union and operates in the regions of Karamoja, Albertine-Rwenzori and Northern Uganda, respectively.
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Uganda: Tailoring gave me a new lease of life, says Ariye
Catherine BEKUNDA | 23/06/2022
When war broke out in South Sudan, Flora Ariye could only think of saving her life and two children. She ran to neighbouring Uganda, leaving behind her husband. The mother of two was resettled at Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda’s North-Western district of Yumbe on 11th November 2016. While in South Sudan, Ariye was a housewife and hence relied on the husband for every need. The husband's absence and the need to look after the children yet she lacked a means of livelihood traumatized her. “I used to stay home doing manual work,” she recalls. Thankfully, this situation was short-lived. Ariye’s attention was one day brought to skills development opportunities by Enabel and Finn Church Aid through a project called Support to Skilling Uganda. The initiative targeted refugee and host community youth, women, and girls. She found it exciting and grabbed the opportunity with open arms. Ariye trained in fashion and garment cutting. This was later complemented by business management training to sharpen her entrepreneurial skills. After completing training, Ariye felt she had everything required to become a successful entrepreneur. “The training was great. The business management training in particular improved my negotiation and customer care skills,” she says. In April 2019, Ariye made what she believes is one of the best decisions of her life. She established a clothing business. Life has since never been the same. “I now earn daily. During the Christmas season, business gets even better. I earn between 25,000 – 30,000 shillings,” she says. Ariye is now able to take care of her two children and save part of the earnings for future use. She hopes to one day reunite with her husband and continue the business back home in South Sudan. The young mother is one of the over 4000 refugees and hosts trained by Enabel and partners in West Nile and Kiryadongo through the Support to Skilling Uganda project. The initiative funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund aims to equip refugees and host community youth, women, and girls with the skills for employment and job creation in order to improve their standard of living.
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Uganda: Skills development enables Queen to establish a clothing business
Catherine BEKUNDA | 23/06/2022
Few years ago, Queen Misila, a Ugandan national residing in Yumbe district would struggle to believe she would one day be an entrepreneur. The 24-year-old’s fortunes however changed following a 3-months training in tailoring where she also acquired entrepreneurial skills. Her training was sponsored by Enabel under the Support to Skilling Uganda (SSU) project and delivered by the Norwegian Refugee Council. Misila used her newly acquired skills and savings to start a business which she named “Misila Clothing Enterprises”. She makes clothes of various designs and fashions. "The training made me produce quality work and through the word of mouth, my customers have marketed my services,” the cheerful third-born explains. Misila says the demand for her products is high and the future looks bright. She can now look after her family. “I make average weekly sales of 200,000 shillings. Out of this, I save 12,000 shillings,” she adds. And there is a secret for her business success. “For those that buy cloth material from me, I offer a discount of 5000 shillings off the labour costs. I charge the rest 15,000 shillings if they buy the material elsewhere,” she reveals. Her business like, others, also encounters challenges. The biggest challenge is limited capital to further expand the business. Although she managed to get a loan, it is inadequate. The cost of transporting materials from Arua to Yumbe is also high. “I must confess that I previously worked on losses because of the transport to and from Arua,” she says. But Misila has big plans for the future. The mother of 3 wants to expand the business. She recently acquired a loan from her Village Saving and Loan Association to buy extra clothes for sewing. Additionally, she wants to replace the sewing machine since it’s frequently breaking down making her incur high repair costs. The SSU project aims to enhance the employability of refugee and host community youth, especially women and girls through vocational training and entrepreneurship skills to improve their standard of living. More than 4000 people have been trained to date. The project is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund.
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Uganda: "My customers have increased", says Abujeri Miragi
Catherine BEKUNDA | 23/06/2022
It is a shiny afternoon in Okuban Village, Ariwa Sub Country in Yumbe District. This area is home to Ugandan nationals and South Sudanese refugees. 23-year-old Abujeri Miragi, a national is busy in his motorcycle and motor vehicle repair garage attending to clients. Miragi’s major customers are motorists in his Sub County. The global economic hardship has not spared his business. He says business is slow nowadays. However, he manages to get up to six clients daily. “I used to earn about 8,000 shillings daily but it has risen to 15,000 shillings since my training,” Miragi says. On good days especially when he repairs a motorcycle engine, Miragi earns between 25,000 – 30,000 shillings. The father of one has learned to save part of his earnings at his village saving scheme. “I have now saved a total of 260,000 shillings. I hope to construct a big house out of the savings in the near future,” he says. The biggest obstacle the business faces is lack of spare parts in the trading center. He often travels up to Yumbe town to buy them. He says this is tiring and time-consuming. “I will need between 2 million – 3 million shillings to establish a spare parts shop,” Miragi explains. Using the mechanics skills, Miragi who dropped out of school in primary four is hopeful of providing a better future for his son. Miragi was trained in motor vehicle mechanics by a Mastercraft person in Koboko through the Support to Skilling Uganda project implemented by Enabel and the Ministry of Education and Sports. The project focuses on increasing access to quality skills development through training, scholarships, entrepreneurship skills and start-up kits for refugees and host communities. Tracer study results show that 7 out of 10 graduates of the project find employment within 6 months after completion of course. The Support to Skilling Uganda project is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund.
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In Uganda, Christine hopes for huge tenders
Catherine BEKUNDA | 23/06/2022
The 24-year old Christine Night fled South Sudan in 2016 when war broke out. She had just completed senior one. Christine now lives in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement, Yumbe District. On arrival at the settlement, she says life was challenging. Christine spent several months jobless.The situation however started to change after she was accepted for a skills training programme by Enabel and the Norwegian Refugee Council. Christine was trained in tailoring and garment cutting. The zone 4 resident started a clothing business shortly after completion of the training. She named the business “God’s wish tailoring”. Life has never been the same ever since Christine started the business. She has become one of the highly sought-after school uniform designers in the settlement. The demand for uniforms is high here. A pair of shorts costs 15,000 shillings while a shirt is 11,000 shillings. She charges 12,000 shillings for a full “kitenge.” “Individual parents contract me to make school uniforms for their children. My desire is to get a school tender and be the sole supplier. However, this requires a lot of capital which I do not have at the moment,” Christine says. To boost her entrepreneurial skills, Christine underwent a business management training which provided her with additional skills including customer care, digital marketing and bookkeeping. “I have learnt how to cost and price my business. I now welcome my customers, I also can send an email and WhatsApp messages with orders of my kitenge,” she confesses. Although she does not own a smartphone, she uses the one of a friend with whom she attended the training. Christine sometimes learns about new fashion trends from YouTube through her friend’s phone. “I give her 2,000 shillings for data and check out YouTube for new fashions and how to cut cloth for such designs,” she reveals. Like any business, she encounters challenges. Her major setback was when thieves broke into the shop and took off with 9 rolls of cloth material.She now shifts her merchandise on a daily basis to and from home for safety reasons. But this is hectic. Additionally, she markets her products by word of mouth and sometimes has to trek long distances to tell people about the business.The challenges withstanding, Christine manages to save 12,000 shillings every week. The mother of three is one of the 4830 refugee and host community youth, women and girls Enabel equipped with employable skills through the Support to Skilling Uganda (SSU) programme.SSU focuses on increasing access to quality skills development through training scholarships, entrepreneurship skills and start-up kits for refugees and host communities. The project is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund.
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Uganda: Gaba earning big from hairdressing
Catherine BEKUNDA | 15/06/2022
Sarah Gaba is a 26-year-old South Sudanese refugee currently living in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement. She dropped out of school at senior two due to the war that broke out in her country. She hopes to go back home one day when peace is restored. Gaba came to Uganda on 16th October 2016 with her mother and a little son. Hers is a story of hope and hard work. She was trained in hairdressing in 2019, a trade that has seen the young mother save Sh.11,000 on a weekly basis in her Village Saving Group. This has enabled Gaba to take care of her family. “I think I have about Sh.200,000 on my account,” she says with a smile. Gaba earns an average of Sh. 250,000 from plaiting hair and Sh.400,000 from selling braids monthly. To expand her business, she got a loan of Sh.300,000 from her savings group to construct a small saloon. “The loan is very expensive because it attracts an interest of 10% per month,” Gaba explains. Her main challenge is the lack of electricity which is a necessity for some hairstyles. She however improvises by requesting customers to sit under the sun to dry their hair. “If I can be helped to get solar power, it would increase my sales and output. Solar is good because it’s a one off cost,” she reasons. Gaba also lacks a signpost for her business. She relies on her good works as a marketing tool. A signpost would cost Sh.100,000 which for now she finds expensive. Having participated in a supplementary training on business management, Gaba has improved her customer relations and better negotiates with suppliers. Unlike previously, she also now keeps records to know whether the businesses is making profits or losses. “The training was helpful because I previously used to disappoint my customers, I have learned to inform and convince them now. When I am fully booked, they now wait,” Gaba shares. In the hope of making life better for others, Gaba has shared her skills with three other girls who have gone ahead to start their own saloons. She is currently training another set of three. Although her formal education was cut short by the pangs of war, Gaba has big dreams for her son. “My dream is to take my son to a boarding school in Koboko or Arua district,” she says. Although she earns some income from the saloon business, Gaba hopes to double her monthly earnings from the current Sh.400,000. More income, she says, will enable her to meet all expenses including school fees and medical care for the family. Gaba was trained by Enabel through the Norwegian Refugee Council under the Support to Skilling Uganda (SSU) project financed by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund. The project focuses on increasing access to quality skills development through offering training scholarships, entrepreneurship skills and start-up kits for refugees and host communities.
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In Uganda, Enabel organises a blood donation drive to save lives
William YEKA | 14/06/2022
Several lives are expected to be saved by blood donated by Enabel staff recently. The blood donation drive organised in partnership with Uganda Blood Transfusion Service took place at Nakasero National Blood Bank in Kampala. Uganda Blood Transfusion Service is the body responsible for blood transfusion and safety activities countrywide.The exercise aimed at increasing the supply of emergency blood following repeated cries for blood by regional blood banks and health facilities. Enabel Health Programme Manager Dr. Monica Imi said blood shortage is a serious health problem requiring urgent and collective effort. World Health Organization’s global database on blood safety calls upon countries to collect blood equivalent to at least 1 percent of their population. Uganda last year collected 260,000 units of blood compared to a target of 340,000 units. Dr. Imi said blood shortage is resulting in several avoidable deaths caused by conditions related to the shortage of blood including heavy bleeding in women after childbirth. According to Uganda Red Cross Society, schools have been the number one blood collection point, supplying 70 percent of the blood. Unfortunately, the 2-year closure of learning institutions due to COVID-19 cut off access to students hence worsening the blood shortage crisis. Uganda has seven regional blood banks (Arua, Fort Portal, Gulu, Kitovu, Mbale, Mbarara, and Nakasero) charged with the responsibility of supplying blood to health facilities in their respective jurisdictions. There are also six blood collection centers located in Hoima, Jinja, Kabale, Rukungiri Lira and Soroti. The collection of safe blood adequate to meet the transfusion needs of all patients in the country is one of the priorities of the latest Uganda Blood Transfusion strategic plan. World Blood Donor Day Uganda today joins the rest of the world to commemorate Blood Donor Day 2022 held under the theme; “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives.” The theme focuses on the need to increase the number of blood donors. Uganda is estimated to have between 80,000 - 90,000 registered blood donors.
