Grace Siima giving her testimony.
KYOTERA. Scenes of joy engulfed Kyotera District leaders on 18 October 2018,especially the Probation Officer as Kitovu Mobile and its partners Rakai Health Science Programme graduated 556 girls.
The girls acquired skills in various hand-on programmes where 117 and 32 girls where trained in bakery, craft making respectively. Another 20 and 225 girls acquired skills in soap making and hair dressing, while 146 and 16 girls trained in tailoring and knitting, respectively.
This development excited the district officials who viewed it as s solution to the biting youth unemployment in the area, since the skilled beneficiaries can now start up their own jobs since they were also given start up kits.
The beneficiaries’ joy was more than that expressed by the district leaders .They recalled their appalling situation then, and how their livelihoods have changed.
Ms Grace Siima, 25 who joined the DREAMS project in 2016 recalled how she looked like a mother of four. DREAMS, which is brainchild of Kitovu Mobile , stands for Determined, Resilient , Empowered ,Aids-free, Mentored Safe Women .
“I was pregnant, but had nothing to do and my husband was supportive” The Senior Three drop out recalls.
But Siima says all this became history the day she joined the DREAMS project.
“I’m indebted to Kitovu Mobile and DREAMS because my dream to become a hair dresser has been realised. I now own a saloon worth Shs500,000 which money I borrowed from the DREAMS savings group” She says
Her success story is not different from that of other fellow granduands in tailoring, knitting and other skills.
Chief Guest Ms Watuwa,the outgoing RDC Kyotera overwhlemed by a hand bag made by the craft graduands.
Ms Pamela Watuwa, the outgoing Kyotera resident district commissioner ,who was the chief guest ,said poverty is among the ‘diseases’ affecting people, but she is hopeful that such initiatives from Non Government Organisations like Kitovu Mobile, Rakai Health Science Programme and Rakai AIDS Information Network (RAIN) will certainly cure these diseases.
Each of the 556 graduands was given start up kits according to the skills gained. For example the hair dressing trainees were given hand driers, rollers, trays and mirrors.
Ms Pamela advised them to use the small capital acquired to grow their businesses, saying “It is small, but you have received skills which is the biggest capital”
Some of the graduands are already married and Ms Pamela advised them to remain humble before their spouses You need a lot of support from them and thus handle them with respect. Share with them your targets so as you get support”
Ms Watuwa officiates the certificate and start up kits handover session. Ms Harriet Naluwuge a graduand in tailoring getting her sewing machine.