VAD was awarded a grant (2022) from Schock Foundation through Friends of Uganda-Germany (one of VAD’s longest partner).The award is aimed at Improving the livelihoods of the young dropout girls of 16-25 years to train them acquire knowledge and skills in tailoring and sewing of school children uniforms, sweaters and sanitary pads which support them earn a better sustainable income in order to care and nourish their children and their family at large. The project has already commenced (April 2022) with construction of training Centre which will accommodate a total of 15 young girls to be trained in vocational skills for a period of one year and more 15 girls will be enrolled. Later, the project will be handed over to the District and Town Council of Kapelebyong in the North Eastern region for sustainability. VAD already launched this project with Kapelebyong District officials and Town Council who welcomed the project with great happiness and the Town Council Clerk remarked that; the government has not yet implemented any vocational training Centre in Kapelebyong town council. The training Centre is going to be well equipped with 15 sewing machines, with New tailoring materials and 2 well qualified teachers. Currently, construction of the Centre is on-going and months to come, VAD will be happy to share with you completed photos and when the young girls are being trained.
Fact findings; Kapelebyong District is one of Districts of Teso sub region which has suffered so much with the Joseph Kony civil war that ran from 2003-2010 which left the area so impoverished coupled with the cattle rustling from Karamoja, this has further made Kapelebyong the poorest District in the whole region. As a result of this poverty many children never went to school to acquire education and many families became poorer with men not having paid jobs to enable them look after families. Because of this poverty many children especially the girl child have resorted to getting petty jobs outside Kapelebyong District; and also these girls have turned into house maids and house wives at a tender age.
In Kapelebyong District, young mothers (16 to 25 years) and their children are at a high risk group both physically and emotionally. Poverty, malnutrition, complicated pregnancies; emotional problems such as depression, drug and alcohol use are all risks to the mothers. Most of the young mothers are in polygamous marriages where the husbands have more than one wife. The men rarely take care of the families leaving the young mothers to look for means of survival for their children. Therefore it is very vital to support these young mothers to get vocational skills which will keep them busy and help them earn income for their families and take care of their children.
nice article.thanks
Thank you for appreciation