The RDC Rubanda District Mr. Eric Ssewandigi has asked Authorities handling the Parish Development Model to prioritize graduates from the Presidential Skilling Hub while distributing seed capital loans.
Mr. Ssewandigi was this week officiating at the opening of the 2nd Western Region Schools Farm Camp 2024, at St. Agatha Girls Secondary School Kakore, in Hamurwa Town Council Rubanda District.
Selected Schools from Western Uganda have convened in Rubanda, for a five days’ camp where they will be equipped with a number of agricultural practical skills, under the Project named Skilling in Agriprenuership for increased Youth Employment (SAY). The four-year project that in Started in December 2021, is majorly funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Partnership with Avis Foundation Uganda.
Ssewandigi said he found no sense in giving out PDM loans to some people who have been wasting it on alcohol and related luxuries, while youths graduate from the Presidential Skilling Hubs have no startup capital.
The RDC’s words come a few days after a section of Youths under their Umbrella Kigezi Ghetto Friends Association said they lacked startup capital after graduating from the Presidential Skilling Hub in Kabale District.
“Why should we continue to give money to fathers who are spending it on waragi, or mothers who don’t know what to do, yet they have children with skills?” Ssewandigi asked.
While speaking on the same event, Mr. Godfrey Willy Turyahikahe from the Kabale Diocese Education Office asked the students to embrace the new lower secondary school curriculum because it is focused on skills which in turn promote self-reliance after school.
Meanwhile, the St. Agatha Girls Secondary School Kakore Head Teacher, Kereson Katongore revealed that the SAY Project had “tremendously impacted the students and teachers for the last four years they have been implementing it.
For Instance now we have students planting green vegetables for consumption at school, and they have acquired more skills in agriculture, bakery, we have a mushroom training and research center, among others,” Katongole said.
Schools that Have Gathered in Rubanda District for the five days Schools Farm Camp include St. Agatha Girls Secondary School Kakore (Host), and St. Adrina Seminary from Rubanda District, Brainstorm High School and Trinity College from Kabale, St. Paul’s S.S Bukinda, and St. Aloysius Girls S.s. Kitanga from Rukiga, St. Boni Consilii, S.s, from Isingiro District, Mary Hill High School from Mbarara, St. Kagwa Bushenyi High School from Bushenyi, and St. Charles Lwanga S.s from Mubende District.
The students will be taken through a series of skilling programs including a trip for benchmarking in Kigali Rwanda this coming weekend.
The theme of this Farm Camp is “Promoting Sustainable Agriprenuership through Mindset Change, Innovation and Climate Smart Agriculture.”
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