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Citizen Posts
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BY ALEX PITHUA
In a significant development for skilling and empowering youth in Zombo district a consortium of local NGOs with support from Coorperaid, a Switzerland based non-governmental organization, is backtracking achievements of a three-year project.
The local consortium NGOs include Life Concern (LICO), Nebbi NGO Forum and Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD) have implemented this project codenamed, “Alochi Kusomo” at a tune of shs 4.2billion.
The project aims at ensuring improved academic excellence and retention of learners in schools among others has now supported major renovation of primary schools’ classrooms, building staff houses and classrooms, skilling vulnerable youth who have dropout from school and languishing in this rural community.
Speaking to our reporter over the weekend at Zeu sub-county headquarters, the executive director of Life Concern Emmy Kizito Kakura revealed that the project is ending on 31st December 2024 and that it has achieved its intended purposes.
Kakura added that they have constructed and renovated 21 classrooms and teachers houses across the district and that they have acquired land to establish skilling centers in Paidha town council adding that construction works are going on.
He revealed that the under component of skilling youth, during these three years, they have trained hundreds youth in vocational skills such as tailoring, film and videography, motor vehicle Tyres repair and maintenance and beauty cosmetology.
He observed that Cooperaid has further extended more funds for the next three years’ similar project in Zombo district.
Under youth skilling, they have supported the groups with seed-capital and tools like tailoring machines, Compressors for Tyres repair and maintenance and video cameras.
Kakura appealed to government officials to ensure these skilled young people are productive to the country.
“We use the district and lower local government structures including sub county development officers and LCs to find these beneficiaries in the community and I urged the leaders to monitor this youth that they are productive in the community.” Kakura stressed to the district leaders
The consortium also secured customary land little to three widows after perpetuators attempted to grab their land, awarding best innovative teachers, and active youth who are engaged in productive ventures like carpentry and joinery, crop production, production of songs which promotes education and wellbeing of young people.
Under these, the beneficiaries emerged from Abanga and Jangokoro sub counties and Padea town council respectively
The district leaders for their parts have recognized the contributions of this project observing its impactful to community.
Zeu Sub-county community development officer (SCDO) Marcy Wanguic the sub-county is overwhelmed with unskilled youth saying they will ensure these groups benefit from government programs for poverty eradication like youth livelihood Fund, Parish Development Modal funds and Emyooga.
“The sub-county alone cannot skill all the many needy youths.” Wanguic
The SCDO observed the government skilling hub which in Zombo has capacity to only pick five in Zeu sub-county while others come from the district Arua, Nebbi Pakwach Maracha Terego Madiu-Okollo and Koboko and Arua city for programs which admits students twice a year.
Samuel Ocaki, the Zombo district community development officer (DCDO) says there’s a high rate of illiteracy among youth in Zombo district complaining that if this is not dealt with swiftly it will become a problem to the government.
“The uneducated youth have become a threat because they wake up resorting to sitting along the roads abusing and blaming leaders.”
Assistant resident district commissioner of Zombo, Bruno Manano Ubomba, commended this consortium partners for training youth adding that they have now entered the money economy.
“I want to thank you for adding quality citizens who will pay tax to the government as you enter the money economy.” Manano
Beneficiaries speaks out;
Douglas Munguromu, 18year, dropout while he was in P5 in Lendu Parish, says he is earning now as he is working with a tailor in one of the trading centers.
Brian Nyingaling, Pajur Parish acquired skills in video recording implored that he is a changed responsible young man and urged parents to support them with more tools, renting workshop and startup capital.
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