The second and final event showcasing outstanding items developed by kids under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl and Boy Child (PISGBC) was held yesterday at the Subway Skilling Centre in Kampala Central Division.
Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, Minister of Kampala City and Metropolitan Affairs, was the event’s guest of honor.
She expressed her gratitude for seeing such beautiful and high-quality products displayed by the kids, particularly those from the tailoring and embroidery section.
“Embroidery is pricey abroad, yet equivalent goods done by our children are inexpensive. The dresses are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before; undoubtedly our products can expand outside the market,” she added.
Hajjat Kabanda promised to locate space on the train station grounds and in Constitution Square for competent students to display and sell their wares.
The Minister, who encouraged parents and leaders to send their children to the skilling sites, also promised to work together with the PISGBC management team to ensure the project’s long-term viability and success, which is having a substantial impact on Kampala City’s vulnerable young.
Mr. Balaam Barugahara, Minister of State for Youth and Children in the Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development, commended the youths on their successful product development. He vowed to support them.
Ms. Aminah Lukanga, Kampala’s Resident City Commissioner (RCC), praised the work done at the Underground Skilling Centre. She informed guests that graduates of the centre will be offered opportunities to create their own businesses or join existing ones.
Dr. Faith Mirembe Katana, Special Presidential Assistant on Skilling and Education and Head of the PISGBC project, praised President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the initiative, stating that skilling acknowledges the monumental task of transforming ghetto girls and boys into productive citizens.
“We have seen people delivered, God delivers,” she said.
Dr. Katana noted that additional programs that have been introduced into the skilling process, such as athletics and patriotism, have had an impact on the reformed children, who are now highly thrilled about the change they are experiencing.
Dr. Katana introduced two of the reformed youngsters to the audience: Emma and Rasta, who were once brutal and notorious criminals in their towns but were transformed after 6 months of counseling and skill development. They received a special cake at the ceremony in acknowledgment and appreciation for setting a good example for their classmates.
She recognized the important role that the teachers, counsellors, and all of the PISGBC staff performed in reforming the young boys and girls.
Ms. Rhona Kamahoro Natukunda, Administrator of the Subway Skilling Centre, reported that 146 girls and 50 boys have learned various vocational skills such as weaving, baking, tailoring, and knitting. She praised the pupils for their dedication to becoming transformed and attending their studies seriously.
Ms. Natukunda also exhorted the young girls and boys to rigorously follow what they had learned and to preserve discipline for their own sake.
On the other hand, the beneficiaries praised President Museveni for providing the opportunity to learn a skill.
Ms. Lydia Balemezi, the Special Presidential Assistant on Poverty Alleviation, and Ms. Betty Kasabiiti, the President’s Private Secretary in Charge of State Lodges, attended the occasion.
Ms. Namale Juliet and Dr. Hillary Musoke Kisanja, the skilling project’s managers, were also in attendance.
