Thousands of youths have Tuesday flocked the nine centers of the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the Girl/Boy Child (PISGBC) to register under the program.

The nine skilling centers are spread across the five divisions of Kampala City namely; Nakawa, Makindye, Kampala Central, Rubaga and Kawempe.

Dr. Hillary Musoke Kisanja, the Private Secretary to President Yoweri Museveni for the Youth, in Agriculture, Value Addition and Export Promotion, revealed that the high number of youths who want to register for the Presidential initiative shows that they have really embraced the program.

“We have so far registered about 5,000 youth in the nine skilling centers and this number might even exceed our expectations,” Dr. Kisanja said.

He also advised Ugandans not to politicise the skilling program, noting that the President aims at transforming the lives of young people and that the initiative targets enterprises that are focused on import substitution like tailoring, carpentry, among others.

Dr. Kisanja further noted that so far, thousands of the vulnerable youth have benefited from this program and have testified that it has been a game changer in their lives.

“We skill young people in different vocational fields such as carpentry, embroidery, knitting, electronics , shoe-making, construction and many others. We are to add new skilling programs as requested by the President, for example the ceramics skilling,” he said.

Dr. Kisanja added that the program is strictly for the vulnerable youth in Kampala.

Currently, the program is being implemented in nine centers which include: Wandegeya Market, Mulago Community Hall, Mutundwe-All Saints Church of Uganda and Nakulabye-Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.

Other centres include Luzira at Luzira Prisons, Subway-Crested Towers roundabout, Wabigalo– Wabigalo Parish Community Hall, Kigoowa-Ntinda, Butikirwa Parish Catholic Church, and Kikoni- Makerere Community Hall.

The Special Presidential Assistant on Education and Skilling who also serves as the Project Head, Dr. Faith Katana Mirembe said that there are many vulnerable youths in Kampala, something which has resulted into escalated immoral acts such as drug abuse and increased crime rates.

But she noted that the skilling initiative will help in dealing with such challenges by transforming the lives of the youth.

Berna Namara, a project beneficiary, expressed her gratitude towards the President for initiating this program which she described as a life changing opportunity to her as she embarks on this journey.

Namara, a resident of Namere village, in Mpererwe Parish, Kawempe Division said that it is important that every youth embraces this government skilling program because it doesn’t only empower oneself but greatly impacts the society and country at large.

Ronald Achidri, a graduate of the presidential Initiative skilling program in 2021 brought with him eight street children to register for different courses.

Monica Gloria Ayemirwoth, a Primary Seven drop-out, thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for setting up the program, saying that it will change her life once she gets a chance to enroll.

In 2017, President Museveni initiated the project with an aim of empowering underprivileged youth in Kampala through skilling. Since inception, 35,728 students have enrolled in the project and early this month, 16,797 beneficiaries graduated from the program.

The training is structured as a six- month semester-based program, followed by certification through the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT).