Day

By Ambrose Kweronda
In Kabale

Kabale District local government in partnership with AVSI foundation with funding from the United States Agency for International Development, have donated apprenticeship tools to a section of vulnerable youths as a way of empowering them to start up income generating ventures.

Speaking at a function to donate the kits at the Kabale district council hall, the senior probation officer for Kabale, Monica Muhumuza, noted that the apprenticeship kits were donated to 14 youths selected from different sub counties in district.

She says that the beneficiary youths, who are aged between 14-17 years, and were identified from health facilities, are from families with HIV/AIDS backgrounds.

Muhumuza adds that youths were trained in ventures of their choice like carpentry, welding and metal fabrication, hair dressing, salon, motor vehicle mechanics and iron smelting among others.

The AVSI manager, Anthony Byogaba, said that the youths were equipped under the program dubbed “the keeping children health and safe program”, which is being implemented is more than 25 districts including Kabale, Rukiga, Rubanda and Kanugu districts.

According to Byogaba the program is aimed at improving health and livelihoods as well as reducing on spread of HIV/AIDS in the communities.

He adds that on top of the 14 youths who were trained and given start-up apprenticeship kits, they are targeting to give start up kits to more vulnerable youths in the next quarter, so as to improve on their household incomes.

Byogaba, said that they used more 24 million under this program aimed at reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the district of Kabale, Rubanda and Rukiga.

Handing over the equipment, the Kabale District LC5 Vice Chairperson, Miria Akankwasa Tugume commended AVSI foundation for the donation and partnering with the Kabale district local government to empower vulnerable members of the community.

She, however, warned the beneficiaries against selling off the tools, but use them to improve on their household incomes and also to empower other people in their localities with the same skills.

Some of the beneficiaries, who include, Joseph Tabaruka and Ritah Naturinda, hailed AVSI and USAID, for the donation and equipping them with the skills, vowing to use the skills for the betterment their families.