MTN Uganda has embarked on a strategy of equipping girls with essential vocational skills to help them earn a living, vital for survival in the competitive globalized environment.
This is being implemented through the MTN Uganda-sponsored Smart Girls Foundation, an initiative tailored towards the skilling of these girls in a vast array of fields, chiefly tailoring.
A cohort of 20 girls equipped with vocational skills were recently passsed out in an inaugural graduation ceremony held at the MTN Smart Girls Foundation with Tools Skilling Centre in Wakiso District.
The training was launched in July last year by MTN Uganda at the Smart Girls Foundation, with a training capacity of more than 400 women per year in vocational and business skills in servicing and washing bays, computer application, electricity installation, welding, carpentry, tailoring and house painting.
The training center valued at UGX. 300million is fully equipped with a computer laboratory full internet connectivity, a vehicle servicing station and a washing bay.
While speaking during the inaugural graduation ceremony, MTN Uganda’s Chief Executive Officer, Sylvia Mulinge expressed her gratitude over the attainment of vital skills by the cohort members, saying MTN’s efforts are now bearing impressive fruits.
She expressed optimism about the training attained by these young ladies, saying that it will aid them to turn the odds of excellence in their favor, given the fact they they were armed to the teeth with survival techniques.
“We believe that the training received has provided you with the much-needed hands-on training experience to enable you to appreciate the workings of building businesses and creating employment opportunities,” Mulinge remarked.
Ms. Mulinge contended that the know-how attained will be a big boost to the participants to compete favourably with their male colleagues in securing employment opportunities which previously were taken up by only men.
Also speaking during the same function, Irene Kaggwa, the executive director for Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) called upon graduands to relentlessly forcus on invigorating the skills acquired for greater professionalism.
“What you have learnt here is only the start of your journey. The world we are living in is constantly changing,” Ms. Kaggwa advised graduands.
She implored these fresh graduates to be flexible enough and adapt to the changing market trends, which will be achieved by mastering the skills acquired and also learning new ones.
“You will need to continue learning to keep pace with the changes in technologies,” added Ms. Kagwa.
On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of Smart Girls Foundation Ms. Jamilla Mayanja revealed that the instutution she heads is in advanced stages of developing a tools garage such that these graduates can continue to come and borrow them, on top of developing an online market space.
It is important to note that the the training has since received more than 500 applications for the next intake but it can only handle 150 students.
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