SKILLING PUPILS FOR THE FUTURE

KALI in partnership with RWECO is implementing a pilot project on “community mechanisms to prevent violence against children and adolescents” in the Rwenzori region. The project is targeting 16 schools (15 primary schools and one secondary school) and their communities in 8 sub counties in Kasese district. KALI is working with Four schools; Mundongo, St. John’s Bukangara, Katwe Quran and Katwe Primary Schools in two sub counties of Nyakiyumbu and Katwe Kabatooro Town Council.

=The future for the children ought to well be planned for and basing on this, KALI skilled pupils in making shopping basket bags. KALI facilitated all the training materials and the facilitators / trainers. KALI bought rolls of materials and other materials that were used to train the pupils.

Pupils of Mundongo Primary School participating in making baskets during their handwork period

 The objective of the training was to equip the pupils with an art skill to make shopping bags that can be sold and earn a living. This is also to empower them support themselves in case they dropped out of school. Such children with no skills are so much vulnerable since they are not economically empowered and this could lead them to different compromising situations like prostitution.

The training took place in all the four schools of St. John's Bukangara, Mundongo, Katwe Quran and Katwe Primary Schools in Nyakiyumbu Sub County and Katwe Kabatooro Sub County respectively. 

Students of St. John's Bukangara primary schools weaving the shopping bags during their hand work period

KALI made an action plan with the headteachers on how sustainable these training would be and agreed on the following;

-That the start up materials from KALI be used to train

-The baskets from these materials be sold during school meetings (PTA, SMC, General parents meetings)

-The funds raised from the sale of these bags should be used to purchase more materials for other pupils to learn

Representantives of the Pupils of Katwe Primary and Katwe Quran learning how to weave baskets 

 The School management was very excited about the program and pledged to support such engagements fully

Prepared by 

MASEREKA GILBERT