Africa-Press – Uganda. Every year, thousands of students graduate from universities into an over-saturated job market, and this has culminated in countless jobless educated youth. But some victims of the above circumstances, have decided to take matters into their own hands, by becoming self-employed.
Claire Kila,28, a resident of Kasiniya village, Koboko North Division, in Koboko municipality, graduated from Nkumba University in 2018, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commercial Industrial Art and Design. She however searched for a white-collar job, but in vain, which forced her to think outside the box.
“I graduated with second class upper, and I remember on our graduation day I had this feeling like everything was now possible. But that feeling didn’t last long after my continuous attempt to get employed proved futile. Frustrated, I decided to go back home in 2021 and decided to start making and sewing crafts, which I would sell to earn a living,” she narrates.
What started out as a simple initiative to make ends meet, turned into a fully-fledged business for Kila, which she later named as Kila Youth Empowerment Center. As the demand for her products grew, Kila, decided to bring other people on board.
“I decided to gather a couple of unemployed youth, young mothers, and we started this project together. Most of them learned on the job, I trained them. We make craft bags embedded with beads and kitenge (African Fabric), we also make beaded jewellery, dresses, and baskets,” she said in an interview with NTV.
Kila’s business is currently employing over 20 people. The majority of the employees are school dropouts, victims of teenage pregnancies, disabled youth, jobless men and former drug addicts.
“My net sales per month range between, Shs600,000 to Shs1,000,000. Sometimes people hire me as a consultant for skilling projects, and they pay me,” Ms Kila shares.
“I am telling the youth that eating mairungi, and bad peer groups will not take you anywhere or solve your problems. Say no to such things, attain a skill,” says Ms Brenda Wani, the Koboko District Female Youth Councilor.
Similarly, Innocent Shaban,23, a former drug addict, crafts plates and cups by repurposing used bottles and polyene bags. Shaban, turned to this, as a source of livelihood after dropping out of school in 2018.
“I was at Kawempe Muslim Secondary School, but after form four there was no money for me to continue. It was a downward spiral there, I started using drugs which really messed me up. Luckily I happened to come across a gentleman who was doing this craft, I found it interesting and I asked him to teach me. This kept me busy, and soon I realized I could make some money by selling the plates and cups I was making from plastic bottles and scraps,” he narrates.
Shaban says he found purpose in this work, and it has kept him away from drugs. He earns about Shs150,000 per day, from this business.
Just like any other small entrepreneurs, the biggest challenge for Kila and Shaban is capital and access to lucrative markets.
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