The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development together with Business Day Communications launched a campaign dubbed “Young, Healthy and Employed (2017-2022)” on Tuesday 15th August, 2017 at Makerere University main hall, Kampala.
The campaign was launched by the Ministry’s Commissioner for Youth and Children Affairs, Mr. Mondo Kyateeka. It is aimed at creating one million jobs for the youth by 2022.
This campaign is supported by Equal Opportunities Commission, Uganda Health Marketing Group, Marie Stopes Uganda and True North limited.
Ms. Jane Nandawula the CEO of Business Day Communication explained that the campaign was conceived in March this year during a youth meeting that comprised of youth from 10 universities. During this meeting, the main issues that arose were health and unemployment amongst the youth. She added that this programme is targeting 1,000,000 youth getting employed by 2022.
The campaign aims to; create advocacy for increased entrepreneurial opportunities including agri-business, lobbying for increased donor funding to Government for youth activities, provide insights to Civil Society Organizations inform of conferences for key decision makers, draft year book magazines and engage the youth in social media.
She noted that when youth are employed, crime will be eradicated, there will be political and food security and the family economic status will be strengthened. “When youth are employed, they work with energy and commitment.”
Mr. Mondo Kyateeka (with microphone) launching the Young, healthy and employed campaign 2017-2022
Speaking about the challenges young people in the Universities experience in terms of health, Ms. Sarah Aporu shared her story on positive living and remaining productive with your life. She came out public about her HIV status on 2nd April, 2017 and encouraged the youth to endeavor to keep safe and healthy at all times. She stressed the need to take frequent HIV tests and encouraged them to engage in this campaign in order for it to impact positively on their lives.
Mr. Sirabo Patrobas Wafula a Member of the EOC representing the youth expressed EOC’s commitment in identifying and addressing social inclusion of young people. He said, “It is imperative that we express ourselves and contribute to socio-economic development of the country.”
Young people need to be involved and included in decision making. He further encouraged them to take up volunteer positions in organizations in order to gain experience. He stressed the need of involving them in planning, implementation and monitoring of youth specific interventions.
Mr. Mondo Kyateeka the Commissioner Youth and Child Affairs in the Gender ministry noted that the ministry has embarked on several interventions aimed at improving the profile of unemployment by ensuring that jobless youth in the country are engaged and employed, both by the private and public sector.
He explained that because Government cannot create all the jobs needed by the youth, they are partnering with various employment organizations to come up with programmes that favor them.
He added that they are currently encouraging and providing youth with skills programmes to make them more employable and help them venture into self-employment.
“We want to use the youth much more and that is why we bring out ideas that can help to improve the Government interventions.
He said they are currently shaping the youth livelihood programme to make it more responsive to the young people and urged the youth to watch out for different interventions that Government comes out with.
Member Patrobas Sirabo Wafula giving his key note address
Deogratius Akol a Human Resource Consultant at True North Limited stressed the need for personal branding and positioning yourself in a competitive market. You need to look at how you present yourself, how you write a good CV, Is it saleable?
We are trying to extend career guidance talks to as many Institutions as we can in order to guide the youth on making right choices when it comes to looking for employment. He said, “We do recruitment for different organizations and give feedback to individuals who do not meet the requirements in order for them to work on their weak points and improve during subsequent job interviews.”
He stressed the importance of youth doing what they are passionate about as opposed to being forced to do what their parents want.
He further discouraged them from spending too much time on social media, make the right friends while at University and position yourself to be job fit.
Youth and members from MDA’s and CSO’s attending the conference at the University’s Main hall.