By Mathias Lutwama
His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, anointed with the unction of strategic thinking and astounding modernisation, provides the following immense opportunities for the youth to live a life of purpose and social contentment.
1). Market Skills Proficiency
If you are aged 30 years and below, with or without academic qualifications, but passionate with labour productivity, there is a provision of a presidential skilling hub in your respective regions like Bunyoro, Lango, Ankole, Acholi, Buganda etc. For overcrowded cities like Kampala, over 15 presidential skilling centres are available to train girls and boys in carpentry, tailoring, architecture, mechanics, and ICT, among many others. The intent of this, as extrapolated by Museveni, is to nurture a first class skilled workforce like that of Singapore and Malaysia.
2). University Government Sponsorship
Every academic year, the government of Uganda supports a minimum of 4,000 students across the 12 public universities of Makerere, Gulu, Mbarara, Lira, Kabale, Karamoja, etc.
Museveni, as a wise leader, is mindful that the nexus of gross national income is induced by the competence of the human resource index. As a supplement, Museveni has introduced another set of university scholarships for financially distressed students but with excellent scores in science subjects. All this category of beneficiaries are youth, in a fast modernizing country called Uganda.
3). Army Enrollment
In ancient civilization, war was an avenue of enemy dissimulation and execution of might. Today, war is exercised as a fecundity to national sovereignty and state evolution. For the last 5 years, 2021- 2026, a minimum of 10,000 youth per year are willingly joining the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF). The majority of those are professionals in medicine, law, economics, aviation, etc. Thanks to the Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi keinerugaba, young people are nurtured in the efficacy of fighting external and internal enemies, but as well contribute to the symmetry of a modern welfare state in Uganda .
4). Parish Reviving Financing (PRF)
Having dissected the substance of demographic production in the money industry, His Excellency President Museveni has ordered a special allocation for young people aged 18- 35 years. If a parish gets 100 million shillings from the government, 30 million shillings (30%) of that is strictly meant for the youth in that parish to engage in agriculture and animal husbandry.
5). Youth Enterprise Fund
Unknown to so many hardworking young people in Uganda, if you are aged between 18- 35 years, with a well registered business, you can write a simple project proposal, take it to Uganda Development Bank, and within 7 working days, receive a loan raging between 5 – 100 million shillings. This program was initiated by President Museveni and is called YSL (Youth Step-up Loan).
6). Youth Livelihood Program.
Well acclaimed as the YLP, this program can be accessed across all the 176 districts, cities, and municipalities of Uganda. Thanks to Museveni’s architecture, if you form a group of 10 – 15 youth members, you will access between 5 – 12 million shillings. In this program, you don’t need collateral. it’s also interest-free. All you need is to wisely invest the money in a profitable venture of your choice.
LUTWAMA is a promoter of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) and also the Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Alebtong.