In Aparis Village, Kumi District, over 70% of youth drop out before finishing school. Poverty. No fees. Early pregnancy. They end up on the streets, jobless, hopeless - girls forced into early marriage, boys into daily casual labor for $1.
Rural youth in Aparis face limited education, no jobs, no resources. 6 out of 10 never complete primary. Girls: Drop out due to lack of fees, sanitary towels, pregnancy - married at 15 for bride price. Boys: Drop out to dig gardens or ride boda-boda, earning 3,000 UGX a day, trapped in working poverty. Uganda has 56% of world's working poor in Africa. Without skills, youth migrate to towns and become street kids in Mbale, Soroti, Kampala. They are not lazy , they have no opportunity in village
We provide *Community-Based Vocational Training for Self-Reliance* right in Aparis Village: Marketable Courses (3-6 months) Practical Learning:* No theory alone. Trainees learn by doing - braiding real clients, sewing real clothes. Starter Kits & Small Grants:* After graduation: scissors, blow dryer, mannequins, sewing kits, carpentry tools. For top youth, small loan of $100 to start a kiosk. Training is in Kumi, not far away. Cost per semester is 480,000 UGX ($130). Most families cannot pay.
100 youth trained = 100 families lifted. A girl trained in hairdressing earns $3-5 per day in Aparis center - she can feed her child and refuse early marriage. A boy trained in carpentry earns $5-10 per job - builds furniture for community, stays in village instead of migrating. Each trained youth trains 2 more - multiplier effect. In 2 years, we aim to train 100 youth, provide 80 starter kits, and create 50 small village businesses. Poverty reduces, crime reduces, youth become leaders.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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