Increase Skills & Use of Pads by 200 Girls, Kamuli

CFU has designed a number of innovative models to meet young people’s needs today whilst preparing them for the future. The Youth Skilling model, combines the village savings and loans (VSLA) model together with a suite of targeted skills and training programs, and in doing so, aims to improve the skills, employment opportunities and social inclusion of disadvantaged Ugandan youth The Youth skilling supports out-of-school youth between 15-24 years of age and combines market-orientated vocational skills development for youth with linkages to financial services and education. The model’s process represents a coordinated approach, where both employer skill-gap needs and youth learning needs are identified and addressed, and youth participants are provided with supported pathways into training, hopefully leading to further employment opportunities The model’s comprehensive approach is effective in creating livelihood aspirations among youth and making youth ready for employment. CFU, under YOUTH SKILLS AND PADS USE program reached almost 200 youth in Kamuli through the Youth skills and pads use of which 95% following graduation subsequently applied the knowledge and skills acquired through their training through formal employment or as self-employed young entrepreneurs. 67% of youth were employed by the small-medium enterprises where they had their placements, while 33% started their own income-generating activities or small-scale enterprises (e.g. salon and hairdressing, liquid soap making, Jerry making). The active case-management of individual youth under the Youth skills and pads use model was behind this success and ensured continued youth engagement (following youth skill preferences during initial assessment) and high rates of completion/graduation (continued mentoring and support and problem solving). W4W delivered three levels of enterprise training: ‘Reach-up’ which included identifying skills and passions, finding and keeping customers, and how to save money; ‘Start-Up’ training which included how to develop a business plan and ‘Scale-up’ which included business assessments, coaching and improvement planning. • 10 VSLA groups were formed and each group consists of 20 members. • All the 10 groups were trained in VSLA principles and methodology. • 150 youth out of 200 were trained in income generating activities to boost their savings • 90 % of youths have understood the training courses and got access to job and earns on daily basis. • 200 youths had completed different types of training • 120 out of 200 youths had trained business development training • 100 out of 200 youths had trained in liquid making skills. • 140 female youth were trained in making reusable sanitary pads. And 80% had reported to be using pads. • 80 youths of business skills reported that their livelihood standard had changed after starting their new business set up