Learn to Earn! Trades training in Gulu, Uganda

Periodic Project Report for the period: April - June 2025

Implementing partner: Family Harvest Foundation

Project title: Learn to Earn Trades School in Gulu; Uganda

Contact Persons:

1. Oyat Francis Otoo - Project Team Leader

2. Anne McKee - Project Resource Mobilizer and Board Member

             COVER PAGE PHOTO

Background

Family Harvest Foundation continued delivering Vocational skills training activities including; tracing students for Uganda Vocational Training Assessment Board (UVTAB) examinations, opening of term two and orientation of new students, and sitting actual UVTAB examinations. 

We received USD182.07 in donations, were disbursed USD108.83 during the 2 disbursements made and utilised USD3619.96 within the period of reporting. While other funds were from other grantors.

One field visit was also carried out as a routine follow up, to Lakalac village, Amar subcounty in Nwoya district as a supervisory responsibility and interreacted with the Village Savings Loan Associations (VSLA) groups that are continuously doing savings.

We participated in the celebration of that marked 10 years of the Movement for Community-Led Development (MCLD) existence in the global development arena.

Activities Undertaken
1. Tracing students for assessment

We ensured all trainees are registered for final assessment with Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB), and were traced bi-weekly within the months of April until June 2025. 37 students were traced and confirmed to sit for examinations.

2. Enrolment and Training of Trainees
We opened a new term for new students on 16^th May 2025 with orientation and actual sessions began on 19^th May 2025. The total recruited learners are 35, with 31 sponsored by Gulu University Refugees and Host Community Transformation Initiative (RETI) Program, and 03 females partially sponsored by GlobalGiving Foundation donors support, as their parents contribute half of the tuition.

Throughout the months of April, May and June, FHF continued tracing, preparing and delivering training sessions to 37 trainees that had finished training in March but waiting for clearance to sit for the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) now called the Uganda Vocational Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) with current lot with 18 students doing Hair dressing and salon services, 10 for Garment cutting and tailoring, and 06 for Building and Construction practice. Therefore, the training is engaging 23 females and 08 male learners. Out of the male learners, 02 are doing hair dressing.

3. Support to Uganda Vocational Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) formerly Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) Examination and Uganda Business and Technical Board (UBTEB)
We closely collaborated with the UVTAB examination board to ensure complete registration of students. A total of 37 (21 directly trained by FHF, and 16 by a sister institution without a centre number).  Students were registered and made ready to sit for the examination that was held on 18^th June 2025.

A total of 33 students sat for examination; (22 Hair dressers and 08 tailors) sponsored by Gulu University RETI program, and 03 all partially sponsored tailors by GGF of these 21 for hair dressing, and 12 for tailoring.

04 of the registered students did not turn up for the assessment examination for reasons unknown as they contacts were offline as efforts to trace them were futile.

4. Annual Board Meeting
The annual board meeting of 2025 is being planned and will be held to evaluate the progress and development being made from the strategic plan focused on organizational growth over the next two years.

5. Community Engagement
Our Community Volunteer Advocates at our livelihood project site continued to implement activities in Nwoya District, specifically in Lakalac and Kalang villages in KochGoma Subcounty. The focus during this reporting period was on VSLA activities. 01 field visit was conducted and found that the groups are continuing with savings well.

6. Partnerships and Networking
a. We maintained an active partnership with GlobalGiving Foundation, The Movement for Community Led-Development (MCLD).
b. Participated in partnership development meetings with Brighter Mondays being supported by MasterCard, Gulu University, Movement for Community Led-Development (MCLD)and Girls Not Brides Uganda (GNBU) where we led a discussion on teenage pregnancy.

c. Participated in partnership 3 meetings with Gulu University. In these meetings, our staff and students were oriented on safeguarding and Village Savings and Loans Association benefits where students have formed savings groups and doing actual savings while still at school.

d. Kept upto date with Nwoya, Gulu District and Gulu City Councils contexts to be able to strategically deliver our work by renewing our certificates of operation.

e. Shared a grant proposal to MCLD for a Nutrition capacity building project according to the call they had shared with partners of the Right2Grow projects.  

Key Achievements

i).  Successfully presented 89.1% (33/37) of the trained students assessed by UVTAB, a Uganda Vocational Technical Assessments Board of the Ministry of Education Sports of the Republic of Uganda. Waiting for results. All the 03 GlobalGiving sponsored students also sat for the assessment examination.

ii). We succeeded with our Expression of Interest (EoI) to Gulu University for continuous partnership in providing artisan services under the RETI program. 31 students are already under training. Four other youth have also accepted to take on the private sponsorship and paying part of the recommended training fees.

iii). Two saving groups (Hair dressers and Tailors) VSLA of the current intake have been formed at school and operational already.

Iv). The post training collaboration exercise with Gulu University RETI project team have continued to validate the number of post-training employment records to build on future support opportunities. 4 out of the 37 who could not attend to the examination are difficult to talk about until they resurface. 21 of those who sat examination are engaged in either Gulu Main market or working with a friend.

vii). We continue expand visibility and influence through collaboration with other vocational institutions and institution like Rotary Clubs and others. This is evidenced during assessment time where our Institution functioned as a planning centre that hosted all the assessors in Acholi subregion. RETI program also used our premises as a point of an assessment exercise on Gender and safeguarding. This has exposed us to more development ideas by the visiting teams.

viii). Periodic staff and student meetings have contributed to the improved management and operation of the institution. This is evidenced in the reduced or no dissatisfaction complaints from stakeholders.

Plans for Next Quarter
1. To continue with training sessions with the current intake, and also mobilize for the next intake.

2. To start UVTAB examination registration process early enough to present all the 35 studying with us attend the assessment examination.

3. It is good practice to continue conducting the post-training employment tracking to solicit support to have all engaged for better livelihood.
4. Identify and initiate additional community-based projects in Gulu, Gulu City Council and Nwoya District to scale up our advocacy and vocational programming.
5. Close this term with the current trainees on 22^nd August 2025 and support the them secure areas for industrial training for 2 weeks before taking the assessment examination.
6. Continue to collaborate with the Regional Referral Hospital to provide Sexual Reproductive Health Services (SRHS) to all the trainees once every month.

7. Apply for more funding from other donors like Japan International Agency (JICA).

8. To collectively with all the six fundraisers receive USD 2,000 in donationations from 20 donors.

• Finance_Statement_April__June_2025.xls (XLS)