Talent Academy for 100 Young Ugandans Annually

Ever since it started off, the campaign to construct a studio room for 200
underprivileged young people is getting growing interest for its practical activities (singing,
tailoring and fashion, craft making and design).

To be able to provide these, Rockies has been increasingly burdened with the need to acquire more tools, equipment and engage temporary professionals to conduct the necessary training.The proposed permanent home is ideal for the development of a comprehensive academy and therefore Rockies  targets to procure all necessary equipment and certifications which will assist developing it's academy youth with additional skills.

Uganda produces perhaps the most graduates in East Africa each year. However, industry feedback
suggests that most of these graduates have little or no skills in practical courses e.g. craftsmanship,
masonry or woodwork. Uganda also has few technical institutes. These practical skills are now becoming extremely in demand in a world that is advancing from traditional practices to mechanization and semi-processing.

The market is demanding for improved quality and speed of delivery of tasks. Rockies has identified a significant opportunity in this area. Its goal is to partner with an accredited technical institute in order to develop practical skills for its academy youth. The market opportunities in
construction, manufacturing and semi-processing are substantial and therefore in developing its
students’ skills, Rockies key goal is to be a leading academy in practical skills development.
This period has seen many activities being conducted within the organization and in further
empowerment of the Academy young people;

1. Artistic impression for the Academy developed
The academy is currently located in a rented property at Mutundwe hill, Kampala. Over the past five
years the academy has outgrown the space at its current location. The current youth population of 100
has stretched the facilities at the existing location. The demand for Rockies services for the needy youth has grown exponentially to be able to continue offering opportunities to more needy youth, Rockies begun with the campaign to buy land which would host the academy, thanks to GlobalGiving and all kind hearted people that came out strong to help in actualizing this dream, we can confidently report that 3 acres of land were purchased at Nakawuka 18KM from the Kampala City. The new location will provide good security for our rather young members, especially the girls and will also be able to accommodate over 200 youth at any point. The campaign currently is on the construction of a studio room for practical skilling, and here we present you the artistic impression of the proposed structure.

Kindly consult attached PDF for illustrations.

2. Enrolment
There has been increased enrolment of talented young people into the academy. Because of the ever
growing popularity and appreciation of the amazing entertainment showcased by the Rockies in the
communities, many parents are now considering the option of having their young people take on an
extra skill from the traditional formal education that is largely theoretical. The first quarter of this year
alone the academy has admitted up to 20 more talents with increased walk-ins by parents but because
of limited accommodation space, we can only take on a limited number after a given period.

3. Leadership training
Needy and impoverished youth are usually disadvantaged and marginalized when it comes to leadership roles in the community. In providing the youth with critical hand-on skills, creating opportunities for exploitation of innate talents and exposure to cross cultural surroundings, Rockies has taken on a deliberate move to develop leaders from its academy graduates. The graduates will possess multidisciplinary abilities that should be able to prepare them to compete effectively for leadership roles in any community.

• Pictorial_for_Global_Giving_Report.pdf (PDF)