Digital skills to empower women & youth in Uganda

Your generosity has made it possible for us to equip four public and community libraries with a 4G Wifi Pocket Router each and enough data to provide digital skills training to women and youth until the end of 2022. This is one more than the three libraries originally planned. Thank you!

A team from the National Library of Uganda has visited each of the libraries, bringing the equipment and ensuring installation goes smoothly. They found that in spite of difficulties getting online before the arrival of the new equipment, the libraries had been hard at work offering ICT training. 

“Some of our learners have pursued careers using ICT,” said a librarian at Mummy Foundation in Central Uganda. “For example, Anna (not her real name) came to us to learn digital marketing, using her smartphone. Now Anna has started up a fruit and vegetable delivery business using Whatsapp and Facebook to look for customers, and is able to support her family.” With their new router and data packages, Mummy Foundation plans to teach schoolchildren to use simulations (digital imitations of real-world activities used to enhance learning).

The librarian at Masaka Public Library, also in Central Uganda, used YouTube videos to teach 17 young people how to make liquid soap. “Some of them have started producing it in large quantities to sell to schools and hospitals. With the new router and data our learners will have access to online information anytime they need to do research."

Uganda Development Services Community Library (UDS) in Eastern Uganda has been skilling student nurses and midwives to research the internet on their smartphones. After their training a group of nurses created a WhatsApp group to share knowledge and experiences. “The 4G Pocket Router will help us to do more outreach training on mobile digital literacy, since we can even recharge it,” said the librarian.

While offline, Nyarushanje Community Library in Western Region has been training teachers and students in basic computer skills. “Thank you for your support,” said the librarian. “Now, with the router and data packages, we will attract many more learners because most people want to learn how to use the internet.”

In April 2022, we joined GlobalGiving’s Little by Little matching funds campaign and we are delighted to report that we raised a total of US$1,775. This amount includes GlobalGiving’s matching grant of US$445 from GlobalGiving. 

Your generous donations will enable three libraries to continue to provide computer and internet access and training to women and youth with confidence. Each library will receive a 4G Wifi Pocket Router and enough data to last until the end of 2022. 

The three libraries are - 

Uganda Development Services Community Library (UDS - Eastern Uganda): So far this year, through outreach programmes, UDS librarians and volunteers have taught mobile literacy and internet searching skills to 211 secondary and nursing school students. In the library, just three out of 12 computers are connected to the internet. Your support will make it possible for the library to connect their computers and scale up library-based training. 

Mummy Foundation Community Library (Central Uganda): The library’s 16 computers are used daily by girls and teenage mothers living in and around Katwe, one of the biggest slums in Kampala. From January to March 2022, the library trained 23 primary school students and nine teachers to use ICT. However, COVID-19 drained the library's finances, and jeopardized further ICT access and training. Your support means that free ICT access for girls and young mothers and ICT training in the library will continue.

Nyarushanje Community Library (Western Uganda): In 2022, through outreach programmes, librarians trained 15 teachers and 17 young people to use computers and the internet. The library has six laptops, but has been unable to afford internet connections. The library will now be able to restore these connections, and provide free ICT access and training once again.