SHE UNIT UGANDA

EMPOWERING AT RISK YOUTHS (YOUNG WOMEN) THROUGH SKILLS TRAINING IN UGANDA

— BY SHE UNIT UGANDA

She Unit Uganda a women empowerment organization that was founded in 2018 by Namusaazi Christine has greatly impacted the lives of many and it still continues to empower at-risk youths around Uganda, founded with a mission of creating financially independent women in Uganda, She Unit Uganda has provided free cosmetology trainings that is hairdressing, makeup and nails and also free trainings in making of liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner to young women for a period of 3 years.

At risk youths refer to youths who are less likely to successfully transition into adulthood, success can mean success, job readiness as well as the ability to be financially independent, there are so many categories of at risk youths but with our mission, we are focusing on female school dropouts and teenage mothers.

In most places around the world, girls are now just as likely as boys to be enrolled in primary school, this however is not the case in many countries across the sub-Saharan Africa, where girls remain behind boys, particularly at the secondary level, In west Nile, Uganda, a sub region that has been ravaged with conflict in the past several decades, the problem is particularly acute where women rates of schooling fall below the national average. Only six girls are enrolled in school for every ten boys enrolled (Ref: international centre for research on women).

The main causes of school dropout and teenage pregnancy are social economic status, reproductive ignorance, peer influence and low educational expectations.

We therefore do believe that these girls need an opportunity to redefine their future, dropping out of school should never hinder a girl child from being successful, this makes it also a way we can achieve gender equality. Women need to participate in the economic development of the nation if we are to achieve equality and no woman should be left behind. All should be given opportunities and therefore as we focus on empowering women in all aspects of life. Women who never went to school should also be considered and recognized. By providing free skills training, we want everyone to be given an opportunity to engage in the economic development of the country regardless of the level of education.

Also providing skills training will help extend the time which girls get their first pregnancy because not being actively involved in education has led to an increased number of teenage pregnancy and early marriages.

SHE UNIT UGANDA Reg.: NMC/CBO/336/18 Nabweru Road, Nansana. Kampala,Uganda. sheunituganda@gmail.com +256780614837, www.sheunituganda.org

IMPACT

In a period of three years, we have created entrepreneurs, young women from our organization have been able to improve their standards of living, they are employed in beauty salons, doing mobile salon well as some do work from home. Also those who have received training in shampoo, liquid soap and conditioner are now engaging themselves in selling the products they do make to salons, hospitals and other facilities that do use the products - something that has positively impacted not only them but their families, and the nation at large.

A one Rachael, who is one of our beneficiaries, during her interview with She Unit Uganda said that “ am glad that I was given this opportunity, before joining She Unit Uganda, I was unemployed and not in school, unable to provide for my needs, I was always begging for money to meet my basic needs, but now, everything changed, am employed and I no longer have to beg for money to fulfill my needs, I do earn my own money and am now focused on my future goals”. Her dream is to open up her own beauty salon and also help other people in need. Many more deserve an opportunity like that of Rachael

FUTURE PROSPECTS

By 2023, we want to be able to reach out to 500 young women a year and empower them not only in cosmetology but also with catering trainings, in this, these women will be taught how to bake cakes, doughnuts, bread, biscuits, cookies among others. This will be done by solar ovens, this is so because there is a great need of electricity in some rural areas which using solar ovens is a great option in regard to development. Also using solar ovens will help in conserving of the environment.

Also we will be providing free entrepreneurship conferences to these young women; we believe they do need it if they’re to compete with the rest of the world.

We will be also focusing on bridging the digital gap divide, the world is becoming more of digital than it was before, it is more of important for us to teach this to our young girls, most of these young women don’t know about how best they can use the internet to grow their businesses, and some are completely green about the internet, we want to bring them closer to this and train them on how they can benefit from the internet, not forgetting to talk to them about the dangers associated with it.

We will be able to create more strong and competent entrepreneurs and positively impact the lives of women

OUR BOARD MEMBERS

Mr. Alex Chambers from Colorado, USA

Ms. Tiffany Gale-Haynes from England, United Kingdom

Ms. Audra Luke from Atlanta Georgia