national 23 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Mbarara Skilling Centre Empowers Disadvantaged Youth, Refugee Communities
A skilling center in Mbarara City is providing vocational training to over 6,000 disadvantaged youth and refugees since 2015, equipping them with skills to combat unemployment and foster entrepreneurship. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/mbarara-skilling-centre-gives-hope-to-disadvantaged-youth-5506024
The Excel Hort Consult Agribusiness Skilling Centre in Mbarara City is offering a beacon of hope for Uganda’s unemployed youth, transforming lives through vocational training. Since its establishment in 2015, the center has trained more than 6,000 individuals, including young people from the Nakivale and Oruchinga refugee settlement camps.
These programs address Uganda’s high youth unemployment rate, which stood at 42.6% for those aged 15-24 in the 2024 National Population and Housing Census. The center provides training in diverse fields such as tailoring, hairdressing, weaving, bakery, confectionery, and both crop and animal production.
Ms. Grace Bazitire, head of skilling and talent development, highlighted the center’s commitment to selecting the most vulnerable beneficiaries, often those affected by neglect, abuse, teenage pregnancies, and early marriages. After completing their training, participants are connected to government programs like Emyooga, the Youth Livelihood Programme, and the Parish Development Model to secure further support and market access.
Stories of transformation abound. Doreen Ninshaba, a young mother disowned by her parents, found a new path at the center, hoping to launch a bakery and support her child. Evelyn Natuhire, who couldn’t afford secondary education after primary school, is pursuing tailoring with aspirations of starting her own business and funding her further studies.
The impact extends to refugees as well. Jolly Umwiza, a refugee from the DRC, who was trained in fashion design, now runs her own successful tailoring and fashion training center within the Nakivale camp, employing 15 girls and generating income that allows her to expand her ventures.
Local residents report a noticeable decrease in criminal activity, attributing the change to the center’s ability to channel idle youth into productive endeavors. The Minister of Finance, Henry Musasizi, recently emphasized the need for these hubs to maintain databases of their graduates to effectively link them to government support programs, a move Ms. Bazitire believes will further motivate trainees and graduates alike.