Skilling for employment and livelihoods in Isingiro

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A carpentry workshop supported in Isingiro

A number of youths in Isingiro have been able to gain practical skills to earn a living through Carpentry works when DRDIP extended support to Isingiro Town Council Carpenters’ Self Help Group. Patrick Sserunjoji, the Chairperson of the Self Help Group says, “DRDIP provided not only financial support, but trained the group members on financial management and that’s why we are now big and doing very well”. “We have so far trained about 50 young people, some have started their own workshops”, Ssserunjoji adds.

Composed of 18(8f,9m) members, the group has strengthened and was able to acquire modern carpentry tools and machinery to enable them effectively generate income and train and employ, jobless young people within Isingiro Town Council.

“We had a running capital of less than UGX 3000,000 before the intervention of DRDIP two years ago, but now I am proud to report that we have running capital of UGX 18,000,000”, Sserunjoji narrates. He continues, “we now hold weekly meetings, give out loans at affordable rates to members and the good record keeping has enabled us to continue growing”.

The group now boasts of eight (08) big machines up from the only two (02) elementary ones before the support from DRDIP.  Some of the machines includes; two molders, a Spindle, Rotter and Jigsaws which have helped improve the quality of products.

One resident, Arinaitwe Nixon notes that, “as a Town Council, the level and quality of carpentry works was very low but this group has raise the bar up especially when they got support from DRDIP. Now we make orders from within instead of going to Mbarara or Kampala”.

Arinaitwe suggests that DRDIP should think of supporting to put up a Technical Institute so as to accommodate more youths from both refugee settlement and the host communities.

Ronald Kamwine 25 who learnt from the workshop is now a machine operator who also teaches other young people. “I have benefited a lot from operating these machines, I have a bright future, I have a motorcycle that I bought what I eran, I also feel good to work as a teacher of others” Kamwine says.

As for Jane Mawombe 23, “ DRDIP did wonders to us. As a group member, I got a loan of UGX 500,000 and I went to Mbarara and bought clothes, brought them here and am now selling and making daily savings. I also get wastes from thIS workshop and use in my banana plantation as manure and now the plantation is doing great, my harvest keeps on increasing”.

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