Education for the most vulnerable
Skills Hub Kampala
Nsumbi Trust in partnership with Family Believers Church is supporting life changing skills training to help meet the ongoing needs of people in a disadvantaged neighbourhood. The Hub equips school leavers and those who cannot afford to go to school, with the skills they need to lift themselves out of poverty. This area of Kampala is called Nakulabye and is the place Pastor Stephen Jota first saw the large number of children out of school and was inspired to begin the Children's Centre.
HUB SKILLS TRAINING
One of the ways FBC works in the community is by a program for young people with no employment to develop key skills. There are computer based training programs in using windows applications, emails and producing CVs. Others learn how to repair phones and computers. Young people also learn skills by work placements in hairdressing salons and tailoring workshops. Others work alongside Motor Mechanics or bricklayers.
Some of those training at the Hub have set up a photography and video enterprise. They have learned how to use cameras and how to edit videos. They are starting to get commissions.
The Hub is helping school leavers or those who cannot afford secondary education, develop a set of skills to become confident, empowered and self-reliant individuals. In doing so, they can contribute to positive change in their families and communities by getting jobs or setting up businesses for themselves.
HUB PROGRAM MANAGER
Nicholas Kigozi, our program manager, has a shop in Nakulabye. He deals in IT equipment, selling a range of computer related items and media and also repairing computers and phones. He has already trained many young people in various IT related skills, which he knows from his own experience, will lead to productive employment. A number of his “graduates” have started their own businesses and others have been able to get jobs because of the skills they have acquired. He has extended his retail space by adding a room on the back where this “hands on” training will take place
Nsumbi Trust, in conjunction with The FBC Community Hub are supporting and enhancing this project.
FAMILY BELIEVERS CHURCH
Pastor Patrick (right) leads Family Believers Church. The Church is at the centre of the community and is helping to break the cycle of poverty in which many are trapped. The team of volunteers encourage local people to get involved with activities based in the church. This includes Soap making, SACCOs (savings and loans group) and Counselling. Patrick says
“People are just earning daily bread to live, and at times some can miss eating. If nothing has been earned in a day, the petty jobs done can’t sustain them as expected.
The church operates from a ghetto area and families hardly support themselves very well. Houses are poorly constructed and some are in a dilapidated state, The costs of renting, is low but some still fail to meet the monthly cost and then are forced to vacate their homes. Sadly it is children and girl child who are the most vulnerable. They are likely to be out of school, and subject to early marriage and unwanted pregnancies."
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
The Volunteer team continue to distribute emergency food to needy households. In addition, every Christmas our Food Box Appeal allows the team to deliver a basket of food to hundreds in the area. The Maize Mill managed by Nsumbi Enterprise Trust provides regular supplies of Maize for this Food Bank.
CHILDRENS CLUBS
Nicholas and the team run clubs for children at the church. They organise games and tell Bible Stories. As a trained Social Worker Nicholas is always on the look out for children who are out of school or in need of referral to an appropriate agency.