In a bid to fight poverty amongst youth in Busoga Sub-region through the Emyooga Scheme, President Yoweri Museveni over the weekend handed over an assortment of the agricultural, salon, and tailoring, baking, and car washing machines to thousands of youth in Kamuli District, to help them become job creators.
The function that was officiated over by the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Rebeca Alitwala Kadaga was aimed at fulfilling part of President Museveni’s manifesto aimed at skilling youth in Uganda as one of the ways to combat unemployment and poverty in the country.
Shortly after the function, President Museveni wrote this on social media; “I was in Kamuli District where I handed over 472 machines to 190 youth groups with a membership of 3,228 youth, under the Uganda Green Jobs Programme organized by the Ministry of Gender and supported by Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga.
They included sewing machines, gadgets for dressing hair, generators, electric ovens, car washing equipment, milling and paver machines plus computers.
I congratulate Rt. Hon. Kadaga on her recent victories in the NRM party elections. I am glad that she is making a case for more resources for these youth empowerment schemes. This has been my position always and hope Parliament will fully back me.”
“For those with land, I urge you to practice commercial agriculture and add value to the produce. For instance, we now get more revenue from gold because it is refined here, unlike previously when we exported it in raw form. The refinery should start making jewelry to increase revenue,” he added.
The President also noted that besides commercial agriculture, the other opportunities of wealth creation lie in the services sector, ICT, and Industry (small & large scale). He urged each youth to be engaged in at least one of these sectors.
‘We started the Skilling the girl child/Youth project in Kampala and now the government is extending the fund to every zone under the “Emyooga” scheme. We now have 92 parishes engaging in Emyooga in Busoga. We shall extend it to all parishes. I wish all the beneficiaries good luck,” Museveni said.