By Spy Uganda
Fort Portal: In an effort to address the rising levels of youth unemployment, Kabarole Research and Resource Centre-Uganda (KRC-Uganda) has launched a mission to transform the lives of young people in the Tooro sub-region through digital skilling.
Speaking to our Chief Spy, Andrew Irumba, Ainebyoona Kihumuro, the programs officer in charge of digital marketing and youth engagement coordinator at KRC-Uganda, revealed that this significant mission involves targeting young people through a newly established Youth Hub. The hub offers various skill training opportunities to youths across the entire Tooro region.
According to Kihumuro, KRC-Uganda, a non-governmental organization, seeks to empower communities with a strong focus on youth. The goal is to equip them with skills in areas such as crocheting and digital marketing to help them transition from vulnerability to resilience.
He further noted that digital marketing is one of the new skills KRC has introduced in the Tooro region after realizing that young entrepreneurs face challenges in reaching potential customers.
”Many have businesses that remain unknown because they lack effective marketing strategies. Through our training, we teach young people how to market their products and services online, utilizing platforms like WhatsApp and TikTok. This training not only helps them reach a broader audience but also provides an avenue for income generation.” Kihumuro said during in interview with our Chief Spy who had visited KRC headquarters based in Fort Portal Cit, Kabarole District.
Furthermore, Kihumuro highlighted the importance of adapting to technological advancements, especially for youths who have access to smartphones.
“The world is moving towards technology and artificial intelligence. We aim to help the youth of Tooro adapt to these changes. We acknowledge that the digital space offers numerous opportunities for income and exposure, which is why we’re focusing on this training.” he noted.
According to Kihumuro, this program aims to reach over 4,000 young people. So far, 1,200 youths have benefited and are receiving continuous mentorship to support them as they apply their new skills.
“Our goal is to solve the issue of youth unemployment and increase market opportunities for young entrepreneurs. By teaching them digital marketing skills, we’re enabling them to advertise their businesses affordably and effectively. We’re also helping those without businesses to offer marketing services, creating a new source of income. We want every young person we support to have the capacity to earn at least 3.7 million UGX per year. This requires continuous engagement, mindset change, and providing opportunities for growth.” Kihumuro said.
Watch Full Details In The Interview Below!
More About KRC-Uganda
Kabarole Research and Resource Centre-Uganda (KRC-Uganda) is a well-established NGO operating countrywide in different regions of Uganda.
Founded in 1996 by the current MP Fort Portal City Hon.Alex Ruhunda, with a research mission and a long-term commitment to understanding the measures and drivers of poverty and its solutions, KRC-Uganda has accumulated substantial experience in research and created numerous development programs based on community analyses of the activities which would be most helpful in achieving sustainable and equitable socio-economic development.
Twenty-seven years of experience in community development work led KRC-Uganda to identify a new strategic direction currently being implemented, focused on supporting the need for integration and effectiveness of development research & information, decision-making and implementation, reaching to national levels of research, information and policy formation.
KRC-Uganda is focused on strengthening its skills in the areas of;
- producing in-depth and insightful research for socio-economic development, packaging information and disseminating it to strategic development partners
- facilitating and supporting the process of prioritizing opportunities, selecting partners, and making the decisions that get initiatives successfully started, and
- facilitating the most effective monitoring and interaction between grass root households (especially women and youth), decision-makers and implementers to see each program through the stages of implementation to successful socio-economic sustainable conclusion.
Behind all this, working with partners inside and outside the region like Hivos, Healthy Food Africa, among others, KRC-Uganda also aims to create the support needed to sustain and continuously improve development innovative mechanisms in the region.
