1 Million Jobs for Uganda's Graduates

By Benon Katumwa

Every year Uganda's institutions graduate over 400,000 students. The graduates scramble for 150,000 annual job openings in the country. ~0.008% create own jobs, leaving the 71.99% graduates jobless every year, these are forced to find alternatives to generate income, including activities in the survival-type informal sector and, some turn to the sex, criminality and drug industries to survive. This is about to change! 'Legacy footfalls' is delivering Micro Business Incubation & ICT Skilling Program to 627, 000 graduates and 960,000 students in the 121 districts of Uganda.

PROGRAM HOST ORGANISATION

Legacy Footfalls is an ICT4D nonprofit that uses ICT to remove critical skill shortage, create a technology ahead generation & gives poverty an expiration date in Africa.

The organisation partners with community institutions (Schools, families and Churches) to create lasting and meaningful change in the lives of isolated communities of Africa by equipping local teams with digital skills, use applied ICT to enlighten community members: uncover inner potential, and challenge each team to innovate solutions to social problems affecting their community.

THE CHALLENGE:

47.3% Ugandans live below both poverty line and twice the poverty line, $2.40 per day. (World Bank) More than 18,447,000 people in Uganda are vulnerable to poverty, this compares to the 83% unemployed graduates in the country and is part of the global problem where over 50% of Africa's graduates are unemployed every year. Children born in the slums of Uganda not only suffer the effects of poverty today, but are four times as likely to become poor adults even after toiling to secure a bachelor's degree.

THE SOLUTION:

There is no doubt that communities that are making major progress in the area of jobs/wealth creation are those in the fore-front of developing, deploying and exploiting ICTs within their society. A community's capability and ability to accelerate its socio economic development process and gain competitive advantage depends very much on the extent to which it can develop, use and sell, information, knowledge and technology in one form of other.

This project will deliver 5 mobile high tech. business incubation hubs in each district serving up to 210 graduates and 320 students per hub in a year. The hub comes fully installed with tools such as film strips, high tech projectors, Promethean boards, language laboratories, audio tapes, television set, ICT curriculum, sample business plans, mobile library, games and skilled instructors.

The hub is a safe learning platform that gives youth more autonomy to address some of the most pressing social issues in their own communities; energy efficiency, poverty, water scarcity, disease, and sustainable housing among others.

LONG TERM PROJECT IMPACT:

As the program scales up to all the 121 districts of Uganda, it will expand into ICT research, incubating ICT solution for the African continent with a focus on;

Data analysis: Develop new data analysis methods allowing the solution of complex problems in the transport sector, telecommunications, and building management among others.

Flexible production: "ICT supported Manufacturing Systems" increasing the flexibility and efficiency of Africa's production facilities based on data analysis and interoperable interfaces.

Robotics integration: Open up inventions in "ICT-supported Manufacturing Systems in Africa", e.g. human-robot collaboration.

GET INVOLVED:

Sponsor a hub

Bring your skill ~ International staff

Be an ambassador for legacy

Volunteer in Africa today!~Teams & individuals

Donate ~ Take ICT skills where they have never been before

TO BE PART OF THIS TRANSFORMING PROGRAM:

Contact the Author Mr. Benon Katumwa,Tel: +256700906797, Email: bkatumwa@gmail.com

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