By Edward Byamukama
Total Energies EP Uganda has revealed that its youth inclusion and education initiatives have benefited up to 3,000 youths in Uganda since their rollout ten years ago.
This announcement was made by Philippe Groueix, the company’s General Manager, during a ceremony in Kampala commemorating the ten-year milestone of these initiatives. Groueix highlighted the significant contributions of the beneficiaries to Uganda’s job market across various disciplines.
“With our deep-rooted existence in Uganda, our goal is to create shared value. Empowering the youth to play an active role in their communities greatly contributes to this goal. We are pleased that many of our nearly 3,000 youth and education program beneficiaries are contributing tremendously to the country’s development by deploying their professional and technical skills in Uganda’s diverse sectors like the multi-energy industry, health, telecommunications, and others,” he said.
Groueix emphasized the company’s pride in contributing to society in this manner and expressed a commitment to maintaining strong connections with the beneficiaries. “We are privileged to create opportunities for young people to succeed.
As a tribute to them, we are launching a campaign to spotlight some of the young people with whom we have walked this journey and to share the various contributions they are making to their communities and country,” he added.
The initiatives align with TotalEnergies’ Corporate Social Responsibility pillar ‘Youth Inclusion and Education’ and the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education.
TotalEnergies EP Uganda has implemented several youth empowerment initiatives, including an Ordinary and Advanced Level scholarship program for scholars from the Tilenga project districts, internship and graduate trainee programs, vocational training and certification, international postgraduate scholarships, the Tilenga Academy Training program, and collaborations with academic institutions to enhance knowledge transfer.
Additionally, the company has facilitated the training of over 250 Government of Uganda officials in various disciplines. At the commemoration ceremony, which convened over 200 beneficiaries, the company reaffirmed its commitment to creating more opportunities for young Ugandans to make meaningful contributions in their communities.
“TotalEnergies EP Uganda remains committed to empowering Ugandan youth to drive positive change and contribute to the sustainable development of their communities and country,” Groueix said. Gideon Kibirige, a reservoir engineer at TotalEnergies EP Uganda and one of the program beneficiaries, shared his journey that began in 2021 through an educational initiative application for a scholarship.
“My journey with TotalEnergies EP Uganda started in 2021 when I applied for a scholarship that Total had announced. It wasn’t the first time I applied, but I succeeded this time,” he recounted. Kibirige’s scholarship was for studying reservoir engineering in France. He described the selection process as robust and transparent.
After his studies, he returned to Uganda, where he first worked with TotalEnergies as an intern, then as a graduate trainee, and now as a reservoir engineer.
