By Leilah Bbaale
The government of Uganda is to rollout vocational skills training in all secondary schools in refugee hosting districts in the country.
This was revealed by the minister for Relief, disaster preparedness and Refugees Eng. Hillary Onek during a working visit to Panyadoli Refugee settlement camp in Kiryandongo district.
The minister was accompanied by the Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda Her Excellency Frederieke Quispel.
The delegation visited Artisanal workshops of the people who were trained under the intervention and Panyadoli Self Help Secondary and Vocational school in Kiryandongo district.
Engineer Hillary Onek says that they have piloted vocational skills training in selected schools in the Refugee host districts in the country which has proven effective.
Onek says that working with development partners government will rollout vocational skills training in all schools in refugees hosting districts to benefit both the national and refugees.
Onek says that skills development will help ion pacifying African countries and Government wants Africans to get skills in exchange for guns.
Frederieke Quispel, the Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda says that the government of Netherlands will continue supporting Uganda in its quest to host Refugees and the concerned minister from her country will be in Uganda in two weeks’ time.
The commissioner for Refugees at the office of the Prime Minister Patrick Okello says that the number of Refugees is continuing to increase and has now hit 1.74 million people with more still coming from Sudan.
Okello says that international support for Refugees is dwindling and there is need to make come up with sustainability interventions.
The LC V chairperson Kiryandongo Edith Aliguma says that Kiryandongo is grappling with high school dropout rates and child pregnancy but is optimistic that skills training will help in addressing some of the challenges.
Meanwhile the beneficiaries of the Vocational skills training are happy that they can now make ends meet.
Nancy Apio and Obbo Emanuel, some of the beneficiaries, say that skills acquired are helping them earn a living although with some few challenges.
A 74-year-old Sudanese Refugee (Whose names have been withheld), is appealing for help for her 52-year-old son who lost his two hands during the war in Sudan, to at least get artificial limbs to allow him start work.
Latest statistics indicate Uganda provides a home to over 1.74 million refugees and asylum-seekers. Most refugees come from South Sudan (57%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (32%), Somalia (3%), Burundi (3%) and of recent Sudan.
