‘WE COULD NEVER HAVE AFFORDED THOSE ELECTRIC SEWING MACHINES’

The northern part of Uganda had been the scene of rebel uprisings and guerrilla wars for thirty years. When some peace returned to the area, the Foundation for Development and Relief Africa (FIDRA) was established in the Lango district in 2011. FIDRA is committed to fighting poverty and improving vocational education and healthcare in this district.

The daily leader of FIDRA is Ivan Kenneth Ocan. He still remembers the difficult times of the uprisings vividly: “That time was disastrous for the people in this area. Many children lost their parents. Girls were victims of rape, abduction, and exploitation. Young people, especially girls, were and still are the most vulnerable group. To improve their situation, we have launched many projects, including vocational training programs. Currently, more than fifty young people are participating in these programs.”

GRIM REALITY

Kenneth paints a grim picture of the situation for young people in Lango: “Many young people here grow up in broken families. Due to poverty or other reasons, they often don’t finish their schooling, and without an education, your chances of finding a job here are nearly zero. There are many teenage mothers who can barely make ends meet. And then there’s HIV and the current COVID-19 situation on top of that.” But Kenneth remains hopeful. “We are very active,” he says, “and we try to involve as many young people as possible in our projects. We especially focus on those young people who need it the most.”

SUPPORT

Currently, FIDRA trains young people as tailors, metalworkers, or hairdressers in three separate training centers. But a larger central training center is under construction, where they also plan to offer carpentry and furniture-making courses. Two years ago, Gered Gereedschap donated welding equipment and sewing machines to FIDRA. “That support is fantastic,” says Kenneth. “The seven electric sewing machines, for example, that we received, we could never have afforded ourselves. Since we only ask our students for a small, and often no contribution at all, our budget is limited, and those kinds of machines are very expensive here. Now that we have them, more students can learn to work with electric sewing machines, and more students have the opportunity to complete practical assignments on those machines during a training day. We can now also admit more students and fulfill what we promise them: a good education and a chance at a better future.”