SWIPING TO WORK: INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP CREATES MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MECHANICS IN UGANDA

Imagine you’re an mechanic. You see opportunities for many underprivileged young people to become mechanics, but you also notice that there aren’t enough affordable and accessible training institutions for this target group. What do you do? You start your own training! That’s what Mathias Kironde did 12 years ago: ‘I started Kimuna Technical Services with the goal of training young people to become professional auto mechanics who can provide services that meet the needs of customers. There are many poorly trained mechanics in Uganda. We aim to set ourselves apart. That’s why we train our students not only in technical skills but also in work ethics, marketing, and customer service.’

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YOUTH GAIN OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH IMPROVED TRAINING

Over the past two years, Gered Gereedschap has worked closely with Kimuna Technical Services to further improve the quality of education. Mathias: ‘Thanks to the support from the EQUIP program, we have been able to professionalize our workshop. Finally, we have the tools and machines to provide proper practical education. The quality of the training has really improved a lot, also because, with the support of Gered Gereedschap, the teachers have been trained. A large number of students have had the opportunity to follow a course with a scholarship. Upon completion, students receive a toolset. They now have proper tools when they graduate, which is essential for finding work. The number of students has grown significantly due to our collaboration!’

NEW APP IMPROVES JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR MECHANICS

The opportunities for (young) auto mechanics have further increased through the collaboration with Makanika. This organization connects auto mechanics throughout Uganda with car owners via an app. This increases job opportunities for both starting mechanics (such as those from Kimuna) and more experienced auto mechanics. Michael Katagaya, founder of Makanika: ‘With support from Gered Gereedschap, we developed a skills test as planned, which now allows us to assess the level of the mechanics involved. We have been able to provide our mechanics with more specific knowledge. And our mechanics now have much better tools. Customer satisfaction has significantly increased. A great result!’