‘A BOOST FOR CRAFTSMEN IN IGANGA AND SURROUNDING AREAS’

Iganga is a medium-sized town northeast of Jinja. Since 2013, the +256 Youth Platform has organized various activities here to improve the social and economic situation of young people. Providing vocational training is one of the core activities. The platform focuses primarily on vulnerable women, such as school dropouts and teenage mothers. In addition to courses in metalworking, woodworking, and electrical engineering, young people can also train to become car mechanics here.

Recently, the +256 Youth Platform opened a rental location in one of their rooms. “For us, this is a completely new experiment,” says Mohamed, the general director, with a smile. “But it’s really a logical continuation of what we’ve always done here: training young people so they can provide for themselves and build a future.”

A SOLUTION FOR THE LACK OF TOOLS

“What good is a solid vocational education if you don’t have the right tools to do jobs for your customers?” Mohamed asks. This has always been a problem in Iganga. “There are plenty of well-trained craftsmen here, but many can’t start their own businesses or have to turn down jobs because they don’t have the right tools.”

The rental location now provides a solution. “If you can rent those tools for a reasonable price, that’s ideal,” says Mohamed. “People here have now realized this. Our customer base is very diverse. It’s not just craftsmen who were trained here and already knew us, but also people who weren’t trained here are now coming to rent tools from us.”

From budding entrepreneurs to experienced craftsmen, the rental location in Iganga provides support for everyone. “There are people who are just starting their own businesses, but also craftsmen who have been working independently for years,” Mohamed concludes. “It’s amazing to see how we can make a difference in the lives of these people.”