‘IT’S A REAL WIN-WIN SITUATION: THEY ARE HELPED OUT, AND WE GENERATE INCOME FOR OUR PROJECTS’

Not far from Jinja lies Mafubira. In this small provincial town, local craftsmen can rent tools at a rental location housed in the building of Buli Kimu Tusobola (BKT). This organization provides vocational training for young people in metalworking, woodworking, and textiles, with a special focus on orphans, the most vulnerable group among the youth.

Recently, BKT received a supply of tools and machines from the central rental workshop in Jinja. Some of these are now being used for vocational training, while the rest are available for rental. Halid, the daily manager of BKT, is enthusiastic about the rental activities. “At the moment, we are earning between 600,000 and 800,000 Ugandan shillings (€150 – €200) per month by renting out tools,” he says proudly. “For us, this is a real benefit. Thanks to the rental income, we are able to continue our work, even in these challenging COVID times.”

The money they earn is not only used to provide training but also for meals and things like hospital visits for the students. “Our monthly figures show that the rental location really meets a need. Former students rent tools from us, but so do craftsmen who completed their training elsewhere. More and more people are discovering that we can offer a solution for their tool needs.”

Halid concludes: “It’s a real win-win situation: they are helped out, and we generate income for our projects.”