From destitute to earning a living

22 February 2017

Shamim Nalubega

Jane Nabasitu styles a fellow student's hair at the UYDEL offices in Natete, Kampala

Like many youths in urban slums, Jane Nabasitu, 24 lived a destitute life. She dropped out of school at aged 17 after losing both her parents and, with nobody to pay her school fees. Then a teenager, Nabasitu spent her days in bad company and turned to a boyfriend for her needs. Getting all her basics, Nabasitu thought she had revived her normal life until she got pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend. Life became harder as Nabasitu struggled to fend for herself and her unborn child. "I used to wash people’s clothes in exchange for food and money," Nabasitu says. She continues to explain that she struggled with life as she had no stable source of income until she learned of the free vocational training by Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in partnership with Iceland Church Aid (ICA) and Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL).

Attaining vocational training in hairdressing

"My friend Gloria who is a hairdresser informed me about the opportunity. She told me she had been trained by the same people and had got a job in a salon," Nabasitu says. Interested in the opportunity, Nabasitu registered for the nine months’ course and she’s currently receiving both practical and theoretical training in hair dressing at the UYDEL office in Natete, Kampala.

Prosy Naluggo, a hairdressing artisan with UYDEL explains that students are trained in different modules including; hair plaiting, styling, treatment and retouch, colouring, saloon business management as well as customer care. "Nabasitu has a strong passion for hair styling and that’s her speciality. She is also good at hair plaiting," Naluggo adds.

With her skills, Nabasitu earns from hairdressing as she gets random and referred clients. Nabasitu gets two to four clients and earns a minimum of Ushs 30,000 every weekend. "I go to school during weekdays then plait and style people’s hair over weekends from which I earn a living to cater for both I and my daughter’s needs," she adds.

Just like Nabasitu, 16-year-old Joan Mukisa earns from hairdressing. She too is a beneficiary of the vocational training in hair dressing under the Urban Youth Empowerment Project. Mukisa co-owns a small saloon with her mother and earns a minimum of Ushs 50,000 a week. "I treat and retouch clients’ hair at God’s faith salon in Ndeeba, Kampala every weekend," Mukisa says.

In March 2017, both Mukisa and Nabasitu will graduate and receive certificates from UYDEL and the Directorate of Industrial Training. "Becoming a certified hairdresser is like a dream come true because hairdressing is my passion," Nabasitu says. On acquiring her certificates, Nabasitu envisions getting a stable job in a salon, then investing in a bridal saloon with savings she will have accumulated overtime.

"As soon as I get a stable job, I will start saving up for my bridal saloon and offer a free training opportunity to vulnerable young people like me," Nabasita adds.

Some of the youth beneficiaries in an electronics repair training session.

Other project activities and vocational training opportunities

Other than hair dressing, the project offers a wide range of development activities to the poor urban youth like electronics repair, talent development, sports, music, dance and drama, as well as sexual reproductive health counselling and outreaches. Rashidah Namirembe, a Social Worker with UYDEL says that after identifying interested poor urban youth, they are counselled and guided on what courses to study. "Their abilities, passions and talents are considered," Namirembe says. Through vocational skills training and talent development, Namirembe explains that vulnerable youth attain life time income generating skills to fend for themselves and their dependants.

"Youth make up the largest portion of the national and international population. Empowering them means improving the economy of our country - Uganda and the world at large," Paul Onyait, LWF Grants Manager for the Urban Poor projects says.

About the Urban Youth Empowerment Project.

It is a three-year project (2017 to 2019) funded by ICA through LWF and implemented by LWF in partnership with UYDEL.

The project targets young people between 13 to 25 years and is aimed at building strong, stable, engaged and organized communities of slum dwelling youth in Rubaga, Nakawa and Makindye municipalities, Kampala Uganda.