Amplifying indigenous voices in post-disaster communities Kasese Uganda

 We worked with our local partner organisation Further Arts on a seven-month project in Kanyangya village to preserve and amplify local voices in post-disaster storytelling. We did this by providing a six-day workshop for 55 young persons in media and digital literacy skills, and four of the trainees recorded stories and made films of post-disaster resilience in communities of Kanyangaya River Nyamwemba disaster. It was inspiring to see 67 community members also engage in the project. Many buildings collapsed and many died putting 1000 people in camp.

Project Overview

In 2020, Kanyangeya village Kasese experienced Tropical floods from Nyamwemba River  along with the Covid-19 pandemic that affected international tourism, led to closures of businesses and schools, and threatened the state of the national economy of Uganda. we appeal for support for displaced people who still have no food and good shelters in Muhokya displaced camp Kasese District.

Those who had been worst affected included indigenous communities who remain vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of the climate crisis. With the right resources, they have the capacity and resilience to rebuild their lives through locally owned solutions.

This project with Further Arts saw 150 indigenous young people living in urban areas attend a six-day training workshop to develop their skills in media and digital literacy that covered topics on filming, editing and general multimedia awareness. 

Members we need to know the impacts of climate change in Uganda.

ICT skills and new opportunities for young people

 From May 2020 to May 2021, we worked with our local partner organisation Kasese Vocational Training Centre on a project to improve educational opportunities and employment prospects for 293 young people in Uganda . The integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into a vocational training programme that gave the opportunity for young people to develop essential skills and knowledge.

OVERVIEW

In  Uganda, 60% of young people are structurally unemployed, meaning that they do not have the specific skills needed for locally available work. Yet too many young people do not have access to the opportunity to learn important computer skills, since ICT training is costly and inadequate in Kasese. Meanwhile, ICT skills are increasingly required as workplaces become more digitalised.

We worked with Craftshare to establish an ICT suite at the Kasese Vocational Training Centre, which has allowed hundreds of young persons in the community to learn, develop and practice critical ICT skills, and access the internet to build businesses, gain resources and apply for jobs.

 

Key Achievements

The results of the project have been inspiring. This project directly worked with 293 trainees who regularly attended and completed the 12-month ICT training programme, and as a result have improved their potential to gain employment and build their own small businesses.

The 193 trainees gained essential ICT skills and confidence in using the technology to apply their knowledge to acquire higher paying jobs or set up businesses. The combination of learning literacy, numeracy and ICT skills allows students to keep electronic financial records, reduce unexpected expenditures and increase income. The students have also been able to use this opportunity to market their products by creating product Facebook pages, making advertisements, and engaging in direct online sales with customers.