600 students to join Bunyoro industrial hub every year

MASINDI – At least 600 students will join Bunyoro Industrial Hub every year, says Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, the Director Presidential Projects and the Industrial Hubs.

According to Kamugisha, the facility is entirely for the vulnerable people aged between 15 to 35.

“We don’t want to see any leader soliciting for money for one to benefit,” he told theCooperator.

He further said, the only qualification is the will of the person intending to join the facility.

“Whoever will be arrested soliciting for the money from the students will face it rough. The project is entirely for the needy not for the people with resources,” he explained.

He further noted that 300 learners will be admitted for every intake for the courses which will last for six months.

“We are going to be admitting 300 learners every intake and the courses will last six months. They will go with certified documents because we have an arrangement with the Directorate of Industrial Training [DIT] which will be doing the certification,” he explained.

 Mindset change

Kamugisha said the facility is also going to put much emphasis on mindset change.

“The biggest challenge we have in this country is the issue of mindset. We are going to include in our trainings and also the physical education every morning and evening,” he added.

Scovia Turyamihebwa the Hub Manager says, sourcing for the beneficiaries is to start in a month.

“We request the parents to entrust us with their children,” she appealed.

All these remarks were made during the pre-launch meeting which was held at the hub headquarters in Nyakarongo village in Kimengo sub-county Masindi district.

The hub is expected to be launched this month by HE: Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the president of the Republic of Uganda.

The meeting was attended by the District Commercial Officers [DCO], Resident District Commissioners [RDCs], and LCV Chairpersons from the nine districts of Bunyoro and a city.

Julius Muhirwe, who represented the Permanent Secretary [PS] for the Ministry of Local government asked the leaders and the managers of the hub to link the beneficiaries to government programs like the Youth Livelihood Program, Uganda Women entrepreneurship program, Emyooga, and the Parish Development Model among others.

Godfrey Longa, the private secretary to the president in charge of political affairs implored the district leaders not to let the president down noting that this is a presidential initiative which is aimed at fighting poverty and skilling Ugandans.

“Don’t let down the president. Let us work together and ensure that this is a success. We don’t want lamentations. For us we are after people benefiting,” said Longa.

Cosmas Byaruhanga the LCV Chairperson Masindi said, as hosts, they have additional benefits since the farmers will also get a market for their products.

Bright Mugume the LCIII Chairperson Kimengo sub-county says, that they are happy with the government for having put such a project in his sub-county noting that as a result of the project they have already got electricity.

“We also expect an extension of water in this area very soon,” he said.

The Shs5 billion Bunyoro industrial hub is soon starting to admit students and also improving the value of different agricultural products produced by farmers in the region.

The multi-billion project is being constructed with the aim of addressing poverty, unemployment and also skilling the youth among others.

The facility will benefit all the districts and a city of Bunyoro sub region including Hoima, Masindi, Kiryandongo, Buliisa, Kikuube, Kagadi, Kibaale and Kakumiro and Hoima city.

According to the project design, the facility will be furnished with diverse vocational skills including; welding and metal fabrication, shoemaking, salon and hairdressing, carpentry and joinery, bricklaying, tailoring, weaving, knitting baking and stone cutting.

The facility will also host a four-acre model agricultural demonstration centre where people will be learning the best agricultural practices.

The Bunyoro Industrial Hub sits on 100 acres of land that Uganda Investment Authority [UIA] donated to Masindi district local government on the request of the district Chairperson Cosmas Byaruhanga.

https://thecooperator.news/masindi-district-lcv-rallies-sugarcane-farmers-to-form-cooperatives/

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