Economic Wellbeing: Innovation Award

Submitted by Edvaldas_B on Mon, 2014-10-20 15:55

Babirye Gorretti, the young woman who opened her own computer school after business and computer skills training at Kawempe Youth Centre.

Babirye Gorretti opened her own computer school after attending business and computer skills training at Kawempe Youth Centre.

Community need

Home to almost 300,000 people, Kawempe is the most densely populated division of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. One in five people are unemployed and over 50% live in poverty.

The innovative service

Working with their local NGO partner, the Private Education Development Network, Kawempe Youth Centre (KYC) is providing a desperately needed service: computer, business skills and financial literacy training – and is steadily making a difference to young people in the community

In just one year after its launch in March 2011, the library's service trained 90 young people to use computers, to start small businesses, to manage their money and to look for jobs and income-earning opportunities online. Over a quarter of the trainees reported having opened bank accounts; several started small businesses and others entered a variety of vocational training courses.

Babirye Gorretti’s home-based computer school

When Babirye Gorretti completed school, she had never used a computer. Then she signed up for the library's computer and business skills training course. She added passion and determination to her new skills – and soon became the proud owner of a successful computer training business, which she runs from her home.

“I realized I could apply my knowledge to do something I am passionate about. After completing training in February 2011, I secured funding to buy four second–hand computers. By the beginning of March, my first clients had enrolled and I was training them!”