Youth Development Project

Problem area: The young people in and around Mpigi do not have the opportunity to learn specific skills that can earn them a living due to the relatively high price of training. There are many unemployed young people in and around the Mpigi district. Unfortunately, many of these young people turn to drug abuse. Mwenya Uganda set up the Youth Development project in response to the NGO Authority’s specific request to help the young people of Mpigi.

How we are improving the situation:

• Life skills classes
• Drama productions to teach others hygiene issues
• Computer skills classes
• Casual football matches

This project aims to improve the skills and income of the young people in and around Mpigi town, while establishing a sustainable income for Mwenya Uganda's projects.

The main project focused on at the moment is:

• Sustainable mushroom growing.
  • The young people are shown Mwenya Uganda’s mushroom garden. They are taught how to cultivate mushrooms so that they can earn a living themselves. Mwenya Uganda’s mushrooms are grown as an example to these young people so that they can replicate the process at their homes.
  • Mwenya Uganda’s mushrooms are sold at market so that the profits can be reinvested in the NGO’s projects.

This project is another example of how local people believe so strongly in the ideas behind Mwenya Uganda. One of our Ugandan members has donated a large plot of her land so that Mwenya Uganda can grow mushrooms on a larger scale. Young people are taught about the importance and the practicalities of sustainable farming methods by experienced farmers. They are then able to replicate the ideas at their homes and earn an income for themselves and their families, avoiding unemployment and drug abuse.

Project Director: Kabanda Mstapher