By : Brenda Achen

At least 30 youths have graduated from the Zorudena Youth Skilling Project in Alangi Trading Centre, Pasai Parish, Alangi Sub-county, Zombo District, after completing six months of practical training in tailoring and hairdressing.

The third cohort comprised 20 females and 10 males, who acquired vocational skills aimed at promoting self-reliance, financial independence and employment creation.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony held on Friday, October 16, 2026, under the theme Empowering Youths with Skills for a Better Future,former trainees encouraged the graduates to put their newly acquired skills into practice and start small businesses with the resources available to them.

Mozoopirke Irene, a 2025 graduate who trained in tailoring, urged the new graduates not to allow the knowledge they had acquired to remain in the classroom but instead use it to improve their livelihoods.

“I am a testimony of starting from zero, but now I have my own sewing machine, which provides for all my necessities. I cannot go a day without making money from tailoring,” Irene said.

Esther Ayiorwoth, a former hairdressing trainee, also encouraged the graduates to embrace humble beginnings, saying practical skills can open doors to numerous economic opportunities.

She explained that her journey began as an employed hairdresser at a salon in Alangi, where she gained additional experience from more skilled colleagues. Through saving, she eventually established her own salon in Kampala, Alangi Sub-county.

Ayiorwoth urged the graduates to remain focused on their goals and avoid negative peer influence that may discourage them from pursuing vocational skills and entrepreneurship.

Irene Kayomnirwoth, the project manager at Zorudena, called on the youths to prioritise building their future, noting that vocational training can promote job creation, self-reliance and financial independence.

The Assistant Resident District Commissioner of Zombo, Bruno Manano Obomba, called on stakeholders to mobilise more youths, particularly those who do not progress through the formal education system, to enrol in vocational training programmes.

He emphasised the importance of equipping young people with practical skills that can enable them to earn a living and contribute to community development.