On the 4th of May in Moroto, the Support to Skilling Uganda (SSU) project launched the Skills Development Fund (SDF) and opened the Regional Skills Development office for Karamoja. Partners from the local and national level gathered to learn about the funding opportunities of the SDF and to visit the new office, all in the presence of First lady and Minister of Education, Janet Museveni.   

This component of the Support to Skilling Uganda project is financially supported by Irish Aid for 6 million euros and will be implemented from 2016 to 2020. Irish Ambassador in Uganda, Donal Cronin added “We are confident that with Irish Aid’s underground experience operating in Karamoja and the great expertise of BTC in skills development, we will get the program to work for the people of that region.”

“Karamoja has many economic opportunities”
The SDF for Karamoja aims at establishing work-based learning and to let skills development respond to the needs of Karamoja’s labor market. The fund will be awarded to Public-Private-Partnerships between local training providers and private sector actors that jointly and in a flexible way, organize relevant and qualitative trainings. As Karamoja is currently transitioning from an emergency context to one of post-conflict development, these training providers are mostly working on livelihood activities. This allows them to skill professionals in domains like water sanitation, irrigation techniques, etc.  
The launch gathered private sector members and political authorities from the national level as they are needed to further develop and implement priority sectors. Local authorities, civil society and livelihood actors were also present as they play a key role in the projects’ implementation. The event emphasized the contributions of all these stakeholders in the success of the project. In the words of Belgian ambassador Hugo Verbist: “Karamoja has many economic opportunities and we need to make that count.”

Reaching the Karamojong
In February 2017 SSU together with the Ministry of Education and Sport opened a Skills Development office in Moroto to oversee the implementation of this programme.  The project is based in Moroto and remains active the districts of Abim, Kaabong, Nakapiripirit, Kotido, Amudat and Napak. This new office will improve access to the karamojong, while increasing the collaboration with key stakeholders and local district leaders. In short, it will enhance the response and integration of local skills development issues. As Minister of Education, Janet Museveni, stated: “Skilling the young people of Uganda is a vital step in the transformation of our education system”.