23 year-old Cyrus Kyagondoze is a Modern Housekeeping student at the Millennium Business School in Hoima. He dropped out of the 4th year of high school because his family could not afford his school fees. After several years of unemployment, Cyrus is happy to take the Modern Housekeeping training, subsidized by Enabel’s Skills Development Fund (SDF). “Getting hands-on skills is so important in Uganda now. That’s why I’m doing this.”

Millennium Business School organizes Modern Housekeeping trainings for 10 students, plus  African Cuisine training for an additional 10 students. With the support of the SDF, the school was able to upgrade the African Cuisine training with kitchen utensils and 10 environment- friendly cooking stoves. According to Director Robert Mwesigwa “These materials allow for modern and practical trainings. For the housekeeping training our most important purchase was a washing machine.“

As in rural Uganda washing is mostly done by hand, Cyrus had never in his life seen a washing machine. Until a technician from Kampala demonstrated how to install and use one during housekeeping classes. “That man was doing this work all over the region, making good money with it. This inspires me to try that too.”

Even though housekeeping is generally seen as ‘a woman’s job’, the SDF encourages men to take up the profession. Cyrus is already on board: “I see no problem with men working in housekeeping. Our class went to a big hotel in Hoima and I saw a man doing household tasks. There is life in this job.”

Both the African cuisine and Modern Housekeeping classes take up to 9 months, and include one month of practical training at quality hotels in Hoima. Additionally, during entrepreneurship classes, students learn to set up business plans and keep records, with the aim of stimulating them to create their own employment. 22-year-old Christine Alihaihi already has plans after her African Cuisine training: “Before I was helping my mom with catering jobs in the village. Now I can make whole dishes and want to start my own catering business.”

The Skills Development Fund in Albertine-Rwenzori aims at sustainably improving the quality of technical and vocational trainings through public-private partnerships, in order to enhance the youth’s employability.