Former Women vendors in Naguru graduate in vocation skills under SIHA program
Drake Nyamugabwa
Following changes in the city's legislation that saw business vendors vacate the streets by Kampala Capital City Authority a couple of years ago, women who were most affected resorted to alternatives to survive. The Women in Naguru in the Nakawa division decided to mobilize themselves to form a Credit and Saving Cooperative that became so famous. It was identified by a continental non-state organization called Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) that has uplifted the women trained and molded them into traders of handmade crafts including bags, shoes, door mats, and clothing among others.
On 20th November 2024, during their 1st graduation ceremony held in Naguru at the SIHA regional offices in Uganda, over 25 women celebrated having completed their 3 months of skills training in different crafts that they exhibited.
Ms. Nassali Sandra, the Regional Advocacy and Communication Coordinator for SIHA in an interview above, said that to ensure that women & youth thrive and fulfill their dreams while addressing the unemployment challenge, there is a need to increase vacation skill training centers in different parts of the cities in Uganda through deliberate government initiative where targeted youth and women can join at subsidized rates.
“There is a big crisis in Kampala of unemployment, school drop out with 20% completion rates from Primary to School. The government needs to increase Vocational skills training centers at subsidized cost to emphasize women and girls' skills to enable them to thrive and fulfill their dreams” she said
She said that women have been facing various challenges in the existing market in Kampala divisions including hygiene, child care, and security among others which she said SIHA has advocated for while adding that some of the issues have been addressed through advocacy.
“Markets in Wandgeya, Nakawa, Kalerwe, and others were not fit for women’s hygiene and child care needs. We advocated for childcare center in markets and now women take care of their babies while trading in the market. This success is attributed to SIHA” she said.
The Naguru II Parish Zone 4 Councilor Mr. Jimmy Beyange applauded the work of SIHA in empowering the women of Naguru saying that under the program, women especially single mothers have been killed and are now trading in finished crafts. He said though the government is handling a 6 moths skilling training in Kampala, most women in Naguru did not benefit.
Ms Achiro Florrence, a former street vendor said that she dropped her vending because she realized it was developing her adding that when she joined politics her objective was to stand for the women in Naguru and that after her becoming a Councilor of the areas, she mobilized fellow women to create the Naguru Shoe Makers and Crafts center after getting knowledge and skills from SIHA training program.
According to SIHA, the initiative promotes gender equality, opportunities and resource mobilization.
SIHA operates in different countries in Africa including Uganda as the regional office, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Eritrea, and Djibouti.
