By Ambrose Gahene
The Minister of State for Gender and Culture, Peace Regis Mutuzo has called upon parents and guardians to desist from encouraging young girls and boys from seeking for cheap Labor jobs abroad, saying Uganda has got very many income generating job opportunities for the girls and boys to undertake.
She made the remarks while officiating as guest of honor at the National Two Generation (2-Gen) Learning event, organized by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), working in Urban and the Rural Communities at Kampala Protea Hotel on Tuesday.
Minister Mutuzo, who is also the woman representative for Bunyangabu District said for all the years she has been a politician and minister for Gender, she has never encouraged any of her Bunyangabu District girl or boy to seek for cheap Labour opportunities abroad.
“Encourage young girls and boys to take part in the current Government opportunities offered under the Presidential Initiative on Skilling the girl, boy child, which ensures that boys and girls across the country acquire skilling courses to prepare them as job creators and not job seekers”, she said.
She enumerated the skilling courses to include; tailoring, hairdressing, carpentry, knitting, weaving, bakery and shoe making among others.
“In addition, young girls and boys should take advantage of the current Parish Development Model (PDM) project loans to enhance and boost their businesses”, she added.
Minister Mutuzo further said investing in children skills education is the most important investment a country can make, rather than encouraging youth to seek cheap Labour abroad as housemaids, cleaners, security guards or drivers of trucks, taxis or buses.
The 2-Gen Learning event participants observed that; poor foundations in early years of a child’s growth result in long-term irreversible effects on their health, fertility and productive earnings which become a burden to the government.
Dr. Hamis Mugendawala, a Senior Manager from the National Planning Authority (NPA), highlighted the need to prepare youth to be responsible future leaders; through education and skilling. He said youth with no skills and education remain a burden to the Government and the parents.
Minister Mutuzo promised to address the youth issues discussed and conclusions arrived at, during the learning event, by tabling them before cabinet and parliament for the enactment of Laws to address challenges facing youth in the country.
The 2-Gen Learning event attracted participants from NGOs such as; AfriChild, Innovations for Poverty Action (ipa), RESCUE, Ace and KRC Uganda among others. The Learning event was also attended by Opportunity Bank and FINCA Financial Institutions, the Academia and Civil Society Organizations.