More than 100 youths drawn from districts in the oil-rich Bunyoro region have undergone training in Apiculture, Aquaculture, and Horticulture to equip them with skills to tap into opportunities that will accrue from the oil and gas activities.
The youths were drawn from Buliisa, Kikuube, and Hoima districts. The three districts partnered with Maendeleo Ya Jami, a nongovernmental organization, and Bulindi zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute-BuZARDI to train the youths and equip them with knowledge and skills on how best they can supply agricultural produce to the players in the oil industry.
The six-month vigorous training that commenced in January this year was conducted at the Bulindi Zonal Agricultural research and development institute in Bulindi town Council in Hoima district. The trainees also recieved start-up kits in the various enterprises they trained on to commence various projects in their areas of training.
Christine Nnatongo, the strategic partnership, and programs advisor at Maendeleo Ya Jami challenged the youths to change their mindset and become business-oriented to be able to supply the oil and gas sector. She says the trainees have been availed with all the techniques and skills on how to meet the standards needed to supply the critical oil and gas sector.
Nnatongo explains that they will help link the youths to the various oil and gas companies operating in the region to see ways how they can be included in the National supplier’s database to be able to begin supplying the oil and gas sector with various products.
Dr.Charlis Kajura, the Hoima district production officer, says that the training is timely because the oil industry is attracting millions of workers. He says the people flocking to the Bunyoro region need food, which makes the training critical.
James Mugenyi Mulindambura, the secretary for production and natural resources in Hoima district local government, says that the district is ready to support the youths financially to enable them to run various projects so that they are able to supply the oil and gas sector. He says that the training will fight the youth fight household poverty in their homes.
Mulindambura too says they are already in talks with oil and gas companies operating in the region to consider the youths to supply them with their products when actual oil production starts. According to Mulindambura, the trainees are supposed to instill the knowledge they have acquired in others in their communities.
Alfred Okello, one of the beneficiaries from the Rwentali landing site in Buseruka sub-county in Hoima who was trained in fish farming, says the start-up kits will help him to kickstart his fish farming project. Bosco Chekechan from Buliisa says if the government had introduced the training earlier, most of the youths in the Albertine would have excelled in their business ventures.
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Looking forward to workshops and forum kindly keep me updated