Patrick Pariyo, an orphan living in Arua City, struggled for several years to support his education, personal needs, and family responsibilities—burdens he inherited after losing both parents at an early age. These challenges made it extremely difficult for him to continue with his education.
Pariyo later received support from his uncle, who helped him complete secondary school up to Ordinary Level, where he attained the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). However, due to persistent financial constraints and other pressing needs, he was unable to further his studies.
Without professional skills or formal qualifications, Pariyo failed to secure stable employment that could provide a reliable income. His situation changed when he was enrolled in a free skills development training in tailoring and garment cutting organized by Mungufeni Foundation, a Christ-centered, non-profit organization operating in the West Nile region.
Through the training, Pariyo acquired tailoring skills that now enable him to earn income by sewing clothes. The earnings support his basic needs and those of his family.
He also hopes to start paying school fees for his siblings, who face similar educational challenges, and plans to resume his own formal education.
Patrick is among 230 youths who have completed free skills development training under three cohorts organized by Mungufeni Foundation since the beginning of the year.
The initiative targets vulnerable groups, including orphans, teenage mothers, school dropouts, unemployed youth, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), widows, and individuals living under difficult economic conditions.
The program aims to address high youth unemployment, school dropout rates, and challenges related to school fees in formal education. It also seeks to change negative attitudes toward vocational training, which many people often shun in favor of limited office-based employment opportunities.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) final report of the National Population and Housing Census 2024, the unemployment rate among persons aged 15 years and above stood at 12.3%, with females more affected at 14.2% compared to males at 10.5%, out of Uganda’s total population of 45,905,417 as of May 2024. In the West Nile region, unemployment was higher, with 18.5% of persons aged 15 years and above reported unemployed.
Another beneficiary of the program is Rose Mary, a teenage mother living in Arua City. After conceiving at a young age, she faced significant challenges in raising her child and resorted to baking and selling cookies along the streets of Arua City as her only source of income.
Rose Mary says the three-month training in tailoring and garment cutting provided her with an alternative source of income, improving her ability to meet her own needs and those of her child while supplementing her vending business.
During the first cohort, 50 beneficiaries were trained. The number increased to 80 in the second cohort and 100 in the third cohort, which concluded this month with a pass-out ceremony. All cohorts focused on supporting vulnerable populations.
According to the organization, the main objective of the initiative is to improve the livelihoods of beneficiaries—a goal that is already evident among participants from all three cohorts.
Skills instructor Sarah Amandu noted that many trainees had lost hope before joining the program. She explained that the vocational and financial management skills acquired now help beneficiaries market their products and manage their earnings effectively.
An administrator at Mungufeni Foundation, Lawrence Econi, explained that the organization conducts assessments and screenings to ensure beneficiaries selected for the training are genuinely vulnerable and unable to support themselves.
According to recent data from UBOS, 16.7% of Ugandan youth aged 15 to 24 years were unemployed as of May 2025, with unemployment higher among females (18.7%) than males (14.7%.
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