General
CEES Empowers USE Students with Business Skills to Tackle Poverty
In an effort to combat rising poverty and unemployment among youth, at least 400 students from four Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools have been equipped with entrepreneurial skills aimed at transforming their lives through income-generating projects. The initiative, led by a group of scholars from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), seeks to provide practical solutions to poverty by fostering self-reliance among young people.
The training targets students, many of whom may not advance beyond senior four. “A majority of these students come from underprivileged backgrounds, making them an ideal group for this intervention,” explained Dr. Badru Musisi, the project’s lead investigator. Research informed this approach, highlighting that students from USE schools often face socioeconomic challenges that limit their educational and employment prospects.
The participating students, from Mityana SS, Nakanyonyi SS, Lweru SS, and Bombo Secondary School, underwent a 12-week intensive training program that was designed not only to teach them how to start a business but also how to sustain it. The first cohort, trained in 2021/2022, came from Mityana SS and Nakanyonyi SS, while Lweru SS and Bombo Secondary School followed in 2023/2024.
The project, dubbed “Imparting Entrepreneurship Skills in Universal Secondary Education Schools through Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion,” was spearheaded by Dr. Musisi and Dr. Rebecca Nambi, lecturers at Makerere University. It is funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (MakRIF).
Bridging the Skills Gap
Unlike traditional government skilling programs that primarily focus on hard skills such as tailoring and plumbing, this project emphasizes soft skills, psychological preparedness, and business management techniques. Dr. Musisi stressed the importance of preparing young people mentally for the challenges of entrepreneurship, explaining, “Many youths are trained and given tools, but they end up selling them because they aren’t psychologically prepared for business.”
The project provides a holistic approach by combining psychology, entrepreneurship, and business administration. Students learn how to manage failure, identify viable business opportunities, and navigate the ups and downs of running a business. Those who lose their capital are guided to reflect on their mistakes and find ways to avoid them in the future.
Real-life Business Ventures
One key aspect of the training was providing students with startup capital—each group of five students received UGX 300,000. These groups were tasked with identifying and starting micro-businesses within their local communities. The results were promising: even those who initially struggled managed to recover. Dr. Musisi recounted the story of a group that, after losing much of their capital, pivoted to selling jackfruits in their community and soon turned a profit of UGX 400,000.
For many of the participants, the training has had a lasting impact. Senior three student Faizo Jjingo from Bombo SS used the marketing skills he learned to start his own juice business, which now helps him meet his basic needs. Another student, Christine Nayiga from Lweru SS, ventured into poultry farming and is now committed to expanding her business to serve her local community.
A Model for Wider Implementation
The project, which has so far received UGX 300 million in funding, is currently limited to the central region of Uganda. However, the scholars hope that with more government support, it can be scaled to other parts of the country. The success of the initiative has led students, such as Issa Nsubuga from Lweru SS, to advocate for its expansion to reach local communities and skill up school dropouts.
Ms. Juliet Nabirye, representing MakRIF, expressed the fund’s commitment to supporting young people with innovative ideas. She encouraged students to apply their skills and brand their products to stand out in the competitive market. “Identify challenges in your community and create solutions for them,” she advised.
Challenges and Future Prospects
Despite the program’s success, challenges remain. Some schools have expressed concerns about students’ businesses interfering with their studies, fearing that too much focus on entrepreneurship could detract from academic performance. “It can disrupt school programs if students shift their focus entirely to their businesses,” warned a school official.
However, educators like Mr. Hamza Ssebunya, head teacher of Lweru SS, believe that the initiative is vital in shaping a more self-reliant generation. He emphasized that students now understand how to start small businesses like chapati making and vegetable growing, empowering them to earn money even while in school.
As Uganda faces an ongoing youth unemployment crisis—with an estimated 64% of young people out of work—initiatives like the Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP) project offer a glimmer of hope. Dr. David Kabugo, Deputy Director of Makerere University Institute of Teacher Education and Research (MITER), believes that projects like this are essential in addressing unemployment by giving youth the tools to create their own opportunities.
In the words of retired head teacher Mr. Muhammad Bisaso Ntamu, “Real education should encompass knowledge, skills, and values. This project has achieved 70% of what real education should provide.”
General
Makerere University and Xiangtan University Advance Strategic Partnership in Chemical Engineering
Makerere University and Xiangtan University are set to update their close to 20-year academic partnership, with a new focus on launching a joint Master’s degree program in Chemical Engineering and expanding student and staff exchange initiatives.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a recent visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University to Makerere University headed by Professor Dingyu Ou, in the company of Mr. Tang Fei and Professor Gilbert Gumshabe, the Chinese and Ugandan Directors of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University respectively.
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify academic offerings and contribute to national development through training in Chemical Engineering. Through this new initiative, the University will better prepare graduates for the petrochemical industry and support the country’s industrial growth.
The Vice Chancellor appreciated that the proposed collaboration aims to address Uganda’s growing need for industrial expertise, particularly as the country develops its petroleum sector. The two universities here are working toward a 1+2 training model, which will enable Makerere students to gain practical experience and access advanced laboratory facilities at Xiangtan University.
Professor Nawangwe further reiterated that “our relationship with the people of China, not just for Makerere but also for a big part of Uganda, has been opened wider by the establishment of the Confucius Institute, considering that many other collaborations like one being discussed now have come through this collaboration.”
The head of the Xiangtan delegation, Professor Dingyu Ou, expressed appreciation for the meeting, and acknowledged the history between the institutions. “As mentioned, we have a very long relationship and a very stable friendship between our two universities.”
Professor Ou extended appreciation for the support provided to the Confucius Institute at Makerere, the care shown to his colleagues, and looked forward to the successful start of the Chemical Engineering collaboration.
Assuring the delegation of Makerere’s readiness for the collaboration, Ms. Hawa Ndagire Kajumba the Lead, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Makerere University Advancement Office, aligned with the Vice Chancellor’s emphasis of University goal to have both theory and practice imparted to the students.
She said “the curriculum of the university and Uganda as a whole is moving towards competence-based education training to ensure students are equipped to demonstrate those skills in the actual field, particularly regarding petroleum exploration.”
Ms. Ndagire Kajumba also emphasised a shift in strategy for the partnership office, saying, “we are moving away from just signing MOUs that collect dust, and moving towards those that are more collaborative to benefit our faculty and students, just like this one.”
Professor Gilbert Kumushabe aligned his remarks with those of the Vice Chancellor and Ms. Ndagire Kajumba, and described the method used at Xiangtan University as “actually competence-based teaching.”
Based on his recent visit, Prof. Gumoshabe shared that students in China are divided into groups with dedicated teachers to perform practical, hands-on work beyond the theoretical lecturers. He expressed gladness that the same was being adopted for the Ugandan context.
Both institutions are now working to finalise the specific agreements for the joint degree and exchange programs. Beyond academic training, the collaboration will advance cultural and professional exchange.
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