Mentorship and Hands-on Skilling of Youth and Women in the informal economy in Uganda

Youth and women form the largest portion of Uganda’s population, yet many remain unemployed or underemployed due to limited access to practical skills and mentorship opportunities. This gap contributes to poverty, dependency, and vulnerability, especially in informal economies. Addressing these challenges requires equipping them with relevant vocational and entrepreneurial skills while linking them to mentors who can guide, inspire, and support their growth.

Objective

To empower youth and women with hands-on skills and mentorship that enhance their employability, self-reliance, and capacity to create sustainable livelihoods.

Specific Goals

  • Provide practical vocational training in areas such as agribusiness, crafts, ICT, confectionery, and service trades.
  • Establish a mentorship program linking experienced professionals and entrepreneurs with young trainees and women’s groups.
  • Strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation capacity through business incubation and cooperative models.
  • Promote gender inclusion and resilience by ensuring equal participation of women and youth in all program stages.

Expected Outcomes

  • Increased number of youth and women with marketable skills.
  • Strengthened networks of mentorship and peer-to-peer learning.
  • Improved self-employment and small business creation.
  • Enhanced household income, dignity, and community development.

Objectives

  • Mentorship Development – Create structured mentorship linkages between experienced professionals/entrepreneurs and young people/women.
  • Practical Skilling – Provide hands-on training in key areas such as agribusiness, dairy, tailoring, crafts, ICT, baking, and service trades.
  • Enterprise Support – Strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation, and business start-up skills through incubation and cooperative models.
  • Gender & Youth Inclusion – Promote equal participation, leadership, and resilience for women and youth in informal economies.
  • Sustainability & Networking – Build community-based trainer pools and mentorship networks for long-term impact.