Background
Making a Difference International implements transformational development programs in
impoverished communities around the world. But sustainable transformation does not happen
simply through well-developed programs. It takes insight and understanding of the causes of
these problems which inspires expertise to address them in careful and sustainable ways.
In response to the call to join the fight against poverty, and compelled by the love of
improving the livelihood of every human being, MADI goes to the hard to reach places or
places darkened by poverty, war and injustice to bring hope and help to children, families
and communities in the most impoverished countries especially in Africa.
In the past, and still as an on-going activity, we have been engaged in providing clothing and
basic household items to impoverished people in poor regions of Africa. We have engaged in
the collection of donated shoes, clothes, bicycles, medical supplies, and much more, which
we ship in a container by sea to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where we distribute to the
poor in the rural villages. On the ground in Uganda, we have vigorously pursued program
implementation in health, education, environment, agriculture, entrepreneurship, spiritual and
moral education.
DETAILED PROGRAM
ENTREPRENUERSHIP & LIFESKILLS DEVELOPMENT [ELD]
PROGRAM
Introduction:
Empowerment as a concept involves various facets: economic, social and cultural,
psychological, legal and political. Empowerment is being independent, self-reliant and
confidence. In other wards it is being able to take informed decisions and above all having a
“voice” to express one’s self and opinions without any fear or apprehensions in such away a
to influence decision making. ELD program therefore is designed to challenge and or equip
young people to develop life skills that will enable them to create self-employments.
The challenge:
Young people aged between 15 and 35 years represent 43% of the entire population in Kumi,
and Teso at large, but only 08% are involved in income generating activities, and less than
05% have access to formal employment. The government programmes of Universal Primary
Education(UPE) and Universal Secondary Education(USE) have increased school enrolment
to more than 70%, meaning that 70% of the young people can now read and write, and 20%
are basically qualified (Kumi District Population office), but this is not proportionate to the
rate of job creation.
As they fail to get formal employment, some young people are pushed into self-employment
but because the educational systems do not adequately prepare the graduates to engage in
productive self-employment, many of the graduates’ start-ups (businesses) fail, or stay in the
informal economy where there is limited opportunity for businesses to grow and create
employment to a wider spectrum of young people. Moreover, the current educational system
does not place emphasis on career guidance- a factor that places a daunting challenge for
young people to identify the rightful future careers, based on individual passion and potential
ability or even talent to deliver results regardless of qualifications attained.
This therefore means that more than 80%of young people in the Teso sub region are
unemployed, a factor which has created a lot of frustration and worthlessness among the
young people, thereby resulting to other social vagaries like drug and alcohol abuse,
prostitution, and increase in crime rates, teenage pregnancies_ which has affected the girl
child most.
Our Response is based on the issues gathered overtime using the community issue matrix
tool and the 8- Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Entrepreneurship & Life
skills Development Programme therefore, focuses only on 5 of the MDGs: 1, 3, 6,7and 8, as
listed here below:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. (3)Promote gender equality and empower women.
3. (6)Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases.
4. (7)Ensure environmental sustainability.
5. (8)Develop global partnership for development.
Practical entrepreneurship schemes for both young people in school and out of school;
this is designed to awaken the entrepreneurship mind of young people through creating
Entrepreneurship and Life Skills Development Clubs/groups in schools of partnership and
communities. The groups are assigned to scan through their communities for possible
opportunities they can collectively exploit to raise income/employ themselves. The mode is
through identification of talents, business plan writing competitions. Successful competitors
will be linked to Organisations/ Companies that support development of entrepreneurship
skills for job creation.
Establishment of a Model Information and Technology computer hub in Wiggins
Secondary School that will enhance social networking and internet based research. Kumi
Wiggins Secondary Computer Hub will be linked to internet services and will give
elementary computer skills training. This facility will allow students to carry out internet
based research to widen their knowledge on various subjects where the school library
books have fallen short off. This can as well be used to spread/ mobilise other members of
the community around issues of concern by highlighting the issue, giving possible
solutions, and asking members of the general public to either give feedback or take hid in
order to avoid catastrophe.
Practical skills provision for job creation; given that Uganda’s education system is mostly
theoretical, more than 80% of young people out of school in Teso lack practical skills for job
creation. MADI is looking forward to train the young people on practical skills such as
welding and metal fabrication, agriculture and food processing (baking and pastries making
fruit and vegetable processing, yoghurt, cheese making and milk processing, chicken
rearing), leather work (shoe making and repair, making of hand bags, making of car seats and
chairs, hides and skin drying and tanning), cloth-making (fashion design and tailoring, dress
making, tie and dye, yearn weaving, garment cutting, curtain making), jewellery making,
hand craft(gift articles, decoration articles, wall hangings, weaving of mats and hand bags),
music production and videography etc. Enterprises like paper bags, charcoal briquettes,
energy saving stoves, landscaping and commercial tree nursery beds management. A special
emphasis will be placed on Child mothers, more so in the area of crafts.
Business support services for young people in business; this involves basic business
management training initiatives and capacity building trainings. Extending financial support,
as well as provision of tools for business expansion. Motivating the young people to join or
start up SACCOs as a means of building a saving culture amongst the beneficiaries. Exposure
visits will also be undertaken as a way of encouraging young people to learn new ideas and or
exchange different ideas with successful entrepreneurs.
MADI has so far supported 1 female successful entrepreneur and as a way of tasting the idea,
MADI social Entrepreneurs Club of Wiggins Secondary School- Kumi were individually
challenged to come up with business ideas, work plans in a business plan writing
competitions. 4 students participated in this competition where only 1 participant (Alungur
Martha) emerged winner and considering her budget, she was given Ug.SHS. 5,400 late
December, 2012 to support her business of baking bread locally. By the end of February,
2013, Martha had made profit of 70,000. However, the business is on hold because Martha
had to continue with school and could not balance her work with school. When contacted she
reported that she will continue her business when schools break off for holidays.
Establishing a Sports Club; this is aimed at talent identification and development and
promoting unity among young people. Both indoor and outdoor sports and games such as
football, basketball, volley ball, table tennis, and badminton, among others will be promoted.
Other talents will include skating, music, dance and drama. A play ground will be established
where all these activities will take place.
Change Skaters Club- (Mbale)
Change Skaters
(see photograph above): a skating club has already been established in Mbale district
consisting of25, members. The club trains young people in skating as a career and/ fun. The
group uses skating as an innovative way of mobilising and creating awareness in different
communities in areas of HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, behaviour and attitude change,
alcoholism and drug abuse. (5 lives have been changed from being drug addicts as they have
to fit in to the set values of the skaters which include among others: no consumption/
use/abuse of alcohol, drugs and all such substances that may intoxicate or be detrimental to
one’s health. Because people like the sport they have had to leave those bad habits)
This club has also attracted many other participants through their engagement in music
dance and drama, and comedy shows.
The group has also impress many parents and other child caregivers who have brought and
supported their children to undertake skating as a game and/or career to keep them engaged
especially during the times they are out of school for holidays. 10 infants have undertaken
these training and are well equipped with the skill.
Music Production and recording studio
Music production studio
2 beneficiaries are undertaking training on basics of music production. Currently the studio is
recording and producing music locally. As a mode of attracting and encouraging young artist
the studio is offering free music production service to the active and selected members whose
messages are in line with MADI’s mission of changing the world one person at a time.
All MADI clubs both in and out of school will also be linked to the studio to produce their
materials (music, drama/plays, jingles, and comedies to mention a few).
Prospects are also in place to develop the studio using more advanced equipment and conduct
both informal and formal trainings on music production and videography. In addition,
collective marketing of recorded music is being carried out.
This hopes to expand more once the studio is fully equipped. The studio will also offer events
management services to generate money as a means of achieving its sustainability. Concerts
will also be organised to promote best-selling music. This will be done with terms of
reference such that MADI will be assigned a percentage while the rest of proceeds be shared
amidst those artists.
As a way of promoting and encouraging innovativeness among young entrepreneurs MADI
also buys music from its sponsored artists at a half price. However, any other music pieces
that is not necessarily in line with the Organisation’s values yet addresses community related
development issues will be encouraged for production and be bought. The studio will also
help market good music.
When fully equipped, the studio will also shot music videos, drama, plays, comedy shows,
for production and all other events when hired.
School outreaches aimed at behavioural/attitude change; due to the fact that UPE and
USE have increased the school enrolment by threefold, 70% of young people are now in
school and this presents the best avenue for behaviour/attitude change in self-esteem, disease
prevention, treatment and care (HIV/AIDS and STI’s) with cross cutting issues of human
MADI Entrepreneurs Club: Wiggins Secondary School (Kumi)
rights and environment awareness. Career guidance is treated with special emphasis.
The school outreach activity is also a good avenue through which children are identified for
child support and sponsorship activities.
Young people social and civic initiatives; to build a spirit of volunteering among young
people, they are encouraged to scan through their communities for mass challenges affecting
their entire communities, and collectively be involved in problem solving (solutions to mass
challenges in communities). Emphasis is on public health education, mass tree planting,
sensitisation, mass cleaning, and general advocacy on pertinent issues in communities. This
activity is all about helping. Leadership development; this will be through civic education
and leadership training, and debates in and out of school. Young people Community forums
(where the young people will interface with their local leaders) will be encouraged. Emphasis
will also be put on young people out of school.
Enterprise Skills Training; for the purpose of instilling an enterprising mind among the
young people, they will be trained in crafts manufacturing; including jewellery, paper bags,
mats, and many others projects that the young people may think of. Other skills that will be
taught to the young people will include farming through putting up demonstration vegetable
gardens, alongside the tree nurseries. The Enterprise skills will be complemented by other life
skills like financial literacy.
Environment enterprise development; initiatives to conserve the environment are best
appreciated when they have an economic incentive. Enterprises that therefore work as
alternatives to environment destruction such as briquettes (small hard blocks used as fuel
made from dry bio mass materials/wastes like husks made by charring trash and converting it
to briquettes) to replace charcoal, biodegradable paper bags to replace plastic (nonbiodegradable)shopping bags, as well as commercial tree nurseries. To effectively coordinate
these enterprises, an “Environment Enterprise Development Centre” will be created, and all
the products manufactured therein.