Kyamukoona Skills Centre is an important partner for Learning 4 Life Africa working together with other local NGOs to prepare young people for a better future.
Kyamukoona Skills Centre fills an important vacuum for those who leave school, but cannot continue in other learning centres, either because they lack the minimum educational requirements or because they cannot afford them. It has given hundreds of students an opportunity to become independent and well respected members of the society.
The philosophy of Kyamukoona Skills Centre is not to give a hand-out,but a hand-up.
The skills young people learn at the Centre allow them to earn a living, train others and continue to improve their own communities.
From humble beginnings…
Situated in a village without running water or electricity, this centre offers very affordable vocational training courses to children who dropped out of primary school.
In the past these youngsters had nothing to do and were hanging around aimlessly, drinking and getting into trouble. A group of dedicated local people decided to do something about this and set up the Centre, working as volunteers.
From very humble beginnings under an improvised shelter, the volunteers and students soon built a permanent workshop and two Rotary Clubs, Abingdon Vesper, UK and Breda Mark & Aa, Netherlands – donated tools and sowing machines. The students learned skills on the job and found work with local builders who were very happy to take them on.
Some years later, after the death of Elijah Kyamuendo (one of the founders), the Centre nearly collapsed, but with the help of the Mubende Education Department and Learning 4 Life, the Skills Centre became officially recognised as a Community Based Organisation in 2019.
…to government recognition
The centre provides low-cost training for people unable to join the vocational training courses in Mubende town which require Secondary 4 academic qualification and charge much higher fees.
Hundreds of young people are now able to earn a living and look after themselves.
The centre was supported with donations of equipment and now provides the manpower for all the school building projects under taken by Learning 4 Life. The students often live on site during a project, ensuring the security of construction materials.
In 2019 we helped the centre set up a saving scheme to help students buy tools and set up shop. In 2020 the centre took up beekeeping and making beehives as a skill.
The success of the centre is now publicly recognised by the Mubende local government authorities.
Building on success
A sizeable donation from a Dutch Education Foundation helped the Centre to develop further, adding dormitories, latrines, a rainwater harvesting system and a kitchen – all built by the students themselves – allowing the Centre to take in students from further afield.
New machinery and equipment have been added, so that there are now courses in brickmaking, bricklaying, carpentry, tailoring, hair-braiding and beekeeping. Also with the funding for a generator, welding and computing course are also provided.
They have managed to keep the courses both affordable and sustainable.
The Kyamukoona Skills Centre meets the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
