Organization Logo for the Tororo Youth Initiative in Uganda

Great efforts to help the youth are coming out of compassionate hearts following the pandemic in Uganda. The pandemic caused a lot of changes in the lives of so many millions of people. In Uganda, they closed borders, schools and activities in an effective effort to keep the virus under control. While this had a positive effect on the health of the population with only 3630 deaths in total since March of 2020 when the pandemic began, the closing of schools had a great impact on the school age population. The most effected were the students who were at the last year or two of their education. After schools being closed for two years, these students were not as likely to return and complete their schooling. This large population of young people are now trying to figure out how to move forward in life with limited possibilities.

This is were the Tororo Youth Initiative is working to help. This initiative came out of seeing hundreds of students in the local town without skills to secure a job. These young people were unsure of how to move forward with no job skills and no certificate of completion of their education. Adults in Tororo began teaching groups of young people how to sew, do carpentry, weld, and do hair. These students embraced these classes and the interest grew. The town council stepped up to support and encourage this effort and the Tororo Youth Initiative was formed. These classes are being taught by volunteers and held at the home of a Tororo family. A plot of land has been donated with the dream of building a learning center complete with classrooms, kitchen, well and pavilion is hoped for. Funding and efforts to secure building assistance with have to be part of this effort to make this dream happen. Meanwhile skills classes continue and plans for small business training are being put in place to begin in early 2023.
Great things can happen when people with generous compassionate hearts come together to help others and this is a great example of that. There are struggles to be overcome and much work to be done, but this initiative can be a very positive step in helping these youth build lives which were sidetracked due to the pandemic.

Lighting the Path is partnering with this initiative and offering assistance with skills training, small business training and future expansion of the project.  Additional skills training will be considered and possible production may be possible to generate income.  We are excited to work with the teachers and the youth to share with them what skills we have, show them love and teach them about Christ.