Education and skills development
PICOT recently commissioned a Three (3) year Action (2020 – 2022), Enhancing Access to Skills development and Reduce Unemployment among Youth through strengthening capacity of Local Civil Society Organizations in West Nile, Uganda (EARN PROJECT). Being implemented in three districts Yumbe, Koboko and Maracha. As lead applicant of the EU funded Action, PICOT is working with a Local CBO (UREA) to improve employability and entrepreneurship skills through promoting non-formal skills, entrepreneurship and information communication and technology (ICT) skills of youth aged 15-30 years to increase access to employment opportunities and incomes for inclusive and sustainable growth.
PICOT is also implementing a 4-year (2016 – 2020) livelihood project on “Promoting Youth Social and Economic Empowerment through Civil Society and Local Authorities (Youth SEECs)” in Koboko District with funding from European Union (EU) and Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). This project is intended to facilitate self-employment, employability and life skills for 1,500 vulnerable young women and men including self-settled refugees in Koboko district.
Most recently, PICOT also successfully implemented the “Skilling Orphans and Vulnerable Children for Self-reliance” project in Koboko with funding from American Embassy, Kampala under the PEPFAR Community Grants to combat HIV/AIDS. A total of 210 OVCs benefited from vocational and life skills training and were supported with startup tool kits for income generation to improve their livelihoods. Further still, PICOT with funding from IGAD through Uganda AIDS Commission implemented the “Regional HIV/AIDS Partnership Program (IRAPP)” that targeted mobile cross border populations at Oraba – Koboko at the Uganda and South Sudan border.
We believe that when youth, women and persons with disabilities develop, the community also develops and stands to benefit from their empowerment. Engaging the population in small scale income generating activities at individual, group and household level can act as a spring board for greater economic empowerment to ameliorate perils associated with economic marginalization and manipulation. Economic empowerment is intended to enable communities become more responsible; organize and plan together; develop healthy options; empower themselves; reduce ignorance, poverty and suffering; create employment and economic opportunities; and achieve social and economic goals. Hence imparting life skills and entrepreneurship skills through trainings and other development initiatives are potential platforms that can enhance and harness people’s potentials for integral community development.