From 1st of October 2014 until the 1st of March 2015, we implemented the Youth Entrepreneurship Skills Development Project with aid of the Youth-to-Youth Fund, Uganda. Several activities were carried out in order to target youth with little or no education, both males and females, and give the training in general entrepreneurship as well as training on making Lorena cooking stoves.

Description of the Activities

• Stakeholders Meeting: On 6th October 2014 we kick started the implementation of project with the one day stakeholders’ meeting being held at Mengo Parish Hall, which was attended by 15 councilors from the Mengo Parish and Kisenyi 11 Parish, youth and religious leaders. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce the project to them so that we could have their support during the project implementation.
• Mobilization, Identification and Selection of the Beneficiaries: On 13th to 14th October 2014, we as MYDEL with the local leaders mobilized, identified and selected the youths for two days. This activity was carried out using the selection criteria forms to find out which youths could be fit to be in the project and was carried out by the project staff and MYDEL volunteers.
• Creation of Business Working Groups: On 20th to 21st October 2014 the selected youth were then organized in business working groups (BWGs) for two days in the two parishes of Mengo Parish in Mengo parish Hall and Kisenyi 11 parish in Kisenyi Community Hall,. This activity was conducted by the project staff and our volunteers.
• Group dynamics and leadership training: The youths were then trained in group dynamics and leadership skills for two days. This activity was carried out by the project staff, MYDEL volunteers and the facilitators. These trainings were carried out with an aim of familiarizing the youths with the idea of working in groups, learn changes in groups, how leaders are elected and their roles and constitution making in their groups among others.
• Training on Lorena cooking stoves: On 20th and 21st November 2014, the youths were taken through the skills of making Lorena cook stoves and this activity was implemented by project staff, facilitators and MYDEL volunteers. It enabled the youths learn the skill and start making Lorena cooking stoves for income generation and employment creation.
• Entrepreneurship and Business Management Training: The youths were taken through trainings in entrepreneurship and business management. This activity was implemented by the project staff, our volunteers and the facilitators. Since one of the objectives of the project was to help the youths to start up their own businesses, the youths had to know to manage their businesses and how to save their money through proper record keeping.
• Demonstration Center: On 10th of October 2014 the Demonstration Center was set up to mentor, incubate and guide youth in Lorena cook stoves making and equipment in order to facilitate the training of Lorena cook stoves. These trainings were carried out by project manager and project accountant.