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MTN offers girls’ skilling initiative UGX270 million boost

Peter 31st May, 2024 Telecommunication Business Edge Reporter
MTN offers girls’ skilling initiative UGX270 million boost

Some of the girls from the Smart Girls Foundation at their graduation on May 29.


Smart Girls Foundation, a Kasangati-based girls’ skilling initiative, is set to receive an additional UGX271 million from MTN Uganda as part of the MTN Girls in Tech program, which aims at equipping more than 500 girls with digital skills.

Speaking at the passing out of 112 youths who graduated in Computer Applications User Occupation on May 29, officials said the funds would be used to purchase hi-tech digital equipment for use at the facility in Wakiso District.

The graduands completed a one-month intensive training, mastering essential software tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint at Smart Girls Foundation, a youth-led non-profit organization that focuses on equipping young girls and women with economic and vocational skills. They were awarded certificates issued by the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT).

  • Smart Girls Foundation CEO Jamila Mayanja praised the graduands for their effort in enhancing their knowledge with skills that are relevant in the modern era and advised them to continue on the journey of learning.

“Beyond this graduation, keep learning and remain disciplined in new endeavors,” she noted, adding that the training center is now attracting learners from across the country, signaling the youth’s growing appetite for technical skills.

MTN Uganda’s journey with Smart Girls Foundation started in 2019 during the 21 days of YelloCare, an annual staff volunteerism initiative, with a donation of UGX30million to enhance the girls’ learning experience.

  • In 2022, the MTN Uganda funded the establishment of a state-of-the-art skilling facility worth UGX 300 million at Smart Girls Foundation, capable of training 400 girls annually in various vocational programs.
MTN offers girls’ skilling initiative UGX270 million boost Jamila Mayanja, the Smart Girls Foundation CEO speaks to guests.

This facility is equipped with a modern computer laboratory, vehicle servicing bays, a washing bay, and renovated classroom blocks, all connected to the internet. The program targets school-going children, dropouts, teenage mothers, orphans, and vulnerable children.

Speaking at the colorful ceremony held at the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) in Kampala, Josephine Nassiwa, Manager, Wholesale Accounts at MTN Uganda, remarked on the significance of the increasing number of graduates in the digital skills training program.

"This graduation is a testament to the readiness of our youth to be employable in current workspaces that are reliant on technology for day-to-day operations,” she stated. “It not only aligns with our Ambition 2025 strategy—leading digital solutions for Uganda’s progress—but also enhances diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the communities we serve.”

Nassiwa emphasized MTN Uganda's commitment to ensuring that everyone benefits from a modern, connected life, including access to opportunities irrespective of gender, to drive social and economic transformation in communities.

  • "We call upon more stakeholders to join us in this noble cause. By providing digital tools and skills training, we can bridge the gap and create a more inclusive digital economy, reinforcing our aspiration that Together, We’re Unstoppable," she added.
  • Uganda, with over three-quarters of its population under the age of 30 according to the World Bank, faces significant challenges in youth unemployment. According to official statistics from the Uganda National Bureau of Statistic (UBOS), Uganda has a youth unemployment rate of 17%, surpassing the national average of 11.7%, with girls disproportionately affected.

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