With the youngest population in the world – 75% of its 45.9 million inhabitants are under 30 –, Uganda faces major challenges in terms of employability. To address these issues, Wezesha Impact has established the W.I.S.E (Wezesha Impact Skills and Enterprise) programme, with three main activities: the WISE Academy, the WISE Growth-lab and the WISE Awards.
Wezesha Impact is a Ugandan NGO whose mission is to equip young people with the skills, tools and networks they need to join the job market.
With the youngest population in the world – 75% of its 45.9 million inhabitants are under 30 –, Uganda faces major challenges in terms of employability. Some 14.2 million young people aged between 15 and 24 are not in education, training or employment. The youth unemployment rate, one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, stands at 19.7%. A lack of practical skills is one of the main barriers to employment and entrepreneurship.
To address these issues, Wezesha Impact has established the W.I.S.E (Wezesha Impact Skills and Enterprise) programme, with three main activities: the WISE Academy, the WISE Growth-lab and the WISE Awards.
The WISE Academy provides practical training for young people, focusing on the skills needed for entrepreneurship and employment. Wezesha works with more than 80 vocational training centres (TVETs) to deliver the programme. For young people who have dropped out of school, the organisation offers a six-month programme designed to fill gaps in technical, cognitive and interpersonal skills.
The WISE Growth-lab aims to identify youth-led businesses and outstanding young individuals from the WISE Academy, and to provide them with support to help grow or launch their business. More than 20,000 young people have already taken part in this programme. The challenge is not just to create businesses, but also to ensure that they thrive, become sustainable and create jobs to help reduce youth unemployment in Uganda.
Finally, the WISE Awards is a programme that invites young entrepreneurs to take part in national competitions and events. They are encouraged to submit their ideas, which are assessed by a panel of professionals according to criteria such as innovation, impact and sustainability. The aim is to showcase young entrepreneurs and promote a positive view of entrepreneurship.
