January 21, 2022 – Recently, WPDI was proud to hold a ceremony for the 1,213 people who completed the civic and vocational training courses we offer at our Community Learning Center in Moroto. As our fourth and largest cohort yet, we are excited both by each new graduate’s potential as well as the larger impact we know the cohort will have in their respective communities, something that was widely expressed at the ceremony itself.
The courses WPDI offers at our Community Learning Center in Moroto, the capital of the sub-region, are designed to empower the local population with knowledge and skills that will help them both in their personal and professional lives. Our offerings including Arts & Crafts, Conflict Resolution & Peacebuilding, Business & Entrepreneurship, Information & Communications Technology, and Information & Technology for Children, aim to provide them tools that they can mobilize directly in their environment to create opportunities for themselves.
With the lowest developmental index score out of all of Uganda’s sub-regions, Karamoja is indeed a place where skills and practical knowledge are in high demand. Surveys that we conducted in 2021 among over 170 former trainees found that, six month after taking vocational trainings with us, 69% experienced positive career outcomes, as 9% found a job, 17% increased their income, 21% created a business and 23% pursued further studies. Strikingly, all recognized that the training from WPDI had generated positive changes in their lives.
“Before enrolling in the Information & Communications Technology course, I didn’t know how to even turn on a computer,” said Sarah, a 17-year-old from Moroto. “Now, I can use Microsoft Office and know how to search on the Internet. I hope to use these skills to find a new job.” Robert, who completed the Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding course, had a similarly transformational experience. He told WPDI: “Previously, I didn’t know about peace or how to manage conflict in the community. The training has given me many skills in conflict mediation and I can now implement peacebuilding activities in my sub-county. The communications skills I gained are especially helpful; I feel confident and able to handle complex issues.”
With the graduation of this cohort – WPDI’s largest yet – we remain confident that communities in the Karamoja Sub-Region are on the path towards building lasting, transformational peace. As Teresa, from Moroto so aptly said at the cohort’s graduation ceremony: “These trainings are opening minds and impacting families, the community, and the nation at large. We will all use the knowledge and skills we’ve gained for good.”
