The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has supported girl child education through vocational training countrywide.
Bridget Namutebi says she can ably fix water in a house and work independently on any plumbing contract that generates money as she thanked to her plumbing diploma certificate she obtained.
“I have mastered all plumbing and other technical welding works. I can handle any technical works with much ease,” Jolly Namutebi said while at Nakawa Vocational Institute during an exhibition organised for Asian and African parliamentarians.
Namukasa Rodah too a student of electronics is minting money from her technical course operating small work shop within Nakawa vicinity. She obtained a scholarship from Jica to pursue electronics engineering.
Although vocational education up take is still low, Namukasa advises parents to allow their daughters take on vocational career to better their future
“We are living in the new normal, parents should have career guidance for girls embrace technical field to create employment for themselves,” she notes.
She argued that technical courses jobs are readily available but calls on donors to provide bursaries to the girl child.
“Tuition for technical courses is expensive and requires huge investment for the girl child however it pays if one completes the course because the jobs are there and works are really available,” Namukasa said adding that “We need scholarships and bursaries for girls to embrace technical education.”.
Since 1968, Jica has been supporting Ugandans technical vocational education and training through Nakawa vocational training college by providing facilities and equipment, strengthening the organisation and training management system as well as enhancing the technical knowledge and capacity of instructors.
Jica Chief Representative Uchiyama Takayuki says the main objective of jicas involvement in the area of vocational education and training has been to support the improvement of quality of vocational training in order to meet the demand of human resources.
He said that in Uganda, Jica has also supported secondary science and mathematics teachers project (sesemat) where over 5,500 teachers have received sesemat training from Tororo, Butalejja and Masaka.
He pledged more support towards technical training for youth and women.
“Japan is committed to investing her knowledge, expertise and financial resources into Uganda’s development. Our assistance to Nakawa vocational training college is one of our many cooperation projects demonstrating this commitment. The 50 year long partnership between Japan and Uganda I believe has tremendously strengthened our partnership and collaboration,” Uchiyama Takayuki said.
Prof Titus Watmon Chairperson governing Council Nakawa Vocational Training College heard this to say.
“We thank the people of Japan for all the years they have been supporting NVTC to ensure that the projects are executed. We believe that the 50 years of collaboration has been a learning process to break human resource development barriers in Uganda.”
