Six Youth entrepreneurship groups formed in Kamwenge district

Six youth entrepreneurship groups have been formed in Nkoma Sub County in Kamwenge district to help in business development among the heavily unemployed youth in the district. The groups include; Mukore United Association, Mabale Youth Development Network, Bisozi Parish Youth Association, Kaberebere Youth Poultry Farmers Club, Kakinga Youth Farmers Group and Rwembirizi Youth Development Group.

The groups were formed after an entrepreneurship training workshop under the theme, “innovation and entrepreneurship skills among the youth.” held at Nkoma Sub-County headquarters on 30^th May, 2012. The training was organized by the Kamwenge district youth Councilor Hon. Monday Wilson and facilitated by Toro Development Network (ToroDev).

Entrepreneurship Training in Kamwenge District

The 35 participants who attended the one day workshop were trained in business group formation skills, skills in designing business plans, credit access, income generation, market access, skills in using ICT’s like FM radio stations and mobile phones for entrepreneurship development through information access and sharing.

The Kamwenge District Youth Councilor, Hon. Monday Wilson appealed to the youth in Nkoma Sub county to get more involved in agriculture to reduce unemployment among the youth which in affecting the country (Uganda).

Hon. Monday further appealed to the participants to strengthen their groups and create more partnerships with the civil society and government to tap the opportunities available for development.

The meeting was also attended by the Nkoma Sub County Chief, Nkoma Sub County Chairperson and Kamwenge District Speaker.

ToroDev was represented by Johnstone Baguma (Executive Director) and Akugizibwe Solomon (Media and Communications Officer) who facilitated the entire one day exercise.

Unemployment rates among the youth in Uganda remain the highest in the world, government efforts to reduce the unemployment rates among the youth through initiatives like setting up the Youth Fund has not helped solve the problem.

Rwenzori Region Journalists form a forum

Radio journalists from eleven FM Rwenzori Region FM radio stations have formed a forum called Rwenzori Journalist Forum (RJF). The forum was created after a three days residential training workshop held between 3^rd to 5^th April, 2012 at St. Joseph’s Inn, Virika in Fort Portal – Uganda. The workshop was organized by Toro Development Network (ToroDev) – A fort Portal based ICT for Development organization.

The local FM radio journalists created the forum for continued information and knowledge sharing on issues of improved socio-economic development broadcasting, advocacy for improved policies on information access especially from local and central governments and advocacy for the rights of journalists among other things.

Participants with Hon. Alex Ruhunda (middle)

The three days journalists training workshop included radio journalists/presenters from the eleven (11) rural FM radio stations based in the Rwenzori region districts of Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Kamwenge, Bundibugyo and Kasese.

‘’The forum will bring us together and share a lot of information and facts regarding public accountability.” Said Patrick Bamanyisa the Programs Director of Voice of Tooro 101 FM. Bamanyisa was elected as the interim chairperson of the Rwenzori Journalist Forum.

The 3 days training workshop on socio-economic broadcasting for community development attracted 30 FM radio staff invited from the 11 radio stations. They included news editors, program moderators and programs directors.

The training was facilitated by three consultants from PANOS Eastern Africa, Human Rights Network Uganda (HURINET-U) and Uganda Journalist Union (UJU). Ten (10) members of the listenership clubs were also invited to share and interact with media practitioners and also gain more skills to participate in broadcasting for socio-economic development.

The trainings focused on issues related to active participation of marginalized population groups (rural women & youths) in local government budgeting processes, monitoring service delivery & public accountability, designing pro-rural public accountability radio programs, establishing and strengthening linkages between FM radio staff and listeners, socio-economic information access and broadcasting and rights of journalists and development activists.

The workshop was opened officially by the Kabarole District Chairperson Hon. Rwabuhinga Richard on 3^rd April, 2012 who called for professional reporting for community development. Rwabuhinga also promised improved cooperation in information access to local FM radio journalists.

The training workshop was closed by the Fort Portal Municipality Member of Parliament Hon. Alex Ruhunda on 5^th April, 2012 who promised support in improved policies and laws at the central government level to enable the creation of a favorable environment to radio journalists for improved community development broadcasting.

ToroDev Staff attends CAADP Partnership Platform Meeting.

ToroDev Media and Communications Officer, Akugizibwe Solomon attended the two days 8^th CAADP Partnership Platform Meeting in Nairobi Kenya from 3-4^th May, 2012. The meeting was held at The Hilton Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.

The theme of the conference was “Accelerating Implementation for Results and Impact”

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) is the Africa owned and Africa led initiative to boost agricultural productivity. CAADP is an agricultural development arm of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). NEPAD is the development arm of the African Union (AU).

Solomon Akugizibwe (Left)

With support from CAADP, 29 countries have signed Compacts and more than 20 countries have established Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans.

CAADP advocates for more inclusive participation of all relevant players in sectoral planning, raising the political profile of agriculture, more specific, purposeful and incentive-oriented agricultural policies, improved donor coordination, harmonisation and alignment to country priorities, increased resources allocated to targeted high-potential programmes, stronger regional co-operation, mechanisms for M&E, peer review, dialogue and accountability and growing public sector budget commitment to agriculture.

During the meeting, Akugizibwe advocated for increased access to land for youth for agricultural development, modernization of the agricultural sector so as to make it more attractive to the youth and more involvement of youth in agricultural sector decision making to enable their increased participation hence reducing unemployment rates among the youth.

The meeting resulted in a communiqué where issues concerning youth participation in agricultural development in Africa were highly reflected. The communiqué will be presented to the AU heads of state and government meeting in June, 2012 in Addis Ababa – Ethiopia for adoption in their national agricultural development policies.