Giving Teens the Hope of Education through Vocational Training

Alex Wabwire’s dream is to be an electrical engineer. But when he failed to come up with the funds to continue his high-school education, 16 year-old Alex grew weary. “I had no hope of going back to school because I had nowhere to get money," he says. 

Unfortunately, Alex is not alone.  According to a 2008 World Bank Report, 83% of Uganda's youth (ages 15-24) are unemployed, due to lack of infrastructure and a poor job market.  This leaves young men like Alex, willing to work and desiring to go to school, forced to drop out before completing their secondary education.

With plans to build a playground and chapel, Amazima began to search for boys like Alex that we could train with construction skills and potentially provide employment.  English-speaking, an eager learner, and motivated by the thought of earning money to return to school, Alex received three weeks of training in basic construction and began to work for Amazima building our playground (under the supervision and leadership of our project foreman and Amazima's employee, Bradley Lang).  “I need my education,” he shares.  “I need to acquire education. Because if you don’t have education in Uganda, you are nothing. Life is really difficult.”

The playground project was such a success that Amazima hired the same team to build the chapel, giving Alex an opportunity to earn more money in order to continue his studies. “While we were building the chapel, I told them that I needed to go back to school. They said that I can go, but during the weekend I could come and they would give me work to do.”

Alex receives his certificate of completion (presented by Bradley Lang) for his hard work on the Amazima playground.

Today Alex attends Allied Teacher’s Senior Secondary School in Buziika.  He is in Senior 3 Class, which is the equivalent to grade 10.  Every Saturday Alex works for Amazima by tending to the goats, packing food bags for the sponsorship children to take home to their family, and by cultivating Amazima's garden. Not only does Alex pay for his own education, he also sends his young nephew to nursery school. Employment with Amazima has helped Alex and his family more than he thought would ever be possible.

We are excited to see Alex one day reach his dream of becoming an electrical engineer.  Your support of Amazima helps young men like Alex empower themselves through the value of education.