Reintegration for former child soldiers in Uganda

Empowered; She is Making Others Succeed too!!

Niyee(not real name) is a formerly abducted child mother of two and a recently passed-out client of our 10^th intake. She enrolled for skill training support at Terra Renaissance in 2019 and completed it in August 2021.

The one and half years of training have armed her with skills for empowerment translated to positive actions for change. This has transformed her life from dependence to independence and from her transformed life to a life transformer.

Since the beginning of 2022, #Niyee has informally trained over 20(twenty) community members among whom were two males and the rest being females. From January this year, she had 10 informal learners, Some of whom have completed training depending on the training package undertaken. The ones who completed successfully are productively utilizing their skills in various places i.e within Pader town itself, Kitgum Matidi, Olaam along Agago route and other places.

On this day of our field monitoring visit, the determined #Niyee was found training 4 young girls dressed in round dresses of African material made by themselves with her support. It was a day for assessment of topics covered and content mastered so far.

 In the assessments, they were instructed to sew clothes from the Fashions already handled without duplication. The current five informal students can sew several fashions including; round dresses, dresses with gathers, box dresses, Caribbean dresses, free wears, office wears, straight dresses, shorts, and simple shirts.

The informal training output is already earning them some income as products to sell. It is this income that is recycled back in the form of materials to aid the training.

This informal training of #Niyee is designed to run for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and one year. Depending on one’s financial capacity the individual enrolls for a package they can afford. All the trainees are sponsored by their parents and have to avail the training materials for them.

Being a trainer is a bonus to #Niyee’s transformed life, today the impact of it is far-reaching by communities demonstrating confidence in her competency by enrolling informal trainees in her workshop. Those already working often call to appreciate her and also consult for technical guidance when the need arises.

As an entrepreneur in her field, she handles orders ranging from individual to group of people organizing different fashions for various functions, musicians among others. Her customers are of all kinds from children to adults, males and females from far and wide. The local radio presenters are often heard praising and advertising her handwork on radio Luo and radio Rappa

Today she earns approximately 800,000UGX   monthly, is the sole breadwinner to her children and pays for their education. She supports two other dependents besides her biological children.

Thanks to the Instructors, helpers, supporters, and all collaborators of Terra Renaissance that made this possible. With this great effort and smooth collaboration, we can continue to deliver much-needed life-changing support to other vulnerable individuals.