By Patriot Corps.
St. Stephen’s Child and Youth Development Centre in Kumi District, established in 2008 through a partnership with Compassion International and the Church of Uganda, has launched a new initiative focused on mindset change and economic empowerment. The centre, which supports vulnerable children and their caregivers, recently noticed a decline in active participation, particularly among the youth. This prompted the management to seek innovative solutions to re-engage the community.
Mrs. Abala, the centre’s Director, explained that the original approach of providing caregivers with handouts, such as scholastic materials and food relief, inadvertently fostered a dependency mindset. As a result, many beneficiaries began to rely on the centre for their needs, rather than actively participating in its broader objectives. The youth, who now make up 90% of the beneficiaries, were particularly disengaged, focusing primarily on receiving school fees and medical care.
In response to this challenge, the centre invited George William Okoit, CEO of Lu’ateker Concepts and Teso Textiles, to deliver a motivational speech aimed at inspiring self-reliance and active participation. Okoit emphasized the need for economic liberation within the Teso sub-region, stressing the importance of unity, forgiveness, and community cohesion as foundational steps towards progress.
“For Teso to progress, we need to begin by fixing our communities,” Okoit stated. He encouraged the audience to take ownership of their futures, noting, “There’s no shortcut to economic development. We must start by creating jobs within our communities. The solutions to our problems are within us.”
Okoit’s message resonated with the attendees, particularly the youth and caregivers, challenging them to move away from dependency and towards self-reliance. The centre plans to assess the impact of this initiative by December 2024, with hopes of seeing a significant shift in attitudes and participation levels among the beneficiaries.
Mrs. Abala expressed optimism about the initiative’s potential, stating, “We expect that by December, when most of the youth have returned from school, we will see the fruits of Okoit’s motivational sessions.” The success of this initiative could serve as a model for other communities, demonstrating the power of local leadership and community-driven solutions in achieving long-term development goals.
Source Teso vibes.