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Are you aware there are only 8,120 jobs yet there are 390,000 new job seekers each year? This means that if you want to rely on others to give you a job, you might go on searching forever. The present world where there are many more job seekers than vacancies requires creative people who can employ themselves. I know of a lady with a university degree who has made a lot of money out of selling plants. She also employs over 40 other people. These are some of the ways through which you can create a job for yourself: 1. Have the right frame of mind to start a business. 2. Look for a companies or organizations to discover what they do. 3. Think of your passions. Are you interested in animals, in baking or in tailoring? Most likely, that will be the work that will interest you do. 4. Study and research everything around the kind of business you want to start. 5. Look for the things you will need to start the business – location, facilities, material and finances. Whereas entrepreneurship can be learnt at any age, as the saying goes, “catch them young in order to maximise their potential”. If you are a parent here is how you can help your children to become job creators: 1. Teach children to save 2. Mentor them by showing examples of how they can become entrepreneurs 3. Give them career guidance by encouraging them to take practical courses 4. Encourage them to start small projects at home, such as baking cakes or growing mushrooms 5. Help them to get the necessary information If you are a teacher or school manager: 1. Incorporate entrepreneurship in the curriculum 2. Introduce practical skills courses, including technical and vocational training. 3. Provide life skills such as people management, leadership skills, communication, negotiation, innovation, and coping with change.

Rehmah this was a very good posting you made - thank you so much.  I sure hope that although no replies todate - persons have been able to make use of the advice contained within.

One thing I found challenging though on ground whilst in Ug was use of the web/internet cafes.  These are still not very practical in terms of affordability so information put on here at best is not always availed to the persons who trully could benefit from it.  I emplore persons who are abroad to rethink how they plan out their holidays back to Uganda or otherwise.  Skill sharing is one way of hitting the targets of redress.  Volunteering some of your holiday time towards giving back into the community is one way albeit one has to be alert to doing so in a manner which is not condescending to those on ground - remembering that although persons may have little, they are not necessary devoid of grey matter.  The other method that worked for me was to print off certain material and sending it to centres I've visited or know of, on ground.  Simply - its another cost which to you and me abroad is of little value but means a lot to persons on ground. 

SB i've a lot of skills I'd love to share but unfortunately i can only manage 2 drop 2 UG like after every 2yrs. So it might not work for me unless i start fundraising although it's really a great idea.

The gov't should work on the undersea internet cable such that internet connectivity becomes fast, cheap and affordable. My monthly broadband internet charge for 6 months is the equivalent of what Ugandans pay per month for dial up internet connectivity. Something has to be done and it has to be really fast or else we are lagging behind.

 

peregrine:

SB i've a lot of skills I'd love to share but unfortunately i can only manage 2 drop 2 UG like after every 2yrs. So it might not work for me unless i start fundraising although it's really a great idea.

The gov't should work on the undersea internet cable such that internet connectivity becomes fast, cheap and affordable. My monthly broadband internet charge for 6 months is the equivalent of what Ugandans pay per month for dial up internet connectivity. Something has to be done and it has to be really fast or else we are lagging behind.

 

 

Peregrine - I'm part of a network of diasporians who are looking into ways of bringing together Ugandans abroad to utilise our skills on ground in our chosen professions or vocations.  Sometimes its not just the ability to have the pot of cash to see you going back and forth to Ug, but its tapping into the right organisations or associations which can assist you realise this.  I tend to research and pass on to bodies or organisations within my work place etc and get colleagues who can deliver, to do what I financially wouldn't be able to atttain.  The idea is not for me to gain glory or fame, but to facilitate for those that can: to deliver. 

Going back to the issue of internet connectivity within Ug - I'd say don't wait for the government to do this if you wish to avoid frustration being your constant partner in life.  Find ways whereby if you can tap into IT companies abroad even places like Asia/US etc, to sponsor a project that can see it through - the government in most cases will only become interested when they sniff there's money to be made and come on board. There's a huge reliance on "nfunira wa" at all levels of any given project however so keep this at the back of your mind.  

Great idea SB thanks for that piece of advice i'll get in touch with ya very soon.

Self employment is surely the way to go!! I am glad a number of people are bringing up such opportunities, eg Ezra and Private Sector Foundation Uganda. I applied for one such with a powerful biz idea (i believe it so strongly) and look forward to employing self and others.

Thanks all for your efforts and info sharing in trying to enable this

MO

Time will come until the market (Self employment) will be saturated.

I still blame the government on this. Without support for Research and Development, a country can't develop, unemployment among the youth will be at the highest unless the country is moving forward and creating atleast hundred of thousands of jobs every passing year.

Youth unemployment will be curbed provided there's a strong and concrete program of Education, Research and Development. What made the then poor countries like Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan into Economic super powers of today, only one thing Education, Research and Development that led to inventions and advancement of Technology in those states. India has followed suit.

P - its gone way past blame on issues that hold us back.  We all have to want to make a positive difference as individuals collectively irrespective of whichever class/tribe/religious affiliations.  We have copied governance from external places but have not taken on board the requirements to uphold such means of governance in the context of our own diverse cultures. 

The nations you have sighted have strong factors in common that propelled them to move to the positions they now hold. Some of these factors are unity and a strong sense of collective identity in line with the cultures it serves. 

Education is paramount as you state - and this goes beyond the learned or taught theories and has to gel with the mindset or perceptions held in order to be beneficial.

I agree,

Its past time we moved away from pointing fingers to other people or to institutions. 

I do not think self employment can get saturated. No, not with the growing population and the need for services plus a personal touch. We need to start from somewhere and guess what it all begins with YOU!!

The idea is to get out there, identify a viable idea and venture, pour your heart into it professionally and do the undoable. (at least in some people's mind set)

Let's do it!

sorry I got here a little later than I would have wanted to do. Many thanks for sharing the tips and "how tos".  the issue that all of you hav rightly identified here is self reliance and so long we move away from the idea of "someone will come through for me" and realise we are responsible for our employment then oppoturnities start to shwo up, just like that. If you are in the diaspora you have access to networks and contacts as Babes says that can deliver things that you may not personally be able to deliver. You simply have to decide that you are committed to bring about change in some way however small.

 

Babes I quite like the idea of a few us getting together to look at what we can do to address some of these issues. There are unfortunately a few people out there who will only do something because there is something in it for them. don't get me wrong I am not implying that people should part with their hard earned cash or donate things that they can't afford themselves. We are all good at something and if not we know someone who does.. so let's share that.

 

P- I would move away from the idea of charity because people cannot be sustained on this indefinately and neither can economies and instead work on ideas that will help people help themselves.

 

I will put in my 50 USH piece.  Only united and looking out for the betterment of Ugandans will there be a change in the system.  There are too many people that look on towards the money stuffed in their pockets to make significant changes. I have read countless times of the various public officials from LC to MP to General that have taken the money given to them for this or that reason and furnished their own home or bought a car or many other purchases that could be made.  If Ugandans united for a common cause and didn't worry about tribal issues or getting over on one another or political parties getting the credit; more development would happen.  The President has made comments on this towards farming Co Ops and I do believe that this is true.  Regardless of other problems that people may have with him, he does have a point on this one.  Another example in economics is imagine, a vendor is out on one of the round-a-bouts in Kampala and he is only offering New Vision and he only has 10 to sell.  The profit is little and barely manageable.  Now imagine that there was a vendor that had New Vision, Daily Monitor, Red Pepper and had 10 employees spread about Kampala will a small stock of 40 papers.  The profit would be higher, filling the needs of employment and profit of the vendor.  Now apply these examples to farming, crafts, transportation and tourism.  Uganda would be able to afford to hire youth, be able to export products, encourage processing plants and development would take place.

But may be I am all wrong, "If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day; If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a life time"

MM,  your piece is priceless and the real issues are in the administration of monies donated to ensure that it goes to the people who need. So the big question is how do we resolve it? As you quite rightly point out the people in charge use the money for their purposes. So a situation where that farmer, handicraft producer or even the News Paper vendor is able to receive money from his/her effort directly is the only way forward.

 What say you?

If the individuals that are the farmers, handicraft producers and vedors come to gather to form Co Ops and it doesn't have to even be a Co Op, under a single organizational name, then they can petition for grants or help.  As a group from a district, their voice is louder than that of one person.  It could be, just an example, Jinja District Farmers Association.  Leave politicians out of the group, so that the group is made of workers in that profession.  Also leave out religion and tribe.  The purpose of the group would be to represent that profession and the profession's agenda.  If it deals with farms, then any involvement with petitions or motions to Parliment would be for farming tools, better seed quality, processing plants, transportation from farms to markets and processing plants, exporting tarrifs and things of this nature.  Also as large groups, NGOs or donors could sponser the large group better than a single farm due to the logistic nightmare dealing with single small units and record keeping.

But writting solutions is not a solution, there has to be people on the group willing to organize.  People that are charismatic so that when they talk the people listen.  And it needs to be people that are honest, so that the group's interest are heard and followed through.

all of this is possible my friend all it takes, is courage, determination, conviction, belief and above all trusty worthy people!

 Meanwhile, some large manufacturers are fleeing Uganda:

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/220/622126 

Kaks, that's very dsicouragin news idneed after Sam Kuutesa made a song and dance to encourage people to trade with Ugnada

 Vision, Kuteesa has his own problems:

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Kutesa_in_fresh_scandal_over_Shs_1_2b_PR_deal.shtml 

oh dear.. it just get worse.. and I suppose strengthens the view that politicians should be kept out of the small man's business

HI Rehmah and everyone.

Great write up. time to look outside the box definately. 

I like the fact that you encourage passing on of good will. We need to apprecaiate and encourage the growth of other persons as well and eventually many more people will benefit. Have you ever worked in a firm where the boss doesnt want to hear of you studying...mmh!

I imagine that a good number of this sites readers have also taken up the PSFU start your own business challenge or the BBC faidika na BBC competition. Start small, think big and grow large.

 Best

M