Report from BHW Uganda Partnership Facilitators Following Visit

Key people: Thomas Lubari and Joyce Gaba 

We had a lovely meeting with Joyce Gaba over a couple of days in Jinja on 11/12 August. She gave us a very good update on the two vocational training programmes (Sth Sudanese and Ugandan) which have effectively now been rolled into one. Thomas has been away in the USA for a Sudanese pastors conference in Iowa and does not return to Jinja until early September so we did not meet with him.

Recent Events

Programme

A couple of years ago Thomas and Joyce found that they had taken too many students into the programme and they ended up supporting many of them from their own resources which stretched them to the limit. They are now limiting the intake and number of students to 17.

Over the period since the programme started there have been changes to the criteria around vocational training and even certificate courses are now normally two years, whereas before they were one year. This means that they are limited in the number of new candidates they can bring on to the programme each year. This is not necessarily a bad thing as we know from past interactions with students that Joyce and Thomas are very actively involved in their lives, some of whom stay with them between terms because they are unable to afford the cost of travel back to their homes (particularly those from refugee families in the camps in the far north of Uganda).

There are a very good number of success stories from the students who have now graduated and have found employment. Rachel began working in Kampala after her training in catering and has managed to save enough to set up her own restaurant business; two South Sudanese graduates are now working within a refugee camp; in Koboko two hairdressing graduates have opened a salon; and after graduating Dominic has got work with a road construction company in South Sudan (see more stories below). Joyce reports that one  of the students who was training in electrical engineering graduated top of his class. 

2020

Thomas and Joyce are about to start the process of recruiting new students for the 2020 year. The process seems quite robust. Thomas travels to the north and interviews candidates in the presence of their pastor or community leader, who make recommendations as to who might be suitable. Thomas and Joyce then decide on the appropriate candidates and the necessary arrangements are made. 

We made it clear in the course of our conversation that Bright Hope World’s support is limited to getting the students to the first tier of vocational training. This was clearly stated, particularly when many of the students talked about wanting to go on to do a Diploma course or Degree. Joyce understands this issue and the focus is on training in the areas of tailoring, secretarial, electrical, plumbing, early childhood education etc. 

The candidates all commit in writing to supply 50% of their tuition fees either in advance or after they have obtained employment however in practice this has been erratic. Because the students are genuinely the poorest of people their families can often only supply a small portion of the fee contribution. This can be 150,000-200,000 UGX (US$40-55) of a possible 1,000,000 UGX ($280) annual course cost but it does show a commitment to the process. We asked a lot of questions about this process and understand that, once the initial commitment is made, the training fund meets the course costs and the personal contributions from the students are kept separate and, where necessary, assist towards unexpected costs that students have during training (medical costs, unexpected travel, course materials, and cost increases in the courses). These contributions therefore do not come back to enable the programme to become more self-sustaining or grow into the future. This may be a reality that we have to grapple with if we are to continue with the programme.

At present there are some graduates who have found employment but we understand that despite the signing of the original agreement none of these have yet started contributing their repayments. 

Personal Stories

Past Students

Jacinta (on left) did business administration and now has a job at the health clinic in Ngeru. Her family has six children within a wide age range, with the youngest being 18 mths. Jacinta has managed to rent a room near her family and is also able to help her family out in small ways, practically and financially including some help with school fees. She would like to further her studies however is happy she has work and she enjoys her work with the clinic. Like the other students she has not managed to make repayments into the programme as yet.

Nancy (on right) is working as a lab technician in a medical clinic in Njeru. It is a busy clinic and she works 12 hour days, six days a week. She is 23 years old. Joyce talked to her about the possibility of being a lab technician rather than a nurse, which she had in mind first. She talked about how difficult it had been raising some contribution towards the course costs and wonders how she will be able to pay the 50% contribution. Before starting study she was helping her parents and caring for her younger siblings. Her dad is a day worker with low income and erratic work, and her mum has a small stall in Njeru town. Her mum is a member of the loan programme and her interview is with that report (UGA04b). Nancy got the job because she had done an internship at the clinic and the owner had liked her work attitude. She is able to support herself now and her income helps the family too. 

Biale trained in nursery care but when she was on placement in a local nursery facility in Njeru she ended up being offered work as an Early Childhood Educator. She has completed her training and now looks after approximately 40 young children each day. She loves being a teacher. She is married and has one stepchild and one daughter of her own. Her husband has been very supportive of her and despite very poor beginnings they are starting to improve. They are both very active in Njeru Life Gospel Church and it was lovely to interview her.

Current Students

We also visited with a number of the students at Nile Training Institute. The photo shows Joyce with Escovia and Vita. 

Escovia is 20 years old. Her father is a mechanical fitter and her mother makes peanut butter and sells this with vegetables at the market in Njeru. She has five siblings.   

After completing Senior 6 she left school and had two years staying with her family with no employment and no opportunity to study. She applied for the vocational training programme and is now in her second year of a Certificate in Building Construction Practice. Her face became animated as she described how much she loves the course and finds it interesting with good teachers who explain things well and encourage her. She reports she is succeeding at her studies. 

Escovia would like to continue study when she completes the Certificate. She is interested in both IT and getting a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. If she does not get a further scholarship to continue she reports that she will co-ordinate with her friends and find building work. Then she will save for further study and she thinks her parents would also give her some help with this.

Joyce commented on how active Escovia is within the church life at Njeru. She is very hardworking and efficient in helping Joyce with the administration of the micro-loan programme there.   

Vita James is 21 years old. He was living with his parents in Bidibidi refugee camp when he heard about the possibility of a scholarship to study. He went to the interview, succeeded and is now in his second year of a Certificate in Automotive Mechanics. He enjoys the study and described being able to strip a motor and put it back together as well as fix many parts of a car motor.   

He is boarding at the Nile Vocational Training Institute. Sometimes he has difficulties as while he is studying he has very little money for basic personal needs and for travel between semesters to visit his family. He is the only Sudanese student boarding and he misses his family very much.  Because of the cost he does not travel to the camp between semesters but stays with Thomas and Joyce.

Vita wants to continue with further study however understands that if he does not get another scholarship he will find work and save so that he can go further with study.  

Partnership's Influence within the Community

Because there is a pretty good outcome in terms of employment we recognise that this programme is serving a useful purpose. From previous encounters we know that the programme, for both the Ugandan and South Sudanese students, is reaching the very poorest and most vulnerable. For instance Dominic was deliberately infected with HIV/AIDS by a soldier during the conflict in South Sudan. Interestingly he was recently retested for HIV/AIDS as part of his treatment and is clear of the virus. Thomas and Joyce believe he has been miraculously healed. 

Current Issues and Challenges

1) Course fees keep increasing. 

2) It is difficult sometimes to change the mindset so people understand that the support is not for a full qualification but is simply to get the students to have some training which will, hopefully, make them employable. There is some resistance at times towards more practical forms of employment training.

Comments

The requirement that people contribute 50% of their course fees to this programme is definitely problematic. The students that we interviewed and indeed all students sign to commit themselves to this. The students make some contributions at the start of the course but these funds have been kept separate and have not been contributed back into the programme. There are clearly a lot of costs which have not been allowed for or able to be budgeted for.

The students we interviewed have been aware of the requirement and we do expect some to be faithful to pay back into the programme but we do not hold out much hope that this will be successful. We think it is a good idea to have the requirement for repayment and would expect that some students will but it is going to take some time to see whether a mindset change can be effected.