By Christopher Nyeko
GULU: The Gulu War Affected Training Centre (GWATC) in Kasubi ward, Bardege-Layibi Division, Gulu City, over the weekend graduated a total of 516 youth who trained on different hand skills.
The graduation ceremony was presided over by Oola Patrick Lumumba, the division mayor of Bardege-Layibi Division, who pledged that his division is going to offer one full year to those students who plan to establish their businesses in his division to operate freely without being charged to pay local tax.
The students were trained between 2019 and 2022 but didn’t graduate due to the Corona and Ebola outbreaks, where public gatherings were restricted.
These students were trained and assessed by the Directorate of Industrial Training at certificate level on courses such as tailoring and garment cutting, catering and hotel management, hair dressing, motor vehicle mechanics and driving, internet training, and computer training.
Betty Lalam, the Director of the Gulu War Affected Training Centre, in her speech applauded the South African Embassy, one of their longtime development partners, whom she revealed in October 2022 supported the Center with totals of fifty million shillings.
The money, she says, helped them finish the construction of two classroom blocks, acquire catering equipment for the center, and renovate the school.
She notes that due to the Corona outbreak, some of their donors have withdrawn their support, which has forced the institution to provide startup capital for the beast-perfuming student as it did in the past.
Lalam therefore called upon the development partners to support those who have graduated with financial support to enable them to establish their businesses after their graduation ceremony.
She also used the party to advice graduates to remain ethical when they are out to display their particle skills to the public.
Since 2005, GWATC has graduated a total of 4,231. The school currently has a total enrollment of 80 learners with a staffing gap of 14 personnel.
Olwedo Ogal Jalb, the Chairperson of the Board of Governor, in his remark, appealed to the government to incorporate the Parish Development Model to also benefit the skill training institutions in Uganda.
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