By Nathan Eyagu

Kumi District 

About 60 youth who also included a section of political youth leaders in Kumi district have been trained on leadership and governance skills by Action Aid, a non governmental organization based in Kumi district.

The training started on Wednesday and yesterday on Friday,19th,may, 2023 at plain springs hotel in Kumi municipality and brought together youth from different sub counties of Kumi district like Nyero, Today,town council and others.

During the training, the trainees were taught about activism,power, feminism and other topics with hope of bringing in change in their communities.

According to Frank Byaruhanga,the Roving Digital campaign of ActionAid Uganda said that received 60 young people from Kumi district who include teenage mothers and students as they revamp the activista in Kumi district.

He also explained that amongst the topics taught during the three days includ feminism and a great impact was observed following the ideas raised by the youth during the training.

"There are a lot of injustices and alot of things that marginalized youth, children and women are facing and through the three days training, the young people came up with a work plan of activities that they are going to be use to bring in impact in their societies through carrying out dialogues, carrying out charity activities and reaching out to some of the affected areas and people",

He also however noted that during the training, the youth also raised a community concern caused by the truck drivers like early teenage pregnancies, school drop out that can not only be handled by the organization but rather they will help empower and strengthen the young people to take up the spaces and change their own communities.

What the trainees say.

A number of trainees who spoke to this website testified learning alot and have their mind sets changed as they have always been blind folded on certain topics.

"An activista is a person who speaks up for the community and through it, I have also learnt that one has to do it voluntarily,we have a number of issues happening but we have been scared but right now, I feel I can raise voices", Aikomo Zerubabel from Nyero, kumi district.

"In Nyero, we have been allocated a slaughter shade but ever since it was constructed, we have never seen it been used as it now acts as a play ground for the kids around the community but after attaining this knowledge, I shall get in touch with our leaders and change the mind set of the people in the community for them to know that they have power",

Okiror Stewart from Kumi town says that he has learnt about the different norms in the society and through it, he believes that ladies play a big role in the society and should be respected and fight for the equal rights for all people and not practice segregation.

Lokol Joseph a student of Kumi university who hails from Kabong district said that through activism, he has been able to learn on how to fight violence and corruption following different circumstances that his region has gone through in regards to land.

"I came to realize that some people are inferior in the community as they can't speak out and through this training,I believe that I am the voice of the voiceless and appreciate Action Aid for the knowledge", he added.

Byegero Josephine a female councilor representing Mukongoro in Kumi district appreciated the organization for calling upon the young activisitas for the three day work shop and believes that it will highly bring in change in the societies as they will be able to raise up issues affecting them thus calling up on government intervention.