By Our Reporter
MTN Uganda, through the MTN Foundation, has launched a youth skilling program that is set to benefit at least 100 youths in preparation for the evolving digital world.
Launched under the foundation’s arm of youth empowerment, the program will be implemented in partnership with Ubunifu systems, a software development firm based in Uganda. Ubunifu systems has cut its niche in professional mobile and web development with a focus on innovative, personalized, and fully functional solutions that deliver value and satisfaction.
The MTN Foundation Youth skilling Program will focus on skills that will drive co-creation of innovative digital products and solutions to solve Uganda’s biggest problems in Education, Youth Empowerment, Health and Agriculture. This comes at a backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic that has demonstrated the immense need of digitalized systems to keep businesses and communities afloat in times of catastrophic circumstances.
While addressing the press at the launch of the Program on Tuesday, Wim Vanhelleputte, the MTN Chief Executive Officer said that this is one of the many initiatives that MTN Uganda has put in place to enable the youth tap into the limitless possibilities of the Fourth industrial revolution.
“Since they are the majority, the youth are a big and essential component in the country’s growth and development. That is why we as MTN have chosen to involve them to stimulate local innovation, which in turn will help youth create gainful employment opportunities through community transforming innovations as we enter the new era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Vanhelleputte.
The team lead At Ubunifu systems MTN’s implementing partner, Brian Ssennoga commended MTN Uganda for starting such an initiative and reaffirmed that the program would be transformational.
“This is a great initiative, we a thankful to be partnering on with MTN on this great initiative. The program will power a new way to innovate especially the commitment to prioritize Digital for Good and access to ICT for Good Knowledge. This program will tailor to a diverse youthful audience providing them with knowledge, skills, and experiences to support building collaborative local solutions that align to the Foundation’s work in Uganda.” Said Brian Ssennoga, the Team lead Ubunifu systems.
The youth account for the largest share of Uganda’s population, with 77% of the citizens aged below 25 years of age, with a vast majority of them unemployed.
MTN Uganda through the Youth Empowerment Program is therefore targeting a group of 100 beneficiaries ranging from university graduates, innovators and those engaged in Small and Medium with a mission of inspiring and empowering them towards harnessing the practical application of innovative ICT solutions to solve their communities’ most pressing challenges.
The MTN Foundation will invite applications from young innovators in Uganda. Training will commence early next year.
MTN is committed to integrating the youth in its programs. Last year, MTN invited the youth to develop applications that use MTN MoMo APIs, to monetize both consumer and business opportunities digitally, a task many of them executed successfully and early this year, MTN and Ericsson awarded winners of the MTN Mobile Money Open API challenge.