On 18 February, the Uganda Rural Development and Training Institute (URDT I) participated in the Young Africa Works 2025 Dialogue held at Serena Hotel in Kampala. The event focused on innovative solutions to improve youth access to productive resources.
The MasterCard Foundation Young Africa Works Dialogue commemorated five years of the Young Africa Works initiative in Uganda. It provided a platform to reflect on shared progress, draw lessons from experiences, and collaboratively shape the future of youth empowerment and economic inclusion.
URDT Institute, alongside other partners, shared transformative models highlighting how entrepreneurship can be a viable pathway to sustainable livelihoods. The discussions also emphasized the role of supportive policies and partnerships in creating an enabling environment for youth-led enterprises.
Mr. Robert Katabazi, Director of Education and Training at URDT, represented the Institute on a panel discussion. He shared insights on “Skilling for Entrepreneurship,” elaborating on URDT’s satellite model, which engages artisans and agribusiness practitioners within local communities to skill youth. This approach has enabled the training of over 70,000 young people. Mr. Katabazi emphasized the importance of the visionary approach as a foundational pillar of development.
According to Mr. Adrian Bukenya, Country Director of the MasterCard Foundation in Uganda, the Young Africa Works initiative seeks to bridge employment gaps by equipping young people with market-relevant skills and supporting them in starting and scaling businesses. He commended all partner organizations for their commitment to investing in Uganda’s future by helping young people gain skills, start businesses, and access market opportunities.
“Together, we can unlock Uganda’s full potential by empowering its young people to lead, innovate, and thrive. Thank you for walking this journey with us,” Bukenya said.
Over the past five years, Young Africa Works in Uganda has made remarkable progress—engaging over 3.8 million young people to acquire skills and access financial resources to start or grow enterprises. Out of these, 1.3 million have successfully transitioned into work, secured employment, started businesses, or expanded their economic opportunities. The initiative has prioritized inclusion, ensuring that young women, refugees, and persons with disabilities actively participate in and benefit from the programs.
The convention also featured exhibitions by young people from various partner organizations, including URDT Institute. A notable showcase was by Harriet Nandyose, a tailor trained under the URDT Institute, who exhibited a variety of African Kitengi products such as bags, indoor shoes, shirts and T-shirts, necklaces and earrings, wallets, and key holders.
