The World Bank’s Africa Development Indicators report (ADI) 2008/09 indicates that the rate of unemployed young people aged between 15 and 24 stands at 83% in Uganda. Out of Uganda ’s population of 34 million people, 60% fall under the youth age bracket.
The same report indicates that 43% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population is between the ages of 0 and 14, with Uganda standing at 41%. In such a situation, the country is headed for a dependency syndrome against the aged.
Basing on that, the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI), together with Tetea Uganda, a local media consultancy firm, decided to hold the annual Young Achievers Awards (YAA). “We intend to enhance and nurture entrepreneurship among the youth through various ways. YAA rewards excellence and motivates others into getting more economically active,” the UNCCI president, Olive Z. Kigongo, told Business Vision.
The YAA idea was conceived in 2008 as a baseline tool for poverty reduction among the young generation.
“We search for the young people who have had tremendous achievement in life, and whose works have positively transformed others in society,” she said.
Kigongo says the awards create a platform for knowledge sharing about successful entrepreneurship and winners tell captivating and educative stories about their winning formula which induces other youth into emulating them.
UNCCI believes that national poverty levels must be mitigated through a multi-sectoral approach.
Information with the ministry of labour indicates that close to 390,000 people aged between 14 and 40 years are entering the labour market every year but only 130,000 are estimated to be getting employment opportunities, leaving the rest unproductive and causing a dependency burden. “YAA serves as an intervention to address the pressing issue of unemployment among the youth through promotion of the concept of job creation and alternative skills training programmes particularly vocational skills,” Kigongo said. “The awards and prizes offered to winners strengthen them and lead to better performance,” she added.
The chamber will in future sponsor regional training programmes in entrepreneurship to continue mentoring the youth into business.
Last year’s YAA saw Duncan Mugabe, a tennis star winning the overall award with President Museveni walking away with the lifetime achievement award.
Mugabe reportedly used part of the sh5m to strengthen the logistical base of his Young Stars’ tennis team.
The operations director for Tetea Uganda, Awel Uwihanganye, said unlike last year where there were only seven categories, this year, the number of catogoreis will double as well as the cash prizes. “The launch of this year’s event will take place this month, the awards have a full year calendar involving submissions of project papers from participants all over Uganda, selections and subsequent verification,” he said.
He said eligibility is limited to people aged between 18 and 35 years.
The awards were made possible with help from Vision Group, MTN and Stanbic Bank.
