Economic empowerement

Economic Empowerment

Teenagers are less likely to acquire economic skills in schools due to financial hardships or lack skilled human resource. The situation may be worse at home as parents lack knowledge in such skills, lack money to pay for home training, lack time to train their children or sideline such skills as non-basic education. Training students in skills for economic empowerment is an important future strategy for self-employment and productive living. To break the monotony of theoretical lectures and talks, we use skills of this pillar as mobilization tools or vehicles to gather teenagers and hold meaningful discussions and conversations as regards to the other pillars of Teens Up. The Teens Up ACT Model and Theory of Change help us to remind teenagers to work towards their future personal and community economic independence.

Unemployment rates among youths aged 15-30 is 6.2%, 10% (urban), 5% (rural)
52% of working Ugandans are self-employed

Entrepreneurship

Skills for entrepreneurship and income generation transferred to teenagers include: hand art (wall art, seat/bed cushions, table covers, placemats, scarfs, body ornaments, carpet rugs etc.), food cookery and preservation, agriculture, compound crafts like pavers from drainage silt, making recycled cooking fuel materials like briquettes, and organic manure from food waste. The foods grown and cooked are eaten by students and school staff.

Financial Intelligence

Students are introduced to: basic financial management, costing of inputs and products, identifying avenues and models of future job creation, and saving and reinvesting.

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Students are also inspired and mentored to develop an entrepreneurial mindset so as to become vibrant and gainful entrepreneurs in the future. Using skills acquired from Teens Up, students and their home/community trainees form entrepreneurship clubs and make items for sale.