MTN Uganda and Smart Girls Foundation celebrate 201 youth graduating with valuable computer and trade skills to build strong futures.
201 young people in Uganda have just finished a special practical training school that gives them valuable skills to earn a living.
The colorful graduation celebration took place on September 22, 2026, bringing great joy to many families who want better lives for their children.
This free training program was organized by the charity arm of the major phone company MTN, known as the MTN Uganda Foundation, working together with an organization called Smart Girls Foundation Uganda.
They came together to help young people who do not have money to go to expensive universities. By teaching them practical work, these organizations want to make sure that no young person stays idle or suffers without work in today’s fast-changing digital world.
Out of all the 201 students who completed the courses, one hundred and eighty-three young people trained under the special Girls in Tech program.
They learned how to use computers, browse the internet safely, work with digital office tools, and use phone technology to do business.
At the same time, 18 other students learned hard, hands-on trade skills like repairing car engines, doing electrical house wiring, fixing water pipes, and sewing clothes.
The organizers made sure that girls got the biggest chance in this project because many young women in the country find it harder to get good jobs or start businesses.
8 out of every 10 spots in the school were given to young women, while the remaining spots went to young men. This setup helps young mothers and girls become strong bosses who can stand on their own feet and care for their homes without begging anyone for help.
To explain the primary reason for doing this work, representatives from the MTN Foundation noted that the initiative is part of its broader efforts to prepare young people for the future of work and Uganda’s digital economy through programmes including MTN ACE and the MTN Skills Academy.
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The leaders believe that giving young people tools to work will transform whole communities because one working child can feed an entire extended family.
Speaking on what they hope to see next, leaders from the Foundation stated that it expects the graduates to apply their skills toward securing jobs, establishing businesses and creating impact within their communities.
Instead of waiting for white-collar office jobs that are hard to find, these fresh graduates now have the exact skills that everyday people pay for every morning in their local neighborhoods.
This great partnership between the telecommunications foundation and the local youth group started back in 2019. Since that time, more than 1,300 young people have received free computer training, while over one hundred and thirty people have learned practical hand trades.
Other news observers covering African youth projects note that practical skill centers like this one are reducing youth poverty and giving thousands of young people fresh hope for tomorrow.
