Though food insecurity is sometimes due to famine or crop failure, many people simply don’t have the funds for food. So, securing a stable income is one great way to combat food insecurity for both individuals and families!
Today, we wanted to see what could be done to enhance food security for youth living in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. So, we looked for a social enterprise that helps employ and train younger members of the community to add stability to their lives.
Universal Garage, a shop located on the main road that runs through Nakivale, is one of these places. John, the owner of the garage, trains youth to help make them more independent and currently has five apprentices. It’s a welding and repair shop that works on bikes, cars, metal doors, and more!
To support the business, we dropped off a gas cylinder that will help John and his apprentices work on more projects, which increases their impact!
We were especially excited to find that John is focusing on training girls to weld, which will help them lead more secure lives. “I’m so grateful for the support because I am trying to use my time to train youth in all of this,” John explained. “This is just the beginning. There are many youth I want to train. Even them, they will support others. I dream that the skills will be passed down again and again. As you can see, I am training girls. And I know that training both of the genders will improve the livelihoods here.”
