My name is Rahma Hasfa. I live in Gayaza. Before I came to Katwe Skills Center
Before I came to Katwe Skills Center, I had challenges as a youth. The first challenge is that I gave birth at an early age and it was hard looking after the child. The family I come from has some money but when it came to this issue, they told me since I had given birth while still in school, I should go and start a new life with my child. I had to suffer to look for jobs and bring up my child, to give the child shelter, clothing, feeding, and hospitality; I had to fight to survive.
The second challenge was that whenever I went out to look for jobs, I was always asked what I had studied yet I had no academic documents. They would ask me what skills I had, and I didn’t have any. Other times when I got opportunities for jobs, the boss would want to first sleep with me in order to give me the job. Sometimes even after sleeping with me, he would still not give me the job. So, I would keep searching, hoping to get a job elsewhere. Sometime I would manage to get the job but the pay would not be enough to sustain me and my child.
One day I heard of the free skilling programme at Katwe Skills Centre (KSC). I decided to take up the opportunity and I got admitted. I started studying Hairdressing and Barbering. I have learnt a lot of things I didn’t know before. Sometimes I would go back home and feel very disgusted with myself. I was staying far from Katwe, so transport was a problem. Sometimes I would have no idea as how I would get transport or even food. I went through a difficult time. I never imagined I would even do my Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) exams and graduate successfully.
But I thank the staff of KSC, the directors, and the sponsors because I didn’t pay a single coin up to the very end. I thank them a lot because the counselling they have been giving us in addition to the skilling also went a long way in helping us improve our behaviour as youth. With what I have learnt, I can’t get involved in drugs, stealing or prostitution. I know I can start something for myself back home with the village people as my first customers. Also, with the knowledge I have gained, if I see any youth going through what I went through, I can help them out, teach them or refer them to KSC such that they benefit like I did. I don’t have anything I can give back but I ask Allah to grant them what they love most.
