UWEZO and ALiVE Launch Initiative to Strengthen Life Skills in Ugandan Youth

Empowering Communities Through Life Skills Development

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT — UWEZO and Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE) have partnered to implement a 10-week parental and community engagement program across six Ugandan districts: Sheema, Tororo, Oyam, Kanungu, Kampala, and Mukono.

The initiative aims to raise awareness about the importance of life skills and values, with a particular focus on problem-solving abilities—a critical skill found lacking among many Ugandan youth.

Engaging Parents as Key Stakeholders

Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo emphasized the program’s community-focused approach: “We will engage parents, guardians, and caregivers as pivotal stakeholders in nurturing these skills. This initiative provides an invaluable opportunity to deepen understanding about why these skills matter and how to develop them in children.”

The program will facilitate knowledge-sharing among stakeholders to identify best practices for fostering life skills through parental and community engagement.

ALiVE’s Commitment to East African Education

As part of the Regional Education Learning Initiative Africa (RELI–Africa), ALiVE has entered its second phase focused on equipping East African children with essential life skills for learning and development.

The organization’s first phase addressed the lack of regional assessment tools by developing measures for problem-solving, self-awareness, collaboration, and respect in 2022. These tools were used to evaluate over 45,000 adolescents (ages 13-17) across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Assessment Reveals Skills Gap

Findings showed significant deficiencies in Ugandan youth’s proficiency in these critical life skills and values, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.