PEDN and Youth Clubs in Uganda – Giving Youth early hands-on Practical Education

Pupils of Kiswa Primary School in Kampala saving at school in their club

“The weekly youth sessions we hold in schools may last two hours but the effect they have on youth lifestyles is as solid as rock, that youth can never stay the same for the rest of their lives”, says Irene Mutumba – Executive Director – Private Education Development Network (PEDN). And who dares to object the words of a lady that has seen over 400,000 youth in over 280 Ugandan schools get transformed by the hourly enterprise, business and financial education sessions over the last nine years! No one!

According to Uganda’s National Household Survey (2005/06), unemployment and underemployment rates account for 14% of the labour force. The labour market requires creation of about 390,000 jobs annually to satisfy the young labour force coming from population growth only.
PEDN is absorbing these challenges by offering youth free lessons on how to earn, save, spend and invest money wisely through relevant and practical activities. By giving youth such opportunities they access business leaders and innovators; acquire applicable information on personal finance and practical lessons on how to start and sustain a business enterprise.

In Uganda, availability of and access to safe and sound financial services is still a constraint manifested in form of insufficient financial services across the country. For instance, as manifested in Uganda’s current National Development plan, only 23 districts in Uganda have commercial banks with the number of bank accounts at about five (5) million, representing a 16% population penetration.
By facilitating youth savings PEDN has helped over 10,730 youth every year access financial and entrepreneurship education with half that number raising annual average savings of over 11 million Uganda shillings. It is such savings behaviour that has helped youth in eleven Ugandan districts reduce family expenditure on their schooling and increase their saving culture.

PEDN and its partnering schools are leading efforts to enhance early youth enterprise culture, encouraging youth to participate in their country’s development. Starting with the rural enterprises initiative in eastern Uganda, over 4,236 home-based micro enterprises have been initiated by young people involving growing of fruit trees and rearing chicken. Parents set aside a chick that a child would then be responsible for, and land where children planted a fruit tree like oranges. In the process, youth have learnt communication and marketing skills, business idea generation, networking, and competitiveness, the set of skills required in the job sector today.

Agnes (not real name), is from Kamuli district and shares her joy from one of PEDN’s programs. She says she has “realized that saving is a good thing and that a child in primary school can save. You don’t have to save much. Consistency is the trick. When I get back my savings I shall buy four more chicks... and continue saving to make my poultry farm bigger”.

PEDN believes that to address unemployment in Uganda requires moving beyond just teaching youth about enterprise into changing the way learning is done in schools. PEDN’s efforts have led to a marriage with National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC) to support practical curriculum integration and improve learning outcomes. Ms. Grace Baguma the Deputy Director of NCDC says, “children are cramming things and when they get out of school they can’t do anything... theoretical teaching has killed education, the content would be good if taught the right way...teachers have resorted to the methods they use and ignored others because of class numbers”

Ms. Baguma says government alone cannot enhance quality education without the private sector. She says it’s such programs that change the thinking, orientation and mentality of children when they are still young. She says emphasis on practical elements is what PEDN brings on board and they welcome and will continue technically supporting these initiatives, and try to make an effort to mainstream them in the education system in the long run. This is the pride of PEDN and value of its daily efforts as a non-governmental organisation as youth start early and succeed young.

Pupils of St.James Bbiina Primary School in Kampala making beads

FINANCIAL EDUCATION IN UGANDA– GATHERING STORIES MAKING HEADLINES IN SCHOOLS

“Our efforts, Uganda’s transformation”

During the end of last year 2011, Citi’s Executive Director Ms. Rita Balaka affirmed that the Aflateen Youth social and financial education program can front innovations in Financial Empowerment and through its work with the local non-governmental organisation - Private Education Development Network (PEDN) Citi intends to further demonstrate the power of public-private sector partnerships.

Fast forward, it’s a year now and this partnership has unearthed and unlocked the social and financial potential of Uganda youth. It’s Citi’s desire to increase the number of low - to moderate-income youth and their families who adopt positive financial behaviors and accumulate and preserve financial assets.

The ripple effect that the Aflateen has had on youth and family livelihoods affirms this anticipation. This is what students like Joana (Not real name), make of their engagement in Aflateen. She says, “Before I joined Aflateen I wasn’t saving but now I save in our School saving box because Aflateen has brought saving in our school. I now know how to save and handle money. With the knowledge I have now I advise my mother in her retail shop business…” 

Financial capability may be deficient if not matched with relevant business and social entrepreneurial agility. Put together, this dexterity can create youth financial sustainability. Aflateen has given youth an appropriate learning environment to challenge the vivid lack of financial education in schools, teaching them the discipline of saving and responsible spending in the right mix of learning about self and social justice and how all this plays to influence youth leadership, career and business orientation.

Fred (not real name), an Aflateen student says “I am now an Aflateen Club President and now know my strengths, weaknesses and most importantly, how to set goals. My saving goal is to buy a laptop and I already have saved a quarter of the money I need. I was taught how make paper bags and realize there is market for it in my area. Aflateen is shaping my future….I expect to achieve my goals.

It is such evidence that demonstrates the value that Citi and PEDN are adding to Uganda’s economic development and PEDN’s intent is to continue expanding this country wide. So far, over 90 schools in Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and Luweero districts have benefitted from these financial education initiatives. According to Ms. Irene Mutumba (PEDN’s Executive Director), PEDN’s intention is to consolidate, strengthen and expand the program in Uganda in order to reach more youth and inspire them to be agents of change in their communities.

Aflateen is a social and financial education program for youth 14-19 years implemented as part of a global brand in over 80 countries worldwide. The model helps youth reflect, understand and practice values of self, family, community responsibility, money, savings, spending, and financial and social business and increase their enthusiasm in keeping these skills as part of their lifetime culture.

Social Entrepreneurship of value?!

Wikipedia defines social entrepreneurship quite clearly from all my study on the subject. It recognizes entrepreneurship for meeting social problems and the use of the underlying mechanisms and principles of entrepreneurship to create, organize and manage social enterprises for a social change.

Many people have seemingly avoided to establish importance to the subject of social entrepreneurship with excessive force being directed to other forms of entrepreneurship like the techno - entrepreneurs including the Late Steve Jobs, Mark Zukerberg, Bill Gates, name it...This notion comes from the fact that entrepreneurs are tied to the element of profit making which in fact may not be true.

Social entrepreneurs are defined by their ability to use business to meet social issues . Irene Mutumba, an Ashoka Fellow, realized the need to improve Uganda's education system and stem out irrelevancy in as far as subject coverage and also to incorporate elements like entrepreneurship, training youth in financial systems, and basic business skills as a way of stamping out poverty and the widespread youth unemployment in the country.

Like many other social entrepreneurs, she is always spilling new ideas to the table to help these youth in both formal and informal sectors of secondary schools, and she has continues to commit all her time at this no matter the limitation.

With this effort from Irene and her team at PEDN, she has left an incredible mark on the lives of over 120,000 youth with over 9,000 participating actively in a  school saving process, over 1000 youth between 12 and 24 years having opened accounts with a financial institution, over 2% having stated individual businesses and a growing 25% with social enterprises.

This is a resounding promise to Uganda even as it sets foot in this new jubilee; And anyone who stands by a social entrepreneur definitely feels the impact!