World Vision Rwanda on Monday, June 21, inaugurated the Youth Empowerment Centre in Nyange Sector in Ngororero District to empower the youth in vocational skills. World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling poverty and injustice. The centre was initiated through World Vision Rwanda Resilience and Livelihoods Programme supported by World Vision Canada. The innovative youth employment hub dubbed ‘Youth Employment Support Services (YESS)’ aims to empower youth in the community with formal and informal vocational skills to improve their well-being. The centre is equipped with tools and machinery worth over Rwf130 million that can be used in carpentry, welding, masonry and electric engineering. It also produces nails. Currently, the centre serves over 150 youths grouped under a cooperative known as Vision Nyange Cooperative. The cooperative leverages the different tools from the centre to produce a wide range of construction materials. Sean Kerrigan, the National Director of World Vision Rwanda, said that the organisation focuses on community-based solutions to promote sustainable employment opportunities to break the cycle of poverty and improve the lives of children and their communities. “The youth employment service centre is a result of partnership efforts. Empowering our youth to become more economically self-reliant enables them to have the opportunity to create a better future for their children,” he said. World Vision’s target to create productive and resilient livelihoods, he added, is in line with goal 8 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aims to boost economic growth and create decent jobs. “Working hard is what is needed to ensure Rwanda’s sustainable transformation,” Kerrigan said. Godefroid Ndayambaje, the Mayor of Ngororero District, which partnered with World Vision in establishing the centre said the project will support vocational skills for 1,050 youth. He pledged sustained support to the centre so it can serve its purpose. The Governor of Western Province, Francois Habitegeko, commended World Vision for its partnership with the government in creating employment opportunities for the youth through skill development. “The centre will boost job creation among the youth. Thank World Vision for initiating the programme that helps us to meet national transformation goals. The employment centre through boosting vocational skills is in line with the drive to ensure the government facilitates the creation of over off-farm 200,000 jobs every year,” he said. He called upon the youth to take full advantage of such opportunities to create jobs. “Make use of the available equipment in the centre and tap into market opportunities availed by ongoing classrooms construction, construction of health centres, health post and hospitals in the district as well as other infrastructure including residential houses,” he said. He added that more trades should be added in the centre. “As government is pushing to have a TVET school in every sector, youth should tap into such opportunities to be able to create their jobs,” he said. Youth’s reactions Thomas Twagirayezu, one of the youths who gained carpentry skills said that the centre has enabled the youth to start securing orders for different materials in the community. “After two-month training, I am able to operate a machine that produces nails which we use in carpentry. Carpenters used to buy nails at a high cost. Now we will be accessing them from the new centre where we produce them on our own,” he said. The 23-year-old Sandrine Uwingabire said that after graduating from high school in general education she didn’t get employment. “I am lucky that I benefited from the youth empowerment centre and gained welding skills. Currently, I get orders from clients. When I weld and produce an Rwf35,000 window, I get a profit of Rwf5,000. If I produce three windows per day, that is a satisfactory income. This will protect young women from becoming delinquent and unwanted pregnancies,” she said urging other women to join the centre for gaining TVET skills to be able to create jobs. Jeanne-Gentille Umutoniwase, another woman who benefitted the centre, said that having dropped out of school at an ordinary level, the new youth centre is expected to change her life. “I am optimistic that the welding skills I acquired will transform my life. We are already securing orders from clients,” she said. The Governor of Western Province, Francois Habitegeko, commended World Vision for its partnership with the district authorities in creating employment opportunities for the youth through skill development.
