“In 2024, we witnessed remarkable completion rates, with numerous graduations marking milestones of academic excellence and determination,” Brenda Aharizira, the project manager in charge of students, stated. Nyaka-sponsored students pursuing degrees and diplomas attended three workshops between January and June 2024. These workshops equipped students with insightful knowledge and skills, including entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, and networking, among other invaluable skills.
In a bid to nurture kindness and community engagement among students as a way of giving back, Nyaka vocational and advanced-level students participated in digging and weeding gardens belonging to elderly grandmothers in Kambuga, Kanungu. They also visited several vulnerable homes in the area and provided necessities such as maize flour, soap, salt, and saucepans.
It’s important to note that the Nyaka Students’ Alumni Association contributed a sum of 5,580,378 UGX to support the operations of Nyaka AIDS Orphans Foundation, a testament to their nurtured values of giving back. Meanwhile, Nyaka-sponsored Kabale University students also took part in community health and hygiene efforts by cleaning premises at Kamukira Health Centre in Kabale. Their colleagues from Makerere, Kyambogo, and Nkumba universities visited Nsambya Babies’ Home in Kampala, donating essential items, including foodstuffs, detergent, and toilet paper, among others.
At Makerere University, Nyaka organized two training sessions in Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Hygiene, as well as Financial Literacy, in April and September 2024, respectively. Over seventy students who attended these trainings gained skills in family planning, menstrual cycle management, sexual health rights, sexual and gender-based violence prevention, and the prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In addition, the financial literacy training equipped students with hands-on skills in starting small- and medium-scale enterprises focused on the production of multi-purpose liquid soap, Vaseline, and perfumes. Seven students have reportedly started small-scale businesses in perfume making, liquid soap production, and marketing with the skills gained from the training.
In conclusion, about twenty-four (24) Nyaka-sponsored students (15 females and 9 males) graduated in different disciplines and levels, including nine certificates, six diplomas, and nine degrees.
