The State House Under Secretary, Hope Nyakairu has urged the spouses of Special Forces Command (SFC) soldiers to focus on generating their own sources of income in order to improve the welfare of their families.
Nyakairu made the appeal while presiding over a graduation ceremony of 208 spouses of SFC soldiers at Marine Battalion Headquarters in Entebbe.
The spouses graduated under the Presidential Skilling Initiative which was started in 2004.
It is aimed at empowering spouses of SFC soldiers to create their own income using skills acquired through training in order to supplement their household earnings.
The beneficiaries comprised spouses of soldiers from all Special Forces Units of Lunyo, Kambarage, Kigungu, Kololo Summit View, Amber and Kasenyi. The spouses were equipped with skills in shoe-making, tailoring, baking, catering, among others.
Nyakairu told the graduates that the idea of training spouses of SFC soldiers started in 2004 when President Yoweri Museveni who is also the Commander In Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) directed the setting up of a desk for spouses of SFC soldiers, to enable the spouses fend for their families.
She challenged the beneficiaries to think about their next step after graduating as she advised them to work and improve the lives of their families and contribute to the development of the country since they have got the appropriate skills.
Nyakairu promised the graduates that the State House will find them places where they can display their finished products for marketing purposes.
“If you do things and fail to get money, we shall have failed. We are part of you, and we are going to make sure that we work together,” she said.
She further handed over sewing machines to graduates given to them by the President to help them start working.
