Uganda Martyrs University has officially launched its Out-of-School Entrepreneurship Training Programme, funded by RUFORUM, at the Main Campus in Nkozi — bringing together young people engaged in business, agriculture, and other entrepreneurial initiatives.
The programme, implemented under TAGDev 2.0, targets 600 out-of-school youth and seeks to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to strengthen their enterprises, embrace available opportunities, and create meaningful livelihoods.
Speaking at the official rollout, Vice Chancellor Prof. Patrick E. Kyamanywa encouraged the youth in attendance to look beyond the pursuit of quick returns and instead embrace entrepreneurship, innovation, and agriculture as viable, long-term pathways to income and job creation. He reminded participants that every successful business or innovation began as a simple idea, challenging them to share their ideas openly, learn from one another, and build on the knowledge and experience they already possess. “Every successful business or innovation began as an idea,” Prof. Kyamanywa noted, urging participants to see collaboration and shared learning as key ingredients for turning ideas into sustainable enterprises.
The Vice Chancellor’s message was echoed by programme leaders and partners at the event, including representatives from RUFORUM and community leadership. They called on the youth to take advantage of emerging opportunities, particularly those being created through technology and the growing potential of the agricultural sector. Their remarks underscored a shared vision among the programme’s stakeholders: that young people, even those outside the formal education system, have significant potential to drive economic transformation when given the right skills, mentorship, and support.
At Uganda Martyrs University, we believe that education should not only prepare people to seek opportunities, but also empower them to create them. The launch of this programme reflects that commitment — extending the University’s mission beyond its traditional student population to reach young entrepreneurs, farmers, and innovators across the community. Through the Out-of-School Entrepreneurship Training Programme, UMU aims to build a generation of self-reliant youth equipped to strengthen their businesses, embrace innovation, and contribute meaningfully to Uganda’s economic growth.
The Out-of-School Entrepreneurship Training Programme is implemented under TAGDev 2.0 and funded by RUFORUM (Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture).
