January 13th, 2026, marked a significant milestone for 20 trainees from Amuru and Agago districts who graduated from a 2-month training program in Wood Technology at UIRI Namanve campus. The training, conducted under the UIRI-ADRA project for skilling young mothers, equipped the trainees with practical skills in wood selection and processing, workshop safety and tool handling, furniture design and joinery, cutting, shaping, and finishing, furniture production and quality control, and Business Development Skills (BDS).
The trainees, who expressed their gratitude for the training, noted that the BDS component had added significant value to their knowledge, enabling them to start businesses that solve community problems and respond to customer needs quickly. The trainees’ representative, Akera Stephen Ogik urged ADRA Uganda to support them with the necessary requirements and equipment to help them teach others in their communities.
Ms. Esther Nalunga of ADRA Uganda commended UIRI for training the young stars and urged them to use their skills to positively influence others, saying, “Do not just survive, use your story to help others“. She pledged ADRA’s continued support for similar projects, acknowledging the continuity of the project’s outcome.
Pastor Kizito Emanuel, Spiritual Leader at ADRA, commended the Government of Uganda for the infrastructure at UIRI and thanked UIRI for the training. He also appreciated the donors, ADRA- Finland and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Uganda, for their support.
Judith Gihana, the Special Projects Supervisor at UIRI, expressed her gratitude to the trainers and trainees for their commitment, thanking ADRA for the partnership.
Gloria Kyampeire, Senior PRO at UIRI, represented the Executive Director and presented certificates to the graduates, congratulating them on their achievement. She thanked ADRA for enabling government initiatives through their community outreach programs and pledged UIRI’s full cooperation and continued support. She urged the trainees to put what they have learned into practice and keep in contact with their trainers for continued technical support.
This training aligns with Uganda’s national development priorities, including the National Development Plan 4 (NDP 4), which emphasises industrialisation as a key driver of economic growth and transformation. UIRI remains committed to empowering communities and driving progress towards a brighter future for all Ugandans.
