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URDT Institute, Kagadi (2026)

18/09/2026

URDT Hosts RIWAH Exchange Visit on Water Harvesting and Organic Farming

Farmers under the Right to Access Affordable Water Harvesting for Smallholder Farmers in Uganda and Tanzania (RIWAH) project have participated in an international learning and exchange visit in Ruteete Sub-county, Kagadi District, hosted by the Uganda Rural Development and Training Programme (URDT).

The exchange brought together farmers and representatives from seven organizations under the ESFROMA partnership Caritas Kampala, URDT, Great Lakes Organic Farmers Association (GLOFA), Kilimo Organic Farmers Learning Center (KOFLEC), Organic Denmark, Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM), and The Association of Vegetable and Fruit Growers of Zanzibar (UWAMWIMA) to share practical experiences in organic farming, rainwater harvesting and climate-resilient agriculture.

The team visited the farms of Justus Kalegeya in Nyakashema B and Faustino Byarugaba in Rubona Village, where participants observed practical applications of affordable water-harvesting technologies and sustainable farming practices.

According to Kembabazi Margret, RIWA Project Coordinator at URDT, the project is being implemented seven sub counties of Kagadi district, where more than 210 households have been supported to adopt rainwater-harvesting technologies. The project targets to empower 400 households that makes 20 FFLGs.

“The farmers are using these technologies on their farms to improve food security, provide water for livestock and crops, and build resilience to climate change,” she said.
Baguma Apollo, ESFROMA Coordinator at URDT, noted that the three-year project aims to increase food security among smallholder farming families in 100 Farmer Family Learning Groups (FFLGs) and improve access to water for crops and livestock. The project also promotes the integration of affordable water-harvesting technologies into local climate adaptation plans.

For Justus Kalegeya, a member of the Nyakashema Tukolerehamwe FFLG, the support received through URDT has contributed to improvements in household food security, income, knowledge and sustainable farming practices.

He also highlighted the role of the Visionary Approach, which has enabled FFLG members to develop family visions and work collectively towards achieving them. According to Kalegeya, the community is working towards making Nyakashema a model village by 2030.

The exchange visit highlights the power of farmer-to-farmer learning, partnership and locally appropriate technologies in strengthening sustainable agriculture, improving water access and building resilient rural communities.

17/09/2026

**URDT-I Artisans Review Curriculum to Equip Young Women with Market-Ready Skills**

In a bid to equip young women with **relevant, market-driven skills** and strengthen their transition into employment and sustainable enterprises, artisans and agribusiness practitioners under URDT-I participated in a **two-day Curriculum Review Workshop for Assessment and Training Packages (ATPs)** held at URDT-I from **15th–16th September 2026**.

The workshop brought together artisans, agribusiness practitioners and URDT-I staff who will support the delivery of skills training to young women across **20 districts and four refugee settlements** under the **Sustainable Inclusive Youth Employment Pathways (SIYEP)** programme.

The review focused on:
🔹 Aligning ATPs with **national job standards and industry requirements**
🔹 Strengthening alignment with **UVTAB assessment tools and standards**
🔹 Integrating the **Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) framework**
🔹 Incorporating **value addition, post-production, innovation and entrepreneurship**
🔹 Ensuring training content, duration, assessment methods and materials remain **practical and industry-relevant**

**Morren Ayesiga, Technology and Innovation Lead at URDT-I**, said the workshop was intended to improve the curriculum and ensure trainers have the relevant content and approaches needed for the new training phase.

**Robert Katabazi, Director of Education and Training at URDT-I**, encouraged agribusiness practitioners to move beyond production and place greater emphasis on **value addition**, enabling young women to create additional income opportunities from agricultural products.

Meanwhile, **Robert Sunday Alule, Project Manager**, commended the artisans and agribusiness practitioners for their active participation and encouraged them to implement the guidance from the workshop while maintaining strong collaboration with URDT-I and its partners.

The participating artisans and agribusiness practitioners also pledged to implement the revised approaches to ensure young women receive **quality, practical and market-relevant skills**.

Through the revised training packages, URDT-I and its partners continue to strengthen pathways for young women to **Learn, Work and Earn**, build sustainable livelihoods and contribute to the development of their households and communities.

15/09/2026

The Curriculum Review Workshop on the Assessment Training Packages is ongoing at the Centre for Reflection and Development at URDT Institute. The workshop brings together artisans and Agribusiness Practitioners from different districts and refugee settlements.

Artisans are participating in the review and inclusion of new training modules in their respective occupations, ensuring that trainers can effectively access relevant, up-to-date training content and deliver practical skills to young women under the program.

19/08/2026

URDT Institute Engages Kagadi District Stakeholders on SIYEP Approaches

Today, URDT Institute held an engagement with key stakeholders from Kagadi District in the Centre for Reflection at URDT Institute Main Campus. The engagement brought together Community Development Officers, Sub-county Epicenter Managers, the Labor Officer and other stakeholders to deepen their understanding of the Sustainable Inclusive Youth Employment Pathways (SIYEP) Program, the Visionary Approach and the Two-Generations Approach.

The session focused on strengthening stakeholders' roles in supporting program implementation in thier areas of work, enhancing coordination between URDT Institute and local government structures, and developing practical strategies for linking young women, to training, employment, enterprise and other economic opportunities.

Participants also developed community mobilization strategies, including engaging local leaders, community groups, peer mobilisers, youth leaders, VHTs and other opinion leaders to increase awareness and encourage young women to participate in the SIYEP Program.

The engagement is expected to strengthen collaboration and community support, contributing to more young people successfully transitioning from training into dignified and sustainable work.

12/08/2026

On this Youth Day, URDT Institute celebrates the creativity, resilience, and potential of young people. We remain committed to equipping youth with practical skills, entrepreneurship, and leadership opportunities to transition into dignified work and build sustainable futures.

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11/08/2026

URDT Institute Commended for Taking Skills Training Closer to Rural Communities

District Community Development Officers and Gender Focal Persons from 20 districts and four refugee settlements have commended the Uganda Rural Development and Training Programme (URDT) Institute for its commitment to extending practical skills training and employment opportunities to young women in rural communities.

The officials made the remarks on August 11, 2026, during a one-day orientation workshop on the URDT Institute Two-Generations Approach an innovative model that promotes the participation and support of parents, spouses, local leaders and other community stakeholders in the skilling and employment journeys of young women.

In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, URDT Institute is implementing the five-year Sustainable Inclusive Youth Employment Pathways ( ) Programme, which aims to equip 50,000 young women with market-relevant vocational and entrepreneurship skills to transition into dignified and fulfilling work.
During the first year of the programme, 5,000 young women were skilled in areas including Technology and Design, Agriculture, Food, Nutrition and Technology, and Tourism and Hospitality. Six percent have already transitioned into dignified work following their training.
The officials recognized URDT Institute’s innovative approaches for changing mindsets, strengthening community participation and improving livelihoods. They pledged continued collaboration through monitoring, mentorship and linking young women to government programmes and other livelihood opportunities.
The workshop also celebrated the transition of three young women trained in motorcycle mechanics from Kibaale District Akancungura Anita, Kembaga Dafuroza and Kobusinge Lucia who received a kick-up fund of UGX 250,000 each to strengthen and expand their businesses.

The support will enable them to invest in essential tools and materials, improve their services and build more sustainable livelihoods.
The orientation reaffirmed the importance of strong partnerships between URDT Institute, District Local Governments and refugee settlement leadership in ensuring that young women not only acquire practical skills but also access opportunities to Learn, Work and Earn.

02/03/2026

URDT Institute is set to commence the skilling of young women this week across 20 districts and four refugee settlements. The initiative follows the successful verification of training centers, artisans, and participating young women across various occupations.

The training is being conducted under the SIYEP program, a women-focused initiative through which URDT Institute will build the capacity of 50,000 young women aged 15–35 years by 2030. The program targets inclusive participation, with 7% refugees and 5% differently abled young women. Participants will be equipped with both soft and hard skills to support their transition into dignified and fulfilling work, including linkages to existing government and financial opportunities as well as market access.

In the first year, the program aims to train 5,000 young women across 545 training centers using a satellite model of skilling. The training emphasizes value addition and the integration of ICT to enable participants to compete effectively in an increasingly technology-driven economy.

The second year of implementation will begin in June 2026 and will target a significantly larger number of young women compared to the first year.

26/02/2026

URDT Institute has finalized the verification of training centers, artisans, and young women who will participate in the first Year 1 cohort of the SIYEP program.

Last year, URDT Institute, together with six other organizations, partnered with the Mastercard Foundation and joined the SIYEP program under a consortium led by AFARD to skill over 200,000 young women across Uganda.

URDT Institute is mandated to skill 50,000 young women across 20 districts and four refugee settlements over five years.

The verification exercise was conducted to confirm the activity and readiness of the training centers to begin the program. Training will commence in March 2026, equipping young women with both soft and hard skills.

19/02/2026

Day one of the pause and reflection meeting for member partners at the head offices of Agency For Accelerated Regional Development (AFARD) in Nebbi District was successfully completed last evening. The sessions reflected on the dissemination of the labor market and livelihood assessment report, the baseline report, and finance and procurement performance.

It's remembered that URDT Institute in partnership with Mastercard Foundation is implementing the Sustainable Inclusive Youth Employment Pathways (SIYEP) program from 2025 to 2030. The program is being implemented in a consortium arrangement, led by Agency For Accelerated Regional Development (AFARD), together with other 6 partners under the Young Africa Works Strategy.

Under this programme, URDT Institute is mandated to provide soft and hard skills training to 50,000 young women across 20 districts and four refugee settlements.

The engagement focused on reviewing partner performance for the reported quarters, advancing the Year Two Schedule C rollout, and consolidating feedback and clarification questions. A financial performance snapshot was also presented, and key risks were identified and documented.

The project manager at URDT Institute, AKINYI PRILLA, acknowledged the support from the lead partner Mastercard Foundation. She went ahead to explain the URDT-I's Satellite Approach to skilling that involves training young women in community based training centers (workshops and farms) owned and managed by Artisans/Agribusiness Practitioners. She also presented the progress of implementing the Year 1 planned activities.

10/02/2026

Strengthening Inclusive, Ethical, and Accountable Program Implementation

On 10th February 2026, URDT Institute hosted a Validation Workshop on Gender, Safeguarding, and Accessibility Audit Analysis at its main campus, bringing together teams from URDT Institute, the Agency for Accelerated Regional Development (AFARD), and the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU).

The engagement focused on validating findings from previous accessibility assessments, identifying and prioritizing key disability inclusion gaps, and developing a practical, time-bound action plan with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

The workshop also reviewed and refined the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the placement of Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs) at URDT Institute, strengthened partner coordination and ownership, and established partner-level committees to champion disability inclusion.

Participants were reminded to scale proven implementation models while fully complying with the CF Safeguarding Code of Conduct, with zero tolerance for non-compliance and a strong emphasis on the protection and ethical engagement of young women. In addition, partners emphasized transparent, community-based selection committees, standardized tools, strengthened documentation, and community-level sensitization to ensure accountable, inclusive, and equitable program delivery for all youth, including the most marginalized

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