The State House Under Secretary, Ms. Hope Nyakairu yesterday 1st December, 2023 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. 

Ms. Nyakairu made the appeal while representing the State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye during a graduation ceremony of 208 spouses of SFC soldiers at Marine Battalion  Headquarters in Entebbe. 

The spouses graduated under the Presidential Initiative Skilling program 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. 

Ms. Nyakairu told the graduates that the idea of training spouses of SFC soldiers started in 2004 when President Yoweri Kaguta 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. She added that the initiative was established to enable the spouses fend for their families. 

“I urge you to put the skills you have acquired to good use and don't rest until you have done something for yourselves, we are hopeful that you will not disappoint your funders so that the vision of the President is achieved,” she advised. 

Ms. Nyakairu challenged the beneficiaries to think about their next step after graduating. 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.

She said that spouses of SFC soldiers were the first group to benefit from the initiative and she thanked the President for thinking about the men in uniform.

“I want to tell you that you are the very first people who benefited from the initiative, for the President to think of spouses of SFC soldiers that they should be the first to be skilled, I think he deserves a very big hand clap.”

Ms. Nyakairu further noted that from the time the initiative was started a lot has been achieved, adding that more than 1,000 women have been skilled, workshops set up and certificates issued. 

“The vision of the President in setting up this initiative was to empower you technically and economically,” She emphasised. 

The Under Secretary also thanked Mrs. Nayiga Esther Lillian who heads the spouses of SFC soldiers, for encouraging her colleagues and acting as a bridge between them and the State House.

Ms. 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. 

Col. Dr. Damiano Kato thanked President Museveni for considering the spouses of SFC soldiers to acquire skills that would help them create their own income to improve the welfare of their families. 

On her part, Mrs. Nayiga Esther Lillian thanked the President for empowering them as spouses of SFC soldiers through offering life skills to them. 

She thanked the State House Comptroller for always providing the equipment like the sewing machines and others to beneficiaries, something which has always eased their training. 

Mrs. Phionah Mugisa who represented the graduates thanked the President for supporting and helping them acquire skills.