DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT (ICT)
The need for digital literacy in a country as populous and diverse as Uganda is critical in education, health care, citizen services, financial services, or any other basic need, technology, and connectivity. The huge difference in the socio-economic levels within the communities leads to difficulties in access to this knowledge.
Our Digital Empowerment Program provides digital literacy and empowerment opportunities for youth.We provide ICT services to youth and train them on computer basics such as
- Introduction to computers
- Ms office (Word,Excel,Publisher, Access,internet and Powerpoint)
- Video and photography
- Digital Marketing
- Graphics Design
- Website Development
- Data Analysis
- Project Management
- UX/UI design
Peace Building
Empowering youth as change agents and peace builders.
Together with local community and partners, we train youth in life skills like positive communication, leadership, conflict resolution, and empathy. We also support youth to develop financial literacy skills, and to form youth groups. These groups identify and discuss issues facing their community and think of solutions together. Many also lead community-wide dialogues on topics such as non-violent communication, tolerance, human rights, and peaceful coexistence. These ongoing dialogues often produce community peace memorandums which make commitments based on the specific concerns that arise during the dialogues.
Youth Mentorship Program
We all have had individuals who have been very significant in our lives—parents, friends, siblings, and relatives who acted as role models and big inspirations to us. They are the people who challenge us, who uplift us, who push us to keep going, who show us a sense of direction, and who are always there in good and tough times. But some children in our communities grow up without the support of this type of relationship. The mentorship program is an opportunity for children and youth to become an instrument of inspiring lives.
Youth Camps
Youth camps are intended to provide an opportunity for the youth to gain life skills to facilitate their personal development through discussion, fun activities, movies, games, community service, and presentations. Various themes have been developed in the past camps, including AIDS awareness and its impact on the youth, leadership and personal development, education and social responsibility, and more.
Peer 2 Peer Counselling
The Peer 2 Peer Counselling program pairs youths to provide social and emotional support to each other. They share general life experiences and offer advice on study skills, test taking skills, school life, and more. The pairs talk one-on-one, discussing whatever might be helpful.
Career Guidance
Often students from underprivileged families in rural communities lack a role model who they can look up on matters of educational and career development. Lack of awareness and proper guidance lead to poor career choices and low levels of motivation in school.
Similar Ground brings professionals from different disciplines to speak to the students and youth about their professional experiences. They talk about what one needs to do to excel in school; what courses to focus on for a particular professional track; which schools offer better programs for a certain career; how to pay for education and where to seek financial support; and many other pertinent issues.
We also work with parents to make them aware of the career options available to their children, encouraging them to support their children in whatever career path a child chooses.
Women and Girls empowerment
In Yumbe district where bidibidi refugee settlement is located is still experiencing low agricultural output this has also resulted from poor weather conditions and unfertile land of the area besides over 80% of the households don’t have land for agriculture since they have small plot of land allocated for them by the office of the prime minister. Many women and Girls have no employment other than doing small scale subsistence farming, they do not have any other source of income, yet there are simpler and cheaper jobs they can create. They cannot pay school fees for her children, even meet other basic needs at home because they do not have any other income generating project.
Women and Girls empowerment is a key component of Similar Ground’s work. At Similar Ground we provide women and Girls and other marginalized groups with enhanced life-skills and vocational training opportunities.