The Office of the National Chairman (ONC), headed by Hajjat Hadija Namyalo Uzeiye, on Monday August 7, 2023, donated relief items to Excel Vocational Training Centre in Kalule, Luwero District, weeks after the institution was gutted by fire that destroyed property worth millions of shillings.

Students, administrators and parents were gripped with untold shock on May 30th, 2023 when fire broke out at Excel Vocational Training Centre, destroying scholastic materials, desks, beds, suitcases and other property belonging to both students and the institution.

Following the adversity, several well-wishers have been responding to various rescue measures that the administrators undertook to revive the institution among these being urging Good Samaritans to donate relief items.

It is this call for rescue that prompted the head of Office of the National Chairman to respond by donating assorted items that included; 100 blankets, 50 mattresses and 30 bags of cement to the institution.

Mr. Mwanje Shafik, the director of the institution, who is also the Chairman of Endorsements for the ‘Jajja Tova Ku Main 2026’ project under the ONC, informed Hajjat Namyalo that the institution has a population of 2120 students, who currently need all the help they can get.

“Majority of the Bazzukulu/students come from underprivileged families and we extend bursaries to them so that they are able to study, because many of their parents cannot afford the tuition,” Mwanje said.

He added; “Several organisations and individuals are coming out to extend support to the institution after the adversity and because of that, we are motivated to keep focused on equipping the ‘Bazzukulu Ba Museveni’ with skills to enable them to create jobs and employ others.”

In her remarks, Hajjat Namyalo assured the students that her office would lobby the government and other organisations to extend more support to the institution, so that it can recover and resume serving the community like it was doing before.

“A person with a talent or skill is 50% far better than someone who has acquired a university knowledge without skills,” Hajjat Namyalo said.

“President Museveni emphasizes skilling of the youth (Bazzukulu) because it is one of the tried and tested approaches to solve unemployment through enabling them to create jobs based on the skills acquired by an individual, instead of having job seekers all the time,” she added.

Hajjat Namyalo also expressed empathy with Mr. Mwanje and other school administrators following the catastrophe that befell the institution, and prayed to God (Allah) to eliminate such evil-hearted people who are fighting development.

“I have donated a few items which include; 100 blankets, 50 mattresses and 30 bags of cement as a response to the tragedy and we look forward to getting more support to enable the Bazzukulu Ba Museveni to have a safe learning environment,” said Hajjat Naamyalo.

The ONC head also revealed that there is a network of Presidential Skilling Hubs in various parts of the country aimed at equipping youth with skills to enable earn a living, in addition to the Seed Secondary Schools in every Sub-county, plus technical schools established in most of the Sub-regions, all aimed at boosting skilling amongst the youth.

She however thanked Mr. Mwanje and Excel Vocational Training Centre Management for offering bursaries so as to support the Bazzukulu Ba Museveni who are come from poor families, and pleaded with to carry on with such generosity.

In her concluding remarks, Hajjat Namyalo invited all the Bazzukulu Ba Museveni at Excel Vocational Training Centre to Kololo Independence Grounds on September 8th, 2023 for the celebration of President Yoweri Museveni’s 79th birthday.

She noted that the objective of the event will be to celebrate the lifetime achievements of the National Chairman H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, under the theme; “Developing the culture of entrepreneurship in youth, women and the country at large”.

Mwanje thanked Hajjat Namyalo for the donation and assured her that as Management of the institution, they shall remain focused on achieving bigger goals instead of paying attention to the evil-hearted individuals who want to fight down the institution.

It should be noted that Excel Vocational Training Centre has been in existence for 17 years now, with 11 graduation ceremonies, the most recent pass out being 1327 graduates, in different disciplines under the Vocational Studies arrangement.

The institution has created jobs for several youth after their graduation, while others have gone ahead to start up small jobs, other graduates opened workshops that employ more Bazzukulu in Luwero District.