Katakwi Youth Network (Kayone) is a simple Non- profit Community Based Organization which is striving to uplift the situation of youths through skills teaching and promotion of their various talents; it is operating in a small place which is named St. Stephen Katakwi Skilling Center at St. Stephen Church and other parts of Katakwi Town Council depending on services due to limited space. It unites youths who are gifted and are giving services to the community in different parts of Katakwi town Council. Kayone stands for unity and empowerment of youths. Kayone seeks to form youths who are mindful of the sustainability and care for environment. We want to redeem the youth who are engaged in drugs and alcolhol abuses by keeping them busy in activities that will help them to recover and build a future. We aim at reducing teenage pregnancies and early marriages by creating jobs for girls and young single mothers. We strive to promote leadership, education, and community engagement among young people. We aim to foster a spirit of cooperation in making Katakwi green, creating jobs, promoting respect, and mutual support while advocating for the rights and interests of youth in general.
As our goal is to promote the youth, we give room to all youths in Teso to express their God given gifts; Kayone goes, therefore, beyond the borders of Katakwi as listed in what we do.
Within St. Stephen Katakwi Skilling Center , we provide access to quality education to less privileged youth through vocational training, and life skills development programs to enhance their employability and entrepreneurial capabilities. In skills, we teach tailoring, sweaters making, bags, bracelets and shoes making, videography and photoshooting, computers skills, embroidery, music and graphic designing among others. All youth are given a chance to choose a course whereby they feel that they will be able to develop the skills and empower themselves. We charge little facilitation fee to help trainers who dedicate all their energy and time to teach their fellow youths. Kayone is, therefore, a skilling center network designed to help under privileged youths.
The center is still developing and needs many equipment, most especially sewing machines and desktops. Also, the space has become smaller and can no longer accommodate many learners. A great number of trainees are working from outside. Though the situation is not the ideal of a center, it is better than nothing for someone who has almost nothing; it is keeping many youths busy; it is a home for many Youths who had nowhere to be. That’s why it is cherished, and many parents have found easy to bring the children there because they believe that Kayone can give them a bright future. In our limited way, we give the youth a vision and hope for future. This is our motivation to keep the Center running; this is what keeps us moving, this is what we stand for. If we are able to stop addicts from taking drugs and keep them busy by providing an alternative through work, then the sky is the limit. As our Moto says: “Youth, Action Now” for “In God we trust and Prosper“, Jer. 29:11.
