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By Cecilia Okoth
The gender ministry has launched an initiative dubbed, ‘Ghetto Talent Search’ that will promote talent and skills development among marginalised children in Uganda.
The talent search according to the state minister for youth and children affairs Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi, was inspired by a needs assessment exercise in various slums of the country with the aim of identifying what the youth of the community see as their priorities, skills gaps and capacity needs.
Whereas this initiative will be extended to various ghettos in the different parts of the country, Nyirabashitsi said the maiden edition will be kick-started in nine major ghettos in Kampala.
These include; Katanga, Makerere-Kavule/Kalerwe, Bwaise-Kimombasa, Kisenyi, Kamwokya, Kosovo, Namuwongo and Kivulu.
She was speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on Thursday.
The initiative will focus on talent and skills development, health camps on reproductive health, mitigating effects of mental health caused by COVID-19 and drug abuse.
The state minister for youth and children affairs Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi, addresses the press conference
An official voting period will commence on November 11 to 19, and a grand finale on November 20.
“The Ghetto Got Talent Search and health awareness campaign presents an opportunity for the gender ministry to explore a different framework for doing research that connects more explicitly with the ministry’s objective of supporting marginalised communities in becoming healthy actors of social change through their various skillset by having community members actually engaged in and designing the research processes,” Nyirabashitsi said.
This campaign will also give upcoming talented Ghetto youth an opportunity to show case and develop talent on a national platform.
The search will focus on promoting music talent, dance, art and design, comedy, poetry, magic, fashion and acrobatics that advance values of cultural development, national pride, educational and entertainment purposes to the community and country at large.
