The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Executive Board Members visit UNOPS-KOICA project in Kampala
On the first day of the week-long annual Joint Field Visit, the Executive Boards of six UN agencies and UN Ambassadors visit Vocational Training Institute constructed by UNOPS in Uganda
Funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in partnership with the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports, the new Vocational Training Institute – set to open its door this summer – is located in Ntinda, in northern Kampala.
The project was designed to help mitigate the country’s high youth unemployment rates by providing a dedicated space for Uganda’s young people to study and learn a variety of skilled trades, including automotive engineering, plumbing and tailoring.
“I’m very proud of UNOPS, KOICA and the Ministry of Education, good job!” said H.E. Kim You-Churl, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Uganda, at the handover ceremony to the Ministry of Education and Sports, organized by UNOPS on 30 April.
With the construction now complete, he reiterated that the work is not yet over:
For the students who will become beneficiaries of the institutive, we as partners must remember to look at the whole value chain, to ensure that after graduation they are employable and can help contribute to the economy.
The Vocational Training Institute will include classes taught by Korean vocational instructors.
The annual Joint Field Visit includes the UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund, the UN Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme and UN-Women, in addition to UNOPS.
“Infrastructure projects are about so much more than just engineering and construction,” said Rainer Frauenfeld, Director of UNOPS Office in Kenya, which also provides oversight for UNOPS work in South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. “What we have inaugurated here today are the first steps to promoting entrepreneurship and employment opportunities among Ugandan youth.”
Miloš Vukašinović, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN in New York, and Ambassador Chull-joo Park, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN in New York also attended.
The delegation of the Executive Boards will continue their visit to other UN projects, including in the West Nile Region. Meetings with the Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, and Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, as well as high-level representatives from various government ministries, are also scheduled.
